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


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.


1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for & serve others


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


2) HERALD: to warn/announce/challenge


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 .


3) MENTOR: to guide


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 .


4) THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: to test & protect


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.


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


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.


6) SHADOW:to destroy


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


7) SHAPESHIFTER:to question and deceive


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


8) TRICKSTER:to disrupt/defy


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


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



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 . ”


10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat


10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat

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

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