The Hero’s JourneyThe Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell Joseph Campbell

and The Monomythand The Monomyth

Who is Who is Joseph Joseph CampbellCampbell?? Joseph John Campbell Joseph John Campbell

(March 26, 1904 – (March 26, 1904 – October 31, 1987) October 31, 1987)

American mythology American mythology professor, writer, and professor, writer, and speaker.speaker.

Best known for his Best known for his work in the fields of work in the fields of comparative comparative mythology and mythology and comparative religion.comparative religion.

Joseph CampbellJoseph Campbell As a child, fascinated with Native As a child, fascinated with Native

American culture. American culture. He soon became versed in numerous He soon became versed in numerous

aspects of Native American society, aspects of Native American society, primarily in Native American primarily in Native American mythology. mythology.

lifelong passion for myth lifelong passion for myth and to and to his study of and mapping of the his study of and mapping of the cohesive threads in mythology cohesive threads in mythology that appeared to exist among that appeared to exist among even disparate human cultures.even disparate human cultures.

Campbell’s InfluenceCampbell’s Influence The Hero with a The Hero with a

Thousand FacesThousand Faces (1949)(1949) is a non- is a non-fiction book, and fiction book, and seminal work of seminal work of comparative comparative mythology by mythology by Joseph Campbell. Joseph Campbell. In this publication, In this publication, Campbell Campbell discusses discusses his his theory of the theory of the journey of the journey of the archetypal hero archetypal hero found in world found in world mythologies and mythologies and religions.religions.

Since publication of Since publication of The Hero with a The Hero with a Thousand FacesThousand Faces, Campbell's theory , Campbell's theory has been consciously applied by a has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and wide variety of modern writers and artists. The best known is perhaps artists. The best known is perhaps George Lucas, who has acknowledged George Lucas, who has acknowledged a debt to Campbell regarding the a debt to Campbell regarding the stories of the stories of the Star WarsStar Wars films. films.

Campbell’s InfluenceCampbell’s Influence George Lucas was George Lucas was

the first Hollywood the first Hollywood filmmaker to openly filmmaker to openly credit Campbell's credit Campbell's influence. He stated influence. He stated during the release of during the release of the first the first Star WarsStar Wars films during the late films during the late 1970s that 1970s that they were they were based upon ideas based upon ideas found in found in The Hero The Hero With a Thousand With a Thousand FacesFaces and other and other works of Campbell's. works of Campbell's.

The Hero With A The Hero With A Thousand FacesThousand Faces In a well-known quote from the In a well-known quote from the

introduction to introduction to The Hero with a The Hero with a Thousand FacesThousand Faces, Campbell wrote:, Campbell wrote:

“ “ A hero ventures forth from the A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.[1] fellow man.[1] ””

Characteristics of a Hero Characteristics of a Hero from Joseph Campbell's from Joseph Campbell's The Power of MythThe Power of Myth

1. A hero gives his or her life to 1. A hero gives his or her life to something bigger than him/herself, to something bigger than him/herself, to some higher end. some higher end.

2. A hero performs a courageous act, 2. A hero performs a courageous act, either physical or spiritual. either physical or spiritual.

3. A hero is usually someone from 3. A hero is usually someone from whom something has been taken or whom something has been taken or who feels there's something lacking in who feels there's something lacking in the normal experience available, or the normal experience available, or permitted, to members of his society. permitted, to members of his society.

HeroesHeroes

4. A hero embarks on a series of 4. A hero embarks on a series of adventures to recover what is lost adventures to recover what is lost or to discover some life-giving or to discover some life-giving information. information.

5.The hero usually moves out of the 5.The hero usually moves out of the known, conventional safety of his known, conventional safety of his own life to undertake the journey. own life to undertake the journey.

HeroesHeroes

6.6. The hero undergoes trials and tests The hero undergoes trials and tests to see if he has the courage, the to see if he has the courage, the knowledge and the capacity to knowledge and the capacity to survive. survive.

7.7. A hero has to achieve something. A hero has to achieve something.

8.8. A hero's journey usually consists of a A hero's journey usually consists of a departure, a fulfillment, and a return.departure, a fulfillment, and a return.

MonomythMonomyth

““One myth” – One One myth” – One story told over and story told over and over through various over through various ages and various ages and various cultures.cultures.

In the In the monomythmonomyth, the hero starts in , the hero starts in the ordinary world, and receives a the ordinary world, and receives a callcall to enter an unusual world of to enter an unusual world of strange powers and events. If the strange powers and events. If the hero accepts the call to enter this hero accepts the call to enter this strange world, the hero must face strange world, the hero must face tasks and trialstasks and trials, and may have to , and may have to face these trials alone, or may have face these trials alone, or may have assistance. assistance.

At its most intense, the hero must At its most intense, the hero must survive a severe challenge, often with survive a severe challenge, often with help earned along the journey. If the help earned along the journey. If the hero survives, the hero may achieve a hero survives, the hero may achieve a great gift or great gift or "boon.""boon." The hero must The hero must then decide whether to return to the then decide whether to return to the ordinary world with this boon. If the ordinary world with this boon. If the hero does decide to return, the hero hero does decide to return, the hero often faces challenges on the return often faces challenges on the return journey. If the hero is successful in journey. If the hero is successful in returningreturning, the boon or gift may be , the boon or gift may be used to improve the world.used to improve the world.

The classic examples of the The classic examples of the monomyth relied upon by monomyth relied upon by Campbell and other scholars Campbell and other scholars include the Buddha, Moses, and include the Buddha, Moses, and Christ stories, although Christ stories, although Campbell cites many other Campbell cites many other classic myths from many classic myths from many cultures which rely upon this cultures which rely upon this basic structure.basic structure.

The Hero’s JourneyThe Hero’s Journey

Campbell describes a number of Campbell describes a number of stages or steps along this stages or steps along this journey. Very few myths contain journey. Very few myths contain all of these stages — some myths all of these stages — some myths contain many of the stages, while contain many of the stages, while others contain only a few; some others contain only a few; some myths may have as a focus only myths may have as a focus only one of the stages, while other one of the stages, while other myths may deal with the stages myths may deal with the stages in a somewhat different order. in a somewhat different order.

These stages may be organized in a These stages may be organized in a number of ways, including division number of ways, including division into three sections: Departure into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), (sometimes called Separation), Initiation and Return. "Departure" Initiation and Return. "Departure" deals with the hero venturing forth deals with the hero venturing forth on the quest; "Initiation" deals with on the quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's various adventures along the hero's various adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the the way; and "Return" deals with the hero's return home with knowledge hero's return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey.and powers acquired on the journey.

The MonomythThe MonomythStage One - DepartureStage One - Departure

• call to adventure

• refusal of the call

• supernatural aid

• threshold crossing

• belly of the whale

The MonomythThe MonomythStage Two – InitiationStage Two – Initiation road of trials road of trials meeting with the meeting with the

goddess goddess woman as temptress woman as temptress apotheosis apotheosis ultimate boonultimate boon atonement with the atonement with the

fatherfather

The MonomythThe Monomyth

Stage Three - ReturnStage Three - Return

• refusal of the return

• magic flight

• rescue from without

• crossing return threshold

• master of two worlds