Archetype of the Avenger

Vengeance, or the urge to right a perceived wrong are very powerful forces in some people’s lives. For some people it is a way of life, as when they fight for the homeless or downtrodden, or give their time to helping others who do no have or cannot pay for their skill. That is a positive relationship with this archetype.

The negative influence of this archetypical behaviour is seen in acts of terrorism where an individual or group are driven to kill others in the name of a personally believed right or grudge. Like many archetypes this acts not only on an individual, but sometimes upon a government or a nation. Then we see a nation using its force to act upon another because it sees them as having committed some crime against them. For some people this is a way of life. Family feuds are an example of this.

Her is a dream example of righting a wrong. The dreamer also realised the feelings he had about his school years and how brutal they were.

Example: I was attending an adult class with about 20/30 people, mostly men, in it. The teacher came in. He said something and a man asked a question, or spoke back. The teacher got really angry and hit him with a walking stick. Someone else in the class remarked on the beating and was attacked also. A man sitting next to me on my left said that if the teacher hit him he wouldn’t sit and take it. But as the second man was hit my companion said something like – Bloody hell. The teacher landed two mighty blows on his arse, but he didn’t move. I said in horror, “Good God,” whereupon the teacher moved to hit me. I stood up and said, “If you hit me with that thing I will whack you in the fucking ear.” I felt fired up ready to fight. He backed off and threatened to get the headmaster in. I told him to try it. He said if I could do better, do it. So I took over the class and it went really well.

Then I seemed to be witnessing a young man making love to a girl in a room. A teacher burst into the room and got angry with the couple. The young man was not at all cowed. He said, “You burst into a private room without knocking. We happen to be young adults. I want an apology.”

The teacher was silent for a time then apologised. The young man then said, “Thank you Sir. I am proud to acknowledge you as my teacher.”

Useful Questions and Hints:

If this archetype is active in my life, what is the wrong I am working against, and are my ways of dealing with it valid?

Anger often has very personal roots originating in personal failure in sex, in society, and these are vented on others rather than being dealt with in yourself – does that apply to me?

Could this wrong be righted by cooperation rather than destructiveness?

Use Processing Dreams to explore the issues in your dream.