Abstract
The objective of this article is to define the archetypal features of a television anti-heroine to aid screenwriters with the scripting of their own anti-heroine teleplay. Once this has been accomplished the article will present additional secondary character archetypes which are specific to the storyworld of the television anti-heroine. It will explore how archetypes offer ‘systems of meaning’ (Pryor & Bright 2008: 74), providing audiences a necessary entry point of comprehension. Ultimately the archetypes presented could be utilised to guide screenwriters as they work to circumvent chaos and fragmentation while crafting the journey of their anti-heroine. Much of the literature centred on archetypal paradigms is heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. While these texts are of some use, they are inherently gender biased in favour of the hero. Therefore the vast majority of archetypes are not entirely compatible with the heroine, let alone an anti-heroine. It should be noted that the outcomes of this paper have emerged from the author’s scripting of an anti-heroine teleplay, alongside case study textual analyses. To ensure the credibility of conclusions drawn, the article will first provide a short synopsis of their teleplay, Angela.
Highlights
The aim of this article is to explore findings discovered through the author’s practice-based PhD research that comprised the scripting of an anti-heroine teleplay
Since 2005 have morally complex lead characters more readily begun to appear on screen – that is, characters such as Nancy Botwin (Weeds, Kohan 2005-2012), Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones, Rosenberg 20152019), Piper Chapman (Orange Is the New Black, Kohan 2013-2019), Carrie Mathison (Homeland, Raff 2011-2020), Sarah Linden (The Killing, Sud 2011-2014) and Floyd Gerhardt (Fargo, Hawley 2014-)
In contrast to supporting female characters orbiting their storyworld, Nancy Botwin, Sarah Linden and Floyd Gerhardt exist in a liminal space, unable to identify with purely masculine or feminine roles as they are left to bear the burden of being the breadwinner and raising their children alone
Summary
The aim of this article is to explore findings discovered through the author’s practice-based PhD research that comprised the scripting of an anti-heroine teleplay. The article explores how the author’s initial draft of their teleplay, Angela, resulted in a chaotic and fragmented narrative It argues that this was a result of the development of too many characters orbiting the storyworld. The proposed archetypes will be available to guide screenwriters as they work to circumvent chaos and encourage audience engagement when crafting the journey of their anti-heroine narrative. While this article is centred on the author’s own critical exploration of writing an anti-heroine teleplay, to bolster the credibility of conclusions drawn, case study anti-heroines will be referenced throughout. The justification for selecting each of these anti-heroines is grounded in their popularity among audiences, coupled with their diverse ages and criminal transgressions
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