1. This PowerPoint presentation is ©2007 by Robin L. Simmons
This PowerPoint presentation is ©2007 by Robin L. Simmons. All Rights Reserved. Adapted by: Lindsey Tillman

2. The Hero’s Journey

3. I m p o r t a n t Background

4. Carl Jung 1875 – 1961 Swiss psychologist/ psychiatrist
Collaborator and friend of Freud
Collective unconscious = inherited fantasy life
Archetypes = basic components of human psychic nature
The hero = an important archetype
Collective unconscious = a pool of inherited psychic residue accumulated since the beginning of the human race, an echo of the sum of experience accessible to all humans, that manifests itself through archetypes, or patterns of expression.

5. Just as everyone has two arms and two legs, so too does everyone share common ideas for stories and the characters who populate the tales.
Picture from

6. Joseph Campbell 1904 – 1988 Mythologist, college professor, author
Campbell’s big contribution: definition of a hero [from mythical to ordinary human]
Path with specific stages, all of which the potential hero must travel
Photo from

8. Characteristics of an Epic Hero
Courageous
Successful in battle
Superhuman strength
Semi-divine ancestry
Desire for fame/glory
Unnatural birth/death
Goes on a quest/journey

9. Stage 1: Call to Adventure
A herald or announcer appears
Often [but not always] someone dark, loathly, terrifying, and/or unordinary
Sometimes a beast
The call is typically heard someplace remote—for example, in a dark forest, near a great tree, beside a babbling spring, etc.
The call promises both treasure and danger.
The call requires travel to a distant land, forest, or kingdom somewhere underground, beneath the waves, above the sky, on a secret island, atop a lofty mountain—even into a profound dream state.

10. Photo from http://www.amra.pl/star/20.jpg

11. Photo from http://www.amra.pl/star/20.jpg

12. Stage 2: Super-natural Aid/ Helper
Usually [but not always] masculine in form
Typically a wizard, hermit, shepherd,or smith—someone peripheral to the community
Supplies the amulets and advice that the hero will require to begin
Picture from [Eugene Delacroix, “The Barque of Dante,” 1822 (150 Kb); oil on canvas, 189 x 242 cm (74 1/2 x 95 1/4"); Musee du Louvre, Paris]

13. Remember Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, who called first Bilbo and then Frodo?

14. Hagrid comes to Harry Potter’s aid

15. Stage 3: Crossing the Threshold
This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.
Picture from [Eugene Delacroix, “The Barque of Dante,” 1822 (150 Kb); oil on canvas, 189 x 242 cm (74 1/2 x 95 1/4"); Musee du Louvre, Paris]

16. Picture from http://www. uh. edu/engines/romanticism/barque-dante
Picture from [Eugene Delacroix, “The Barque of Dante,” 1822 (150 Kb); oil on canvas, 189 x 242 cm (74 1/2 x 95 1/4"); Musee du Louvre, Paris]

17. Stage 4: The Road of Trials/Tests
The hero must put aside pride, virtue, beauty, and life.
He must bow and submit to the absolutely intolerable.
Dragons must be slain, victories won, barriers passed, ecstasies experienced, etc.--usually in series of threes.
Boris Vallejo, “Flying Serpent,” at

18. Boris Vallejo, “Flying Serpent,” at http://www.borisjulie.com/details.cfm?Id=604

19. Stage 5: Helpers Usually depicted young and/or beautiful
Teaches the hero an important lesson.
Does not have to be a goddess [such as the Greek Athena or the Egyptian Isis]. Any strong female or feminine force meets the requirements for this stage.
Picture from

20. Boris Vallejo, “Flying Serpent,” at http://www.borisjulie.com/details.cfm?Id=604

21. Stage 6: The Supreme Ordeal
Here the fortunes of the hero hit bottom in a 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 a "black moment" for the audience, as we are held in suspense and tension, not knowing if he will live or die.
Picture from

22. The Final Confrontation: The Innermost Cave

23. Stage 7: Flight
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.
Picture from

24. Stage 8: Return
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.
Picture from

25. Stage 9: The Ultimate Boon
All previous steps have prepared and purified the hero for the boon.
A difficult task is accomplished with great ease.
The boon is sometimes the goal of the adventure--a magical elixir, the holy grail, a golden fleece.

26. Campbell says this about the ultimate boon:
The ease with which the adventure is here accomplished signifies that the hero is a superior man, a born king. Where the usual hero would face a test, the elect encounters no delaying obstacle and makes no mistake.
p. 173

27. Hero’s Journey Group Assignment
For your assigned epic hero, create a note-card visual representation of each stage of their journey based on your hero’s journey notes. Each member of the group should do 2-3 notecards.
Table 1: Luke Skywalker (Star Wars)
Table 2: Harry Potter
Table 3: Cinderella
Table 4: Simba (The Lion King)
Table 5: Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings)
Table 6: Nemo (Finding Nemo)
Table 7: Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz)
Table 8: Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

28. Hero’s Journey Group Assignment
Sketch out/discuss each stage in the journey as a group before you begin.
Each group member must create their own 2-3 stage cards!
One person may use their phone to research
If you want to swap with another group, and it’s okay with them, you may.
You can come up with another story if you want, but you need to ask me for permission first. 