What is the definition of an archetype?
Archetype Definition. In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. An archetype, also known as universal symbol, may be a character, a theme, a symbol or even a setting.arl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued that the root of an archetype is in the âcollective unconsciousâ of mankind. The phrase âcollective unconsciousâ refers to experiences shared by a race or culture.