Ten years ago, the editors of Vulgata set out to
discover the underlying rules that govern plot, character, symbolism,
and so forth in successful works of literature. The result is the
discovery that while plots are not quite as simple as they seem to be
in writing manuals and high-school courses, where there is a hero with
a sidekick and a lover who goes out into the forest of fear, eventually
to confront and destroy the evil one, in his lair, with the
candlestick, there is something to the idea that a good plot follows a
particular structure. We have worked to map out these structures, and
have arrived at a set of conclusions. Although we are still working to
refine the theory, its basics are sufficiently set in stone that we now
feel it is appropriate to publish and explain our work. The Aereopagus
University methodically lays out our theory of literary archetypes. It
is designed for use by students of literature, writers, poets, film
enthusiasts, and all who have an interest in understanding the internal
workings of archetypal story and character. Foundational concepts are
covered in the first and second year courses -- without this
foundation, the more specific explorations of variation and genre found
in years three and four will be completely incomprehensible, so even if
you are an absolutely die-hard fan of film noir, we must insist that
you don't skip to the third year course on The Green Square in Film Noir
without reading the prerequisites.
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