Hero’s Journey Film as Literature January 2019 Unit 3 the Hero’s Journey

Twelve Stages of the Journey The hero myth

Stage 1: Departure The World of Common Day The call to adventure Refusing the call / Answering the call (Supernatural aid / Talisman) Meeting the mentor Crossing the Threshold Into the Unknown (Into the unknown)

Stage 2: Initiation Road of trials: Tests, Allies, Enemies (Meeting the goddess / The enchanted forest / Atonement with the father) Approach to the Inmost Cave Into the Heart of Darkness: Supreme Ordeal Reward – Seizing the Prize

Stage 3: The Return The Road Back Resurrection: Return / Crossing the Threshold Return with the “Elixir / Freedom to Live

Stage 1 of the Hero’s Journey

The call to adventure and the refusal of the call The hero’s life before the call; the world of common day The call to adventure and the refusal of the call A message arrives that upsets the status quo. At first, the hero doesn’t want to go.

(Supernatural aid) The hero acquires an object that will help her on the journey.

Meeting with the Mentor(s) A person who advises and guides the hero.

Crossing the threshold into the Unknown The hero must leave his familiar world behind and enter unfamiliar territory in order to begin the journey that leads to his transformation.

Stage II: Into the unknown Joseph Campbell called this part of the journey the labyrinth – one of the oldest symbols of humanity, found across cultures. The word comes from the Greek word labyrinthos which means a maze or a building with many intricate passages. Campbell saw it as a symbol of an arduous journey into the unknown.

The road of trials: Tests, Allies, Enemies A long period of ordeals and tests that the hero must undergo, each one gives the hero some new understanding that helps him as he faces other challenges. Many of the trials are life or death struggles. When faced with mortal combat, the hero must choose whether or not he is willing to sacrifice himself for his cause.

(the Enchanted Forest) (Meeting the goddess) The hero encounters a powerful female figure with whom he forms some kind of bond and who aids the hero in some way. (the Enchanted Forest) Ancient people believed forests to be mysterious places filled with magical beings, both helpful and harmful. It is often here that the hero realizes she must continue the journey alone.

Approach to the Inmost Cave The hero must confront the darkest evil in order to destroy it. Also known as the “belly of the beast” because the hero often enters the dwelling place of the evil one.

Into the Heart of Darkness / Supreme Ordeal / Apotheosis Apotheosis means either the highest point in the development of something or the deification of a person. Apotheosis occurs when the hero undergoes a transformation and becomes the person who can pass the final test and defeat the evil one. In ancient times, the hero was held up as an ideal or worshipped as a god.

Stage 3: The Return

The Road Back Once the transformation is complete and the road of trials has ended, the hero must go home. Often, this is difficult. The hero may no longer fit in and longs for other adventures. Often the hero faces one final test before he returns home. It’s the climax of the quest and looks as if the hero will die.

Resurrection / Rescue / Return Crossing the Threshold A climactic final battle Often the final test before he returns home is life and death. It’s the climax of the quest and the hero’s chances are slim. However, something from outside the hero helps him survive.

Return with “Elixir” - Freedom to live In the end, the hero is lauded for his role in the quest and returns to the place the journey began. With the problem solved, it seems the hero can now live in the moment without worrying about the past or the future.