Word of the day: amulet (noun) a trinket or piece of jewelry usually hung about the neck and thought to be a magical protection against evil or disease Aim: How can we understand Joseph Campbell’s model of a hero’s journey in preparation for reading “The Odyssey”? DO NOW: In your notebook, respond to the following quotation: – “There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.” --Willa Cather

Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth The Hero With A Thousand Faces

The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage:

Separation Initiation Return

Stages of the hero’s journey:

Birth Fabulous circumstances surrounding conception, birth, and childhood establish the hero’s pedigree, and often constitute their own monomyth cycle.

Call to Adventure: The hero is called to adventure by some external event or messenger.

The Hero may accept the call willingly or reluctantly.

Supernatural Aid Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known. More often than not, this supernatural mentor will present the hero with one or more talismans or artifacts that will aid them later in their quest.

Crossing the Threshold Upon reaching the threshold of adventure, the hero must undergo some sort of ordeal in order to pass from the everyday world into the world of adventure.

This trial may be as painless as entering a dark cave or as violent as being swallowed up by a whale.

The important feature is the contrast between the familiar world of light and the dark, unknown world of adventure

Tests The hero travels through the dream-like world of adventure where he must undergo a series of tests.

These trials are often violent encounters with monsters, sorcerers, warriors, or forces of nature.

Initiation The Road of Trials Once past the threshold, the hero encounters a dream landscape of ambiguous and fluid forms. The hero is challenged to survive a succession of obstacles and, in so doing, amplifies his consciousness. The hero is helped covertly by the supernatural helper or may discover a benign power supporting him in his passage.

Mother as Goddess The ultimate trial is often represented as a marriage between the hero and a queenlike, or mother-like figure. This represents the hero's mastery of life (represented by the feminine) as well as the totality of what can be known. When the hero is female, this becomes a male figure. The hero's ego is disintegrated in a breakthrough expansion of consciousness. Quite frequently the hero's idea of reality is changed; the hero may find an ability to do new things or to see a larger point of view, allowing the hero to sacrifice himself.

Woman as Temptress His awareness expanded, the hero may fixate on the disunity between truth and his subjective outlook, inherently tainted by the flesh. This is often represented with revulsion or rejection of a female figure. Temptations may lead the hero to stray from or even abandon his quest - these temptations don't necessarily have to be represented by a woman. "Woman" is the metaphor for the physical temptations of life.

Atonement with the Father The hero reconciles the tyrant and merciful aspects of the father-like authority figure to understand himself as well as this figure.

Each successful test further proves the hero's ability and advances the journey toward its climax.

Approach to inmost cave The hero arrives at last at a dangerous place, where the object of the quest is hidden.

Alternately, the hero may encounter a supernatural helper in the world of adventure who fulfills this function.

Climax/The Final Battle: This is the critical moment in the hero's journey in which there is often a final battle with a monster, wizard, or warrior which facilitates the particular resolution of the adventure.

Supreme ordeal Moment when hero touches bottom; he or she faces the possibility of death…

Seizes the sword After accomplishing the mission, the hero must return to the threshold of adventure and prepare for a return to the everyday world.

If the hero has angered the opposing forces by stealing the elixir or killing a powerful monster, the return may take the form of a hasty flight.

If the hero has been given the elixir freely, the flight may be a benign stage of the journey.

The road back The hero again crosses the threshold of adventure and returns to the everyday world of daylight.

The return usually takes the form of an awakening, rebirth, resurrection, or a simple emergence from a cave or forest.

Sometimes the hero is pulled out of the adventure world by a force from the daylight world.

Transformation The hero emerges transformed by his or her experiences.

Home: The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

Often it has a restorative or healing function, but it also serves to define the hero's role in the society.