the hero’s journey: characters and their...

1 ) T h e H e r o

2 ) T h e H e r a l d

3 ) T h e M e n t o r

4 ) T h e T h r e s h o l d G u a r d i a n

5 ) A l l i e s / H e l p e r s

6 ) T h e S h a d o w

7 ) T h e S h a p e s h i f t e r

8 ) T h e T r i c k s t e r

9 ) T h e T e m p t e r

1 0 ) E n e m i e s / R i v a l s

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

CAMPBELL’S ARCHETYPLAL CHARACTERS

• O u r p r o t a g o n i s t ; t h e s y m b o l i c “ e v e r y m a n ”

• M u s t l e a r n t o a c c e p t t h e s a c r i f i c e o f o r d i n a r y p h y s i c a l / e m o t i o n a l / s p i r i t u a l “ l i f e ” f o r t h e s e r v i c e o f o t h e r s

• M u s t b e d r i v e n b y a l t r u i s m : t o r i g h t a w r o n g , t o s e e k j u s t i c e

• M a y c o i n c i d e n t a l l y a c c o m p l i s h s e c o n d a r y / s e l f i s h n e e d s ( f i n d i n g a h u s b a n d / w i f e , g e t t i n g r i c h , e t c . )

• P R I M A R Y P U R P O S E = T O S A C R I F I C E H I M S E L F F O R T H E S E R V I C E O F O T H E R S O N T H E J O U R N E Y A T H A N D

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for & serve others

• The hero need not be “al l good”—some of our favorite heroes are actual ly

o Antiheroes

o Outlaws

o and/or Loner Heroes

• The hero invariably grows and learns the most during the Journey.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for & serve others

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for and serve others

• M a y a p p e a r a n y t i m e d u r i n g t h e J o u r n e y , b u t o f t e n a p p e a r s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e J o u r n e y t o a n n o u n c e t h e I n i t i a l C a l l t o A d v e n t u r e

• A n n o u n c e o t h e r C a l l s t o A d v e n t u r e ( p o t e n t i a l d a n g e r s , c h a n g e s , e t c . )

• M a y b e i n t e r n a l : d r e a m s o r v i s i o n s

• M a y b e e x t e r n a l : a d e c l a r a t i o n o f w a r , a s t o r m , a n e w s f l a s h , a l e t t e r , a n a n n o u n c e m e n t , a w o r d o f c a u t i o n , a w a r n i n g

• W h a t e v e r i t s f o r m , t h e h e r a l d i s n e c e s s a r y t o p r e s e n t / f r a m e t h e C h a l l e n g e

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

2) HERALD: to warn/announce/challenge

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

2) HERALD: to warn/announce/challenge

• P r o v i d e s m o t i v a t i o n , i n s i g h t , a n d t r a i n i n g t o h e l p t h e H e r o o v e r c o m e h i s d o u b t s a n d f e a r s a n d p r e p a r e f o r t h e J o u r n e y .

• M u s t d e m a n d d i s c i p l i n e a n d s a c r i f i c e .

• H a s u s u a l l y “ b e e n t h e r e , d o n e t h a t … ”

• M a y r e w a r d t h e H e r o w i t h m a g i c a l g i f t s ( a w e a p o n , c l o t h i n g , a d v i c e , a k e y , e t c . ) t h a t w i l l h e l p h i m o n t h e J o u r n e y

• N e e d n o t b e a p h y s i c a l e n t i t y ; m a y b e i n s t e a d a n I n n e r M e n t o r ( e . g . , a C o d e o f H o n o r , a p r o m i s e m a d e o n c e u p o n a t i m e , o r a F a m i l y T h i n g , e t c )

• O f t e n i s a n " o u t c a s t , " a n u n d e s i r a b l e , d e f o r m e d , e t c .

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

3) MENTOR: to guide

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

3) MENTOR: to guide

JOSEPH CAMPBELL

BOB SCOTTBOB SCOTT

LAO TSU

• P r o v i d e e s s e n t i a l T e s t s t o p r o v e t h e H e r o ’ s c o m m i t m e n t a n d w o r t h

• P r o t e c t t h e S p e c i a l W o r l d a n d i t s s e c r e t s f r o m t h e H e r o

• M a y b e c h a r a c t e r s , a l o c k e d d o o r o r s e c r e t v a u l t , a n a n i m a l , a f o r c e o f n a t u r e , s u c h a s a t o r n a d o , e t c .

