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Archetype vs Trope - What's the difference?

archetype | trope |

In literature terms the difference between archetype and trope

is that archetype is a character, story, or object that is based on a known character, story, or object while trope is something recurring across a genre or type of literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales. Similar to archetype and cliché but not necessarily pejorative.

As nouns the difference between archetype and trope

is that archetype is an original model of which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are merely derivative, copied, patterned, or emulated; a prototype while trope is something recurring across a genre or type of literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales. Similar to archetype and cliché but not necessarily pejorative.

As verbs the difference between archetype and trope

is that archetype is to depict as, model using or otherwise associate a subject or object with an archetype while trope is to use, or embellish something with a trope.

archetype

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An original model of which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are merely derivative, copied, patterned, or emulated; a prototype
  • (literature) A character, story, or object that is based on a known character, story, or object.
  • An ideal example of something; a quintessence.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012
  • , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=“New Kid On The Block” doubles as a terrific showcase for the Sea Captain who, in the grand tradition of Simpsons supporting characters, quickly goes from being a stereotype to an archetype , from being a crusty sea-captain character to the crusty sea-captain character.}}
  • (psychology) According to the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, a universal pattern of thought, present in an individual's unconscious, inherited from the past collective experience of humanity.
  • Usage notes

    Traditionally archetype'' refers to the model upon which something is based, but it has also come to mean an example of a personality archetype, particularly a fictional character in a story based on a well-established personality model. In this fashion, a character ''based'' on the Jesus archetype might be referred to as a "Jesus archetype". See ''eponym for a similar usage conflict.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

  • To depict as, model using or otherwise associate a subject or object with an archetype.
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    trope

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia trope) (en noun)
  • (literature) Something recurring across a genre or type of literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales. Similar to archetype and but not necessarily pejorative.
  • A figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning, such as a metaphor.
  • (music) A short cadence at the end of the melody in some early music.
  • (music) A phrase or verse added to the mass when sung by a choir.
  • (music) A pair of complementary hexachords in twelve-tone technique.
  • (Judaism) A cantillation pattern, or the mark that represents it.
  • Derived terms

    * troper * tropist * tropical * tropology

    Verb

    (trop)
  • To use, or embellish something with a trope.
  • (often, literature) To turn into, coin or create a new trope.
  • (often, literature) To analyze a work in terms of its literary tropes.
  • To think or write in terms of tropes.
  • Synonyms

    * tropify

    References

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    Anagrams

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