The analysis of the shadow archetype in dramatic texts in terms of the archetypal criticisim

Archetypal Criticism is a literary analyse method which based on Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Gustave Jung's Collective unconcious and archetype theory. The method has been used since the very beginning of the twentieth century. Jung explains the collective unconcious as the common experience store of humankind. As for the archetypes are instinctive unconscious substances. Archetypes can also be reprensented by numberless archetypal images. Besides, as the archetype of the story the myths, are home to the archetypes. The principle archetypes of the collective unconscious are the shadow, anima-animus and the self. Those are also the parts of the individuation process which means a person's reach for spiritual wholeness. Meeting with the shadow as the first step of the individuation represents the awareness of one's dark sides that have been thrown to the dark corners of the collective unconcious as travelling to the real self. A person can control his/her dark features only by confronting his/her shadow. Theatre texts have not been the subject to archetypal criticism as much as the literary texts. The shadow, as being one of the principle archetypes of the collective unconscious, is rather functional for understanding deeply the motivations of the characters in theatre texts. Because the shadow archetype often comes up as the antagonist in the plays. Therefore it is a part of the central conflict. Thus in different plays, the shadow can appear as different images, invites the character to the individuation process. This thesis, searches if the protagonist of the play can complete his/her individuation process by revealing a person, a situation, an event or a psychic effect as the shadow of the protagonist. Archetypal criticism helps to reanalyse the texts in an archetypal dimension. This analyse, enables different dramaturgic interpretation and it creates the opportunity of deeper understanding of characters and the story of the play for the actors and the directors.