ARCHETYPE

An archetypal character, is a character who appears over and over in legends far and wide.
The definition of an archetype: An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned. Archetypes are very widespread throughout much or the world's mythology, and it is thought that many of them are thousands of years old. The world 'achetype' itself is from the latin term achetypum which is a form of the greek achetupon meaning 'first moulded'  There are a lot of achetypes in fairy tales, and some of them are very recognizable, such as the king and queen and a handsome prince, the witch or monster, the good fairy, a fool or jester, a mother figure, or an evil step mother ect. For example, in snow white and the huntsman there is the figure of the prince in the story. This character is the 'hero' of the tale. It is he who rescues Snow White and ultimately marries her, bringing the tale to a close and sealing the fate of the evil queen.