The Hero’s Journey Freshman Honors English Coronado High School

 Joseph Campbell "Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human manifestation..." (Joseph Campbell, Hero with a Thousand Faces) Hero with a Thousand Faces 

What is a hero? hero noun 1. a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength; "RAF pilots were the heroes of the Battle of Britain"  2. the principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem  3. someone who fights for a cause [syn: champion] champion  4. Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)  5. (classical mythology) a being of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits; often the offspring of a mortal and a god  6. (Greek mythology) priestess of Aphrodite who killed herself when her lover Leander drowned while trying to swim the Hellespont to see her  7. a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

 Elements of the Epic Hero Cycle  (from  The main character is a hero, who is often possessed of supernatural abilities or qualities.  The hero is charged with a quest.  The hero is tested, often to prove the worthiness of himself and his quest.  The presence of numerous mythical beings, magical and helpful animals, and human helpers and companions.  The hero’s travels take him to a supernatural world, often one that normal human beings are barred from entering.  The cycle must reach a low point where the hero nearly gives up his quest or appears defeated.  A resurrection.  Restitution. Often this takes the form of the hero regaining his rightful place on the throne.

Home  A place of security, support, familiarity  Known patterns of thinking and behaving Examples:

Call to Adventure  The “hero” is called to adventure.  He or she is chosen for a task Examples:

The Threshold  The hero crosses from the old life to the new Examples:

Entering the Wilderness  Dark, lonely, dangerous  No longer has support of “home”  Many ordeals, trials Discovers power within him or herself Discovers who he/she was meant to be  Examples:

In the Wilderness…  Meets a willing “spiritual guide” A teacher appears to help the hero find inner powers  Temptation Endures temptations of the soul  Ordeals Tests of strength and inner power  Atonement Making amends with father  Transformation Finds enlightenment/discovers inner powers  Examples:

Returns Home  Survives ordeals  Gains self knowledge  Able to help others create a new world

 "Can you tell me, please, where I ought to go from here?" "That depends a great deal on where you want to go.“ Alice and the Cheshire Cat, in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll

Where are you going to find the hero’s journey? Movies Video Games Religion/Mythology Television Nonfiction---Real Life

Are heroes “archetypes”?  A common understanding of a type of person, character  Crosses cultural lines The epitome of a hero, a monster, etc.  An archetype is merely a defining example of a personality type. The "mother figure" can be considered an archetype and instances can be found in various female characters with distinct (non-generic) personalities.

The twelve archetypes  Innocent  Orphan  Warrior  Caregiver  Seeker  Lover  Destroyer  Creator  Ruler  Magician  Sage  Fool

What is an archetype?  Archetypes have been present in folklore and literature for thousands of years and appear to be present in prehistoric artwork.folklore  The use of archetypes to analyze personality was advanced by Carl Jung early in the 20th century.Carl Jung20th century  The value in using archetypal characters in fiction derives from the fact that a large group of people are able to unconsciously recognize the archetype, and thus the motivations, behind the character's behavior. fiction

Heroic Archetypes  Heroic stories--deep and eternal.  Joseph Campbell, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, identified both the archetypes of the “Hero” and the “quest” that the hero follows, in many of the folk tales and myths of the world.  This archetype and its journey are surprisingly invariant through many of the tales. Carol Pearson, in Awakening The Heroes Within expands the idea of the Hero into twelve distinct archetypes, each of which can follow the Hero Quest.

Carol Pearson  A twelve–archetype model for the journey of individuation for individuals and organizations, described in Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes that Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform Our World

 Quest: This is the hero quest, which the archetypal character sets out on. The hero may not realize he is on such a quest until it is too late to retreat.

Common elements of the 12…  Fear: This is the fear which is usually the motivating factor for undergoing the quest (why else would the hero need to put herself at risk?) It is also the principal danger that lurks in the shadow of the archetype.  The Scream by Edvard Munch depicts someone showing signs of fear The ScreamEdvard Munch

 Dragon: In most quests the hero soon meets her dragon. This represents the major problem or obstacle of the quest - - the opposition that must be overcome in order for the quest to be successful.

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to…. Task: This is the task that the hero must accomplish in order to succeed at the quest. Succeeding at the task is usually sufficient to overcome the dragon; however failure to do so can lead to becoming what the hero fears most -- his dark self, or shadow.

Virtue: Succeeding at the quest earns the hero these rewards of self. In addition to the hand of the princess, the castle, and the gold...

Innocent  Quest: To remain in safety. Fear: Being abandoned. Dragon: Will deny it or seek outside rescue from it. Task: To gain fidelity and discernment. Virtue: Trust and optimism.

Orphan Quest: To regain safety. Fear: Being exploited. Dragon: Will be victimized by it. Task: To process and feel pain fully. Virtue: Interdependence and realism.

Warrior  Quest: To win. Fear: Weakness. Dragon: Will slay or confront it. Task: To fight only for what really matters. Virtue: Courage and discipline.

Caregiver  Quest: To help others. Fear: Selfishness. Dragon: Will take care of it and those it harms. Task: To give without maiming self or others. Virtue: Compassion and generosity.

Seeker  Quest: To search for a better life. Fear: Conformity. Dragon: Will flee from it. Task: To be true to the deeper self. Virtue: Autonomy and ambition.

Lover  Quest: To gain bliss. Fear: Loss of love. Dragon: Will love it. Task: To follow bliss. Virtue: Passion and commitment.

Destroyer Quest: To metamorphosis. Fear: Annihilation. Dragon: Will allow dragon to destroy oneself. Task: To let go. Virtue: Humility.

Creator Quest: To gain identity. Fear: Of being illusionary. Dragon: will claim it as part of oneself. Task: To self-create and self-accept. Virtue: Individuality and vocation.

Ruler  Quest: To create order. Fear: Of creating chaos. Dragon: Will find constructive uses for it. Task: To take full responsibility. Virtue: Responsibility and control.

Magician  Quest: To transform. Fear: Of assuming evil sorcery. Dragon: Will transform it. Task: To align self with the cosmos. Virtue: Personal power.

Sage  Quest: To find truth. Fear: Deception. Dragon: To transcend it. Task: To attain enlightenment. Virtue: Wisdom and non-attachment.

Fool  Quest: To enjoy life for its own sake. Fear: Of being not alive. Dragon: Will play tricks on it. Task: To trust in the process of becoming. Virtue: Joy and freedom

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