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

4) THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: to test & protect

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

4) THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: to test & protect

Can be “full time” characters.

Can be “part time” characters.

Can help in major ways.

Can help in minor ways.

Aren’t always humans.

Often function deus ex machina.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

5) ALLIES/HELPERS:To support, aid & assist

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

5) ALLIES/HELPERS:to support, aid & assist

• The antagonist

• May be external: the bad guy, demon, force, etc

• May be internal: fears, phobias, desires, impulses, f laws, etc.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

6) SHADOW:to destroy

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

6) SHADOW:to destroy

• Misleads the Hero by hiding intentions and loyalt ies

• Causes doubts and quest ions in the Hero’s mind, thereby infusing suspense

• Seems to be one thing. . . turns out to be/into another

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

7) SHAPESHIFTER:to question and deceive

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

7) SHAPESHIFTER:to question and deceive

• R e l i s h e s d i s r u p t i n g t h e s t a t u s q u o , t u r n i n g t h e O r d i n a r y o r t h e N e w W o r l d ( s ) i n t o c h a o s

• C h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a n t i c s , w i t , t u r n s o f p h r a s e , l a u g h t e r t o r e v e a l t h e a b s u r d i t y o f t h e s i t u a t i o n

• T h e H e r o o f t e n d o n s t h e m a s k o f t h e T r i c k s t e r t o o u t w i t o r d i s a r m a v i l l a i n o r e n e m y

• I s o f t e n t h e “ v o i c e o f s a n i t y / r e a s o n ” d u r i n g t h e J o u r n e y ’ s c o n f u s i o n

• S h a k e s p e a r e ’ s “ f o o l s ” a r e e x a m p l e s

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

8) TRICKSTER:to disrupt/defy

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

8) TRICKSTER:to disrupt/defy

• p u l l h e r o f r o m t h e c o r r e c t p a t h

• D i s t r a c t s w i t h f e a r , d o u b t , d e s i r e , e t c

• m a y p r e t e n d t o b e f r i e n d s o r e v e n m e n t o r s , b u t t h e i r g o a l i s i n e v i t a b l y s e l f i s h

• h e r o e s m u s t r e l y o n t h e i r s e n s e o f p u r p o s e a n d j u d g m e n t , a n d o n t h e i r m e n t o r s / h e l p e r s t o h e l p t h e m r e c o g n i z e t e m p t e r s

• t e m p t e r s a l w a y s s e e m t o s t r i k e a t t h e h e r o ’ s g r e a t e s t w e a k n e s s e s : h i s p o o r e s t s k i l l s ; h e r s h a k i e s t k n o w l e d g e ; h i s m o s t v u l n e r a b l e e m o t i o n s

• a l w a y s a p p e a l t o t h e h e r o ’ s n e e d s / d e s i r e s a n d f e a r s

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure

If heroes are unable to identify and resist tempters, their quest will fail and they will turn back and re-cross the threshold into the prior secure/ known/ understood state of immaturity/ignorance

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure

T h i s i s a c a t c h - a l l c a t e g o r y , m e a n t t o i n c l u d e a l l “ B a d G u y s ” n o t p r e v i o u s l y n a m e d .

C a n b e m i n o r c h a r a c t e r s .

N o t n e c e s s a r i l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e S h a d o w .

“ G o o d G u y s ” a r e s i m p l y a l l i e s / h e l p e r s ; C a m p b e l l n o t e s n o s u b t y p e s ; h e h a s n o e q u i v a l e n t “ B a d G u y ” c a t e g o r y .

T h e u l t i m a t e “ B a d G u y ” i s t h e S h a d o w .

S h a p e s h i f t e r s , T r i c k s t e r s , ( a n d o c c a s i o n a l l y T e m p t e r s ) c a n b e b o t h “ G o o d G u y s ” a n d “ B a d G u y s . ”

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES

10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat