Trickster witches: The female trickster archetype as manifested in witches in contemporary American fantasy drama series

This thesis explores the manifestation of the archaic mythical trickster imagery in contemporary American fantasy drama television series. It argues that Phoebe Halliwell, Wendy Beauchamp, and Rowena MacLeod from the television series Charmed (1998-2006), Witches of East End (2013-2014), and Supernatural (2005-2020), respectively, are trickster witches who demonstrate the duality of cultural heroism and selfish buffoonery. Implementing a close analysis of selected episodes and particular scenes, the study demonstrates how these three witches display ambiguity in their actions by being amoral. It examines their approaches towards witchcraft and their creative play with it as well as their resourcefulness in problem-solving. Finally, it highlights the buffoon-hero duality by investigating the internal and cultural subversions of the trickster, as Phoebe, Wendy, and Rowena transform from immature reckless buffoons to socially integrated heroes. Through affirming the existence of this archaic energy of the supernatural trickster in contemporary times, as well as exploring the morality, creativity, and transformation of the trickster witch, the research contributes to preserving the mythological heritage of the trickster and to understanding some aspects of contemporary women’s psyche as well as experiences and struggles.