Northrop Frye's Theory of Modes

EK Sparks
Dept of English
Clemson University
Fall 2003

Northrop Fyre's Theory of Modes
The Anatomy of Criticism
Buckbeak


*Mode*	*Historical Context*	*ETHOS:* Character *Hero’s Power of Action*	*MYTHOS:* Plot *Tragic Fictional Modes*	*MYTHOS:* Plot *Comic Fictional Modes*	*DIANOIA:* *Theme* Episodic *(Lyric; Individual)*	*DIANOIA:* *Theme* Encyclopedic *Epic (Societal Spokesman)*
*MYTH*	Primitive, Classical, popular Pre-medieval	Hero is a God: superior in kind to the environment, the laws of nature, and rest of humankind Desire =Reality (thinking makes it so) H=SunGod; Christ	Dionysian stories abt.dying gods. Nature mourns the death. EX: Orpheus, Christ (on the cross), Balder, Adonis	Apollonian stories abt gods being ressurected or heroes being apotheosized. Hercules, Mercury, Christ,	Poet is oracle (filled by the God) Zen Koan	poet is the voice of God. The Torah The Bible The Koran
*ROMANCE*	Medieval & revivals such as Fantasy and SF	Hero is quasi-divine: superior in degree to otherhumans and slightly superior to his/her enviornment, ie. Laws of nature are slightly suspended; magic can happen Reality approaches Desire (wishes can come true) H=White Knight	Stories of saints or superheroes dying. Nature appears to mourn the death (pathetic fallacy) EX: Hercules, Obi Wan, Yoda, Gilgamesh, King Arthur, Sir Gawain	idyllic, pastoral stories of hero beng absorbed into utopian natural setting. Hero achieves quest.	Poet's function is to remember. Poet is often a wandering minstrel Marvelous journey. the boundaries of cosnciousness	Dante's Divine Comedy
*HIGH MIMETIC*	Renaissance	Hero is superior in degree to other humans, leader with important social position(often aristocrat, nobility); not superior to environment: laws of nature are absolute Desire conditioned by Reality H=Prince	Story is hero/leader falling (hamartia, flaw)
*LOW MIMETIC*	18^th & 19^th Centuries	Hero is ordinary person, not superior to others or audience,labors under natural law Desire conditioned by Reality H=Anyone	stories of fall of ordinary man...often a virtuous figure who succumbs to forces of society.EC: Hester, Dimsdale, Hedda Gabler, Tess,
*IRONY*	20^th Century	Hero is inferior in power and/or intelligence to other humans and to the enviornment; laws of nature seem arbirary and meaningless Reality destroys Desire H=Victim	stories of fall of ordnary guy by his own weaknesses. Pharmakos or scapegoat. Takes the blame for all society, is cast out so others may live.