This essay will discuss some of the major archetypes employed by Eugene O'Neill in Emperor Jones and how each of these archetypes plays a role in the foreshadowing Jones' multi-layered downfall. By creating the myth of the silver bullet, Jones essentially becomes the embodiment of the trickster archetype in the play. The archetype of the planter or the slave overseer takes different forms in the play, whether it is Smithers at the beginning, the slave auctioneer or even the prison guard, they all represent white domination over black people. Finally, Jones' three deadly sins can be represented by a triangle; synonymous with the archetype of the Trinity. The trickster archetype comes from Greek mythology, Norse and Slavic folk tales, and Native American traditions. A trickster is someone who plays a trick on people or who breaks the rules of God or nature. In American literature, the trickster is often depicted as a symbol of ultimate anarchic freedom; a humorous way of representing the contradictions between American ideals and practice. In African American literature, the trickster was often adapted as a "no win" to reflect the situation they found themselves in in the United States. In the play, Jones creates a myth around the silver bullet to sow fear among his subjects and maintain illegitimate power over them. The myth consists of the idea that he can only be killed by a silver bullet. What he hasn't realized yet is that the joke is on him because he can't build an empire on something that isn't true. His entire business depends on the void, and it's only a matter of time before it crumbles beneath his feet. His arrogance doesn't stop there; it also carves out a miracle solution. The fact that at the end of the play, he kills his...... middle of paper ......e constantly imposed on the blacks of the time.Works Cited:BooksS. Rice Kim, A Slave's World: An Encyclopedia of the Material Life of Slaves in the United States. Morgan, Wrinifred, The Trickster Figure in American Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print.E. Wiethoff, William Creating the Image of the Overseer. University of South Carolina Press, 2006. Print.L. Rothgeb, Carrie, Summaries of the Collected Works of CG Jung. Karnac Books, 1994. Print. “Trickster” Websites. Wikipedia, npnd Web. February 17, 2014 “Trinity”. Wikipedia, npnd Web. nd February 18, 2014Other works consultedLafontaine, Lewis "Carl Jung on Trinity" Carl Jung Depth psychology, np February 24, 2014. Web. February 26, 2014. http://www.eoneill.com/companion/jones/characters.htmRanald, Loftus, "Emperor Jones", Study Companion, O'Neill.com, npnd Web. February 21-22 2014