This is about Northrop Frye's archetypal criticism.His idea of how in different world objects and scenes have been used to define work as comic or tragic.

1. Five realms of archetypes in
tragedy and comedy
Ajit A Kaliya
M.A. SEM 2
Roll No 1
Paper 7 Literary theory & criticism- 2
Enrolment No 2069108420170013
Batch 2016-18
Department of English, MKBU

2. Introduction
Archetypal criticism: Study of designs, patterns of action, character
types, themes and images which are identifiable in wide variety of works
of literature, as well as in myths, dreams and social rituals.
In his essay ‘Archetypes of literature’ and in next book ‘Anatomy of
criticism’ Frye gives the idea that genre of the work depends on how
symbol or image is to be interpreted and gives five realms of archetypes
to study.
Human
Animals
Vegetation
Mineral
Water

3. 1. Human World
Example:
Hamlet
Tragic
Example:
Anti sentimental comedies like
‘She stoops to conquer’ ,
‘School for scandal’
Comic

4. Animal World
Like
Sheep,
Lambs,
Dogs,
Cattles,
Doves, etc.
Example: Far from the
madding crowd
comedy
Like
Wolves,
Vultures,
serpents,
Etc.
Example: Little red riding
hood
Tragedy

5. Vegetable world
Comic Tragic

6. Mineral world
Comic Tragic

7. Water world
Comic Tragic

8. Conclusion
Simply, delightful and useful objects and scenes represents
comic world and eyesore scenes and useless things have been used in tragic
scenes. If writer wants to create feeling of horror, obviously dark nights will
be used. So that way it works. But it is not compulsory that these realms
always be true as Frye himself says, “Our Tables are, of course, not only
elementary but grossly oversimplified, just as our inductive approach to the
archetype was a mere hunch.”

9. Thank You