Joseph campbells the heros journey

Joseph campbells the heros journey

an archetypal story

Lets start with this:Q: What is an ARCHETYPE?A: Its just a fancy way of explaining a PATTERN, TYPE OF CHARARACTER, or TYPE OF STORY that is repeated in literature, film, TV shows, etc.

THE HEROS JOURNEY is one of the oldest story ARCHETYPES on the planet

Meet JOSEPH CAMPBELL(1904-1987)He was the worlds foremost authority on mythologyhe identified the STEPS of THE HEROS JOURNEY

In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell asserted that ALL STORYTELLING FOLLOWS THE ANCENT PATTERNS OF MYTHThis makes THE HEROS JOURNEY A MONOMYTH. This means ALL STORIES INVOLVING HEROES follow a universal pattern.

CAMPBELL KNEW THAT HEROES ARE CENTRAL TO THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, an essential part of our storytelling.that they serve a purpose which transcends society, culture, and time. He believed:

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. AND-The adventure of the hero is the adventure of being alive.

Campbell was such an expert on heroes that George Lucas (creator of Star Wars) consulted with him while writing the scripts for the first Star Wars trilogy.

Think about your favorite hero in a book, a movie, or bothwho is it?Wellguess what? Whoever your hero is, he or she follows Campbells STEPS OF THE HEROS JOURNEY!Keep this in mind as we take you through the stepsas we do so, try to plot how your hero handled his or her journey.P.s. also think about what makes your character a hero in the first place. What qualities does he or she have to have to qualify as a hero in your eyes?Also, before we move on to the STEPS, be on the lookout for certain CHARACTER ARCHETYPES you will identify throughout

1. THE HERO {OF COURSE! YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT! }THE HERO isUsually the main charactera person who needs to learn something in the storyNote: there can be several heroes along the way (we will discuss that further)Think about who is the chosen onethe hero who will ultimately be responsible for fulfilling some kind of quest?2. THE MENTORTHE MENTOR isA wise person or animal who provides guidance to the herousually giving him magical gifts or advice for the journey aheadOftentimes we will see the mentor archetype coaxing the hero archetype to undertake the adventureUsually the hero is resistant to the challengehe or she doesnt want to take the risk! More on that later

3. THE TRICKSTERTHE TRICKSTER isThe wise-foolsomeone who uses tricks and jokes to guide the heroTypically, we are unsure if the trickster archetype is good for the hero, or not-so-good for the heroThe trickster keeps us, as well as the hero guessing!

4. THE SHADOWTHE SHADOW Represents our darkest desire, untapped resources, or rejected qualitiesOftentimes has anti-hero or fallen hero qualitiesThe function of the shadow archetype is to challenge the hero, to provide a worthy opponent in the heros struggle*Most shadows do not see themselves as villians, but merely the heroes of their own myths

5. THE SHAPESHIFTERTHE SHAPESHIFTER isA character who changes appearance to disrupt the adventureThe shapeshifter archetype serves the dramatic function of bringing doubt and suspense into a storyThe mask of the shapeshifter may be worn by any character in the storyand is often expressed by a character whose loyalty and true nature are always in question6. THE HERALDTHE HERALD Issues challenges and announces the coming of significant shaking up of the status quoBecause of this announcement, the heros situation shiftsnothing is ever the same againThe herald archetype serves the important psychological function of representing a need for changeButlike most of us, adapting to change is quite uncomfortable for the hero!

7. THRESHOLD GUARDIANTHE THRESHOLD GUARDIAN Protects the special world and its secrets from the heroproviding tests for the hero to prove his or her worthIf properly understood, these guardians can be overcome, bypassed, or turned into alliesThreshold guardians are not the main villain; they are often the henchmen of the villainOn a deeper psychological level, threshold guardians represent our internal demonstheir function is not necessarily to stop the hero but to test if he or she is really determined to accept the challenge of change*NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DIFFERENT CHARACTER ARCHETYPES, WHERE DO THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES FIT IN?

17Annakin SkywalkerStar Wars Sequel TrilogyOnce a hero, Annakin Skywalker goes to the dark side, and becomes Darth Vader.Sadly, this makes him- A SHADOW -Next example:Who is this? What character archetype does she represent?

Katniss EverdeenThe Hunger Games- HERO-How about him? What part does he play?

GandalfThe Lord of the Rings- MENTOR -22How about him? How does he fit in with the rest of the character archetypes?

Jacob BlackTwilight- SHAPESHIFTER -What purpose does this character serve? Which archetype is he?

The White RabbitAlice in Wonderland- HERALD -How about this guy? Who is he? Where does he fit in as a character archetype?

GollumThe Lord of the Rings- TRICKSTER -And the last of the character archetypes

OrcsThe Hobbit- THRESHOLD GUARDIANS -HOW MANY DID YOU GET RIGHT?Now that you are now an expert on CHARACTER ARCHETYPESLETS MOVE ONTO THE 12 STEPS OF THE HEROS JOURNEY!

1. ORDINARY WORLDThe heros normal, everyday (often mundane) world before the journey begins

2. CALL TO ADVENTUREThe hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure to undertake

3. REFUSAL OF THE CALLThe hero is reluctant, and initially refuses the challenge or journeyusually out of fear.

4. MEETING WITH THE MENTORThe hero meets a mentor to gain confidence, advice, or training to face the adventure

5. CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLDThe hero crosses the gateway that separates the ordinary world from a new, special world. No going back now!

6. TESTS, ALLIES & ENEMIESThe hero faces tests, meets allies, confronts enemies, & learns the rules of the new world in which he finds himself.

7. APPROACHThe hero has hit setbacks during his tests. He may need to reorganize his helpers, or rekindle morale with mentors rally cry. High dramastakes heighten!

8. ORDEALThe biggest life or death crisis hits. The hero encounters his greatest fearonly through facing death can he be reborn. He now experiences even greater powers to see the journey to the end.

399. REWARD The hero has survived death and overcome his greatest fear, earning the reward he sought. The Reward may come in many forms: an object of great importance or power, a secret, greater knowledge or insight, or even reconciliation with a loved one or ally. Whatever the treasure, which may well facilitate his return to the Ordinary World, the Hero must quickly put celebrations aside and prepare for the last leg of his journey.

10. THE ROAD BACKThe hero must recommit to completing the journey & travel back to the Ordinary World. But the road back is often dangerous

11. RESURRECTIONThe hero faces the most dangerous meeting with death. He overcomes it, showing he can apply all the wisdom he will bring back to the Ordinary World.

12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIRThe hero returns from the journey with the elixir for everyone in his world to use to heal physical or emotional wounds. He has fulfilled his purpose and comes back changed for the better. The elixir represents a new beginning in which fear is conquered, insights and freedom are gained, and the greater good is restored. Resolution!

43The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. Joseph Campbell

44Look for this formula in books, movies, and TV shows, but also in YOUR OWN LIFERemember: humans reflect on our world through symbolic stories of our lives.ANDThink about how YOU ARE CALLED upon to leave your comfort zone, have an experience that transforms you, recover, and do it again.