Stages of the HERO’S JOURNEY

The Stages of the Hero’s Journey All hero stories are, in some way, about a journey. The hero leaves his/ her comfortable, ordinary surroundings to venture into a challenging, unfamiliar world, both outward and inward. The journey does not have to be a physical journey but could be a spiritual, emotional, or mental journey of the mind, heart and spirit. The Stages of the Hero’s Journey ACT 1 Ordinary World Call To Adventure Refusal Of The Call Meeting With The Mentor Crossing the First Threshold ACT 2 (Crisis) 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies 7. Approach To The Inmost Cave 8. Supreme Ordeal 9. Reward ACT 3 (Climax) 10. The Road Back 11. Resurrection 12. Return With The Elixir

1. THE ORDINARY WORLD In this world, the hero is ‘getting by’, living on survival skills but something has to change The Ordinary World allows us to get to know the Hero and identify with him before the Journey begins. The Ordinary World gives us the opportunity to identify with the Hero’s drives, urges, and problems, while showing unique characteristics and flaws that make him three-dimensional.

1. THE ORDINARY WORLD The Hero’s Inner and Outer Problems may be established, although these can change depending upon the demands of the Journey. Every story involves a problem or Central Dramatic Question that disrupts the Ordinary World. The hero must enter the Special World to solve the problem, answer the dramatic question, and return balance.

2. THE CALL TO THE ADVENTURE The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure to undertake Once the ‘call’ is presented, the hero can no longer remain indefinitely in the comfort of the Ordinary World Call to Adventure must be accepted by the hero or the normal balance of the (narrative) universe will be tilted, the crime/ mystery/ enigma left unsolved. In revenge plots, the wrong must be set right The Call to Adventure makes the hero’s goals clear, to win the treasure or the lover, to get revenge or right a wrong, to achieve a dream, confront a challenge, or change a life The hero must leave his/her ordinary world temporarily to survive, grow, develop, learn and return

3. THE REFUSAL OF THE CALL (THE RELUCTANT HERO) Fear - Some heroes hesitate at the threshold of adventure He/ She is facing the greatest of all fears - the terrors of the unknown At this stage, the hero is not sure - he/ she may still want to turn back However, the hero is pushed past the ‘turning point of fear’ when: i) Some other influence or a change in circumstances occurs ii) a further offence is made against the natural order of things iii) the hero is encouraged into the world of adventure by the Mentor At this stage, the evil of the shadow, and its effect, becomes personal for the hero

4. MEETING THE MENTOR (WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN) The relationship between the hero and the mentor is very significant and symbolic. It stands for the bond between parent and child, teacher and student, doctor and patient, God and Man/Woman The Mentor may be an old wizard (Excaliber, Star Wars), an old boxing coach (Rocky) or a good fairy (Wizard of Oz). He or She is an expert in the arts, knowledge and ways necessary for the hero to continue and survive in the world of adventure The Mentor’s function is to prepare the hero to face the unknown The Mentor can only go so far with the hero. Eventually, the hero must face the unknown alone

5. CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD The hero commits to the adventure and enters the special world of the story for the first time The Hero agrees to the consequences of dealing with the problem or challenge posed by the Call to Adventure. From here, the story takes off… Movies have 3 Acts: i) The hero’s decision to act ii) The action itself iii) The consequences of the action The first threshold marks the turning point between the first and the second acts The hero must overcome his/her fear and decide to confront the problem and take action. There is no turning back once the hero crosses the first threshold

6. TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES The hero encounters tests and makes various allies and enemies. S/he begins to learn the rules of the new world The hero’s moral character, manhood and determination may be tested, friends and foes are introduced, vital information obtained - about the new special world and how to deal with it Strengths and weaknesses of the hero are revealed under these testing conditions. Several aspects of the hero’s character, -e.g., aggressiveness and hostility, knowledge of street-fighting, and various other skills are revealed in these scenes The hero discovers various companions and learns about the qualities of other characters

7. APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE Hero comes to the edge of a dangerous place (sometimes deep underground) where the object of the quest is hidden. Often it’s the headquarters of the hero’s greatest enemy, the most dangerous spot in the special world, the Inmost Cave When the hero enters this place, he will cross the second major threshold. Heroes often pause at the gate to prepare, plan, (for entering the inmost cave and confronting death or supreme danger) and outwit the villain’s guard

8. SUPREME ORDEAL At this stage, the hero comes into direct confrontation with his greatest fear. He faces the possibility of death and is brought to the brink in a battle with a hostile force The supreme ordeal is when the audience of the film/ story/ myth are held in suspense and tension, unsure whether the hero will live or die This is a critical moment - the hero must die or appear to die so s/he can be born again. It’s a major source of the magic of the heroic myth. The experiences of the preceding stages have led the audience to identify with the hero, his/her fate - what happens to the hero happens to us

9. REWARD After surviving death, hero (and audience) celebrate victory. The hero takes possession of the treasure or reward she has come seeking. It must be a special weapon like a magic sword, or a token like the Grail or some elixir which can heal the wounded land Sometimes the “sword” or reward is knowledge, wisdom and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces

10. THE ROAD BACK The hero is not out of the woods yet! This is Act III The Hero deals with the consequences of confronting the dark forces of the Supreme Ordeal. If they have not reconciled with the parent, the gods, the hostile forces, they may come raging after him/her Typically, this is where a chase scene may occur in a film, as the hero is pursued on the Road Back by the vengeful forces he/she has disturbed by seizing the sword, the elixir or the treasure This stage marks the decision to return to the Ordinary World. The hero realises that the Special World must be left behind and there are still dangers, temptations and tests to be met ahead

11. RESURRECTION In ancient times, hunters and warriors had to be purified before they returned to their communities, because they had blood on their hands. The hero who has been to the realm of the dead must be reborn and cleansed in one last ordeal of death and Resurrection before returning to the Ordinary World of living This is often a Second life-and-death moment, almost a replay of the death and rebirth of the Supreme Ordeal. The villain or his/her agents or death/ darkness get one last desperate shot before finally being defeated This is like a final exam for the hero who must be tested once more to see if he has really learned the lessons of the Supreme Ordeal

12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR The hero returns to the Ordinary World, but the journey is meaningless unless s/he brings back some elixir, treasure or lesson from the Special World of adventure/journey/quest The Elixir is a magic potion with the power to heal. It may be a great treasure like the Grail that magically heals the wounded land or it simply might be knowledge or experience that could be useful to the community someday

To Recap the Hero’s Journey… The Ordinary World In the first stages of the story line the hero leaves the familiar ordinary world to enter into a new world. In Star Wars Luke Skywalker is seen on the farm, bored to death, before he starts his adventure. The Call to Adventure The hero is given a problem or a challenge and once this happens he/she can no longer stay in the ordinary world. This occurs in Star Wars with the holographic message from Princess Leia. Refusal of the Call At this point the hero becomes afraid and refuses the call. Some other influence is needed for the hero to take up the challenge. In Star Wars Luke refuses the challenge and returns to the farm, only to find that his uncle and aunt have been murdered. Thus, he cannot return to the ordinary world. Meeting the Mentor Many stories introduce a Merlin like character whose function is to prepare the hero to face the challenge. The mentor is Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars who gives Luke his father's special sword. Crossing the First Threshold The hero commits to the challenge and this is where the adventure really begins. Tests, Allies and Enemies The hero then has to learn the rules of this new world. He/she is tested makes new friends and enemies. A bar scene is often used to illustrate this. Such was the case in Star Wars, in the cantina, with Luke meeting up with ally Hans Solo and making enemies with Jabba the Hutt 7. Approach to the Inmost Cave The hero now approaches a fearful place which is often underground and representative of a cave. Here is the second threshold. It often occurs in the enemy's territory, and there is great danger. This happens in Star Wars when Luke and his friends are "sucked into the Death Star". The Supreme Ordeal The hero then has to face the greatest challenge and confrontation. She/he is brought to the brink of death in a battle with malevolent forces. This occurs when Luke, Leia and friends are trapped in the trashmasher. Reward Having survived the challenge, the hero now receives what has been sought, or the reward. It could be a special sword, elixir that can heal the land or greater knowledge and understanding. In Star Wars, Luke rescues the Princess and gets the plans to Death Star which is crucial in defeating Darth Vader. The Road Back At this point the hero has to try and get back home. However, hostile forces often pursue him/her. Thus, Darth Vader pursues Luke and Leia as they escape from the Death Star. Resurrection The hero now has to be reborn before he/she can return to the ordinary world. This occurs in a second life and death situation where the hero almost dies again. In Star Wars there is a final battle scene where Luke is almost killed. This last ordeal transforms the hero into a new person. Return with the Elixir Unless something is brought back the hero has to repeat the challenge. The elixir may be a magic potion that can heal, it could be treasure to be used by the community or it could be love, freedom or new knowledge. Sometimes it's just having a "good story to tell"