Literary Theory · Part 22 of 25 · 1930s–1950s
Myth & Archetypal Criticism
What is Myth Criticism? Myth or archetypal criticism looks for recurring patterns, characters and images that link literature to myth and ritual. It drew on Frazer’s The Golden Bough and Jung’s archetypes, and reached its height in Northrop Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism (1957), with its four mythoi of comedy, romance, tragedy and satire.
This part covers Northrop Frye and general myth criticism. The questions are drawn from previous UGC NET, SET, PhD entrance and Assistant Professor papers, and every answer comes with a short explanation. Tap an option to check your answer.
Northrop Frye
1. According to Northrop Frye there are four main narrative genres associated with the seasonal cycle of spring, summer, autumn and winter. They are comedy, ________, tragedy and irony (satire). Which is the second one?
- Novel
- Epic
- Fiction
- Romance
2. Who among the following is a Canadian critic?
- Northrop Frye
- F.R. Leavis
- Cleanth Brooks
- I.A. Richards
3. Northrop Frye’s influential work Anatomy of Criticism includes, as its subtitle indicates, four essays. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
- “Archetypal Criticism: Theory of Myths”
- “Historical Criticism: Theory of Modes”
- “Typological Criticism: Theory of Types”
- “Ethical Criticism: Theory of Symbols”
4. Which country does the author of Anatomy of Criticism belong to?
- The USA
- Australia
- Canada
- Austria
5. Who links literary genres to seasons?
- Richard Chase
- Northrop Frye
- Maud Bodkin
- Francis Fergusson
6. In the essay “Historical Criticism” in Anatomy of Criticism, Northrop Frye presents a theory of
- Symbols
- Modes
- Myths
- Genres
7. According to Frye’s mythoi, which one of the following is not a correct combination?
- Comedy : Summer
- Romance : Summer
- Tragedy : Autumn
- Satire : Winter
8. Northrop Frye in his first book, Fearful Symmetry, reinterprets the poetry of ____.
- Thomas Chatterton
- George Cumberland
- Thomas Gray
- William Blake
Myth Criticism: General
9. ‘Myth criticism’ focuses on:
- A study of myths and mythology
- Archetypes of spiritual experience
- Recurrence of archetypal patterns
- The confluence of different traditions
10. J.G. Frazer’s The Golden Bough focuses on
- Images
- Metaphors
- Symbols
- Archetypes
11. Who among the following is not a myth critic?
- Robert Graves
- Raymond Williams
- Francis Fergusson
- Northrop Frye
12. One archetype in literature is the scapegoat. Which of these literary characters serves that purpose?
- Billy Budd
- Hamlet
- Captain Ahab
- Ophelia
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