The classic archetype for the Cheshire Cat is neither hero nor villain, but trickster. Like a sphynx, coyote or mischevious God, Cheshire Cat is one who challenges and misdirects the hero on the journey.
He also helps Alice to understand a chaotic universe by telling her everyone there is “mad”, so the only way to get through Wonderland is to think in irrational terms. In this way, he disregards traditional logic and embraces an absurdist landscape, in the true trickster fashion.
The Cheshire Cat is not a hero in the story, nor is it an ally. It takes on a villainous role by pushing Alice to question her own sanity and further confusing her. While it does provide information to Alice, it also plays with her much like a cat playing with a mouse. Its most well-known feature is its smile.
In Wonderland, Cheshire Cat is the "Guide", an important role that makes him feared by the other residents, and is compelled by Ariko's inner will to help her unlock her suppressed, traumatic memories and overcome her suicidal depression.
The trickster archetype is a character type in storytelling that is often associated with disruption, mischief, and humor. Tricksters are known for their cunning, wit, and unpredictability, which often challenge the status quo and cause unexpected events in stories.
The most common trickster figure is Coyote, but Raven, Crow, Bluejay, Rabbit, Spider, Raccoon, Bear, and others appear in the trickster myths of different Native American groups.
A trickster is, more often than not, male, though there have been known exceptions. Coyote Road itself contains several stories where the trickster is a woman, but more often than not she doesn't embody the form quite as fully as her male counterparts.
The Cheshire Cat further emphasises this concept when he states: “If you don't know where you are going, any road can take you there.” Here, we see a parallel between Wonderland and real life: No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we can still accomplish our goals if we stay determined enough.
Smile broadly, especially in a self-satisfied way. For example, John ended the set with a beautiful serve, an ace, and couldn't help grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Cheshire Cat, fictional character, a cat notable for its broad grin and its ability to disappear and reappear at will, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll.
The Queen of Hearts is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She is a childish, foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as "a blind fury", and who is quick to give death sentences at even the slightest of offenses.
Kitty is a mischievous chaotic werecat with an almost-villain streak to her. She usually likes to cause problems for others, but really, in truth, has a good heart and loves and cares for her friends.
The classic archetype for the Cheshire Cat is neither hero nor villain, but trickster. Like a sphynx, coyote or mischevious God, Cheshire Cat is one who challenges and misdirects the hero on the journey.
So, characteristically, as inferred from the Alice in Wonderland, the personality of the Cheshire cat can be best described as comical, silly, insane, mysterious, sneaky, mischievous and unpredictable.
The Cat (or the Cheshire Cat as some may wrongly know him), a shape-shifting creature born of Redd Heart's imagination—part human, part feline, all assassin—assumed his most innocent incarnation: that of a cute kitten with golden fur.
What is the archetype of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland?
The Cheshire Cat acts as the archetypal trickster and threshold guardian. He leads Alice to the Hatter and opens up a doorway to the Queen's castle. This makes him a threshold guardian. He is a trickster because he has pointless conversations with Alice that end up confusing her.
However, the latter is not happy to see him because he blames Cheshire for deserting them on the day the Red Queen seized control of Underland. Using his skills and the Hatter's coveted top hat, the Cheshire Cat later finds a way to redeem himself.
"Curiosity killed the cat" is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. It also implies that being curious can sometimes lead to danger or misfortune.
In typical feline fashion, the Cheshire Cat is a cunning and intelligent provocateur who disappears at the blink of an eye, and by all accounts, is completely mad.
Through the Mad Hatter, Carroll is seen by some observers as critiquing England's mistreatment of its workers and its mentally ill. During the Victorian era, workers in the textile industries were subjected to hazardous conditions, including exposure to lead and mercury.
The Cheshire Cat explains to Alice that madness is the chief characteristic of the residents of Wonderland, and that to be in Wonderland is to be mad. In order to exist at all in Wonderland, one must accept its inherent irrationality.
The Cheshire cat is full of wit, intelligence, riddle and dark humor and a good heart deep down. He is also very mysterious. Together, it makes him the most lovable literary character of all time.
Loki is, of course, the obvious choice, especially because the movies have made him so popular. But there are many others. Some may not fit the definition of trickster as well as others.
