Transcript The Hero and the Quest

The Hero’s Quest
• What is a Hero? Write your definition of
what makes a hero.
• Describe a hero you’ve read about or seen
in a movie. What makes that character a
hero?
The Hero’s Quest
• Joseph Campbell defines a hero as, “any
male or female who leaves the world of his
or her everyday life to undergo a journey to
a special world where challenges and fears
are overcome in order to secure a reward
which is then shared with other members of
the hero’s community.”
Joseph Campbell
• Joseph Campbell, an American
psychologist and mythological
researcher, wrote a famous book entitled
The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
• In his book Campbell outlines the basic
stages that almost every hero-quest goes
through, this journey is called The Hero’s
Quest.
Phases of the Hero’s Quest
• Phase 1 –The Departure
• Phase 2 –Initiation
• Phase 3- The Return
Phase 1: The Departure
The Ordinary World
• The hero lives in an ordinary world. The hero often has
some characteristic that makes him stand out or feel out of
place in the ordinary world.
Examples:
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Dorothy in Kansas
• The Beauty and the Beast: Belle in her hometown
• Star Wars: Luke Skywalker on Tatooine
• The Little Mermaid: Ariel under the Sea
Phase 1: The Departure
The Call to Adventure
• The hero will be given notice that everything is going to
change. This can be a discovery, an event or a danger. The
hero finds a mystic object or discovers that his world or family
is in danger. Sometimes a hero can start on a quest by accident.
• He may be given a task or quest that only he can complete.
• The hero has 2 choices: to accept or refuse the call.
Examples:
 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The tornado
 Beauty and the Beast: Belle stumbles upon the enchanted castle
 Star Wars: R2D2’s cryptic message
• The Little Mermaid: Ariel rescues Eric from drowning
Phase 1: The Departure
Refusal of the Quest
• At first the hero may refuse the quest for any number of
reasons (loyalties, responsibilities, fear, self-doubt, etc.)
• If the hero refuses the quest, often it will anger the gods or
powers that be. Bad things may happen to the hero as a
result of this refusal.
Examples

Star Wars: Luke refuses the quest until he learns his
aunt and uncle are dead

The Lion King: Simba refuses to return to Pride Rock
and accept his destiny
Phase 1: The Departure
Supernatural Aid
• Once the hero has committed to the quest, his guide and
magical helper appears or becomes known. This may be in
the form of a talisman or a supernatural object.
• The hero may also be helped by a sidekick.
Examples of talismen
• The Wizard of Oz: Ruby Slippers
• The Hobbit: The Ring
• Star Wars: Lightsaber
Examples of Supernatural Aid
• The Hobbit: Gandalf
• Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Cinderella: Fairy Godmother
Phase 1: The Departure
Crossing the Threshold
• This is the point where the person actually crosses into the
field of adventure, he enters a world he has never
experienced before.
• The world may be filled with supernatural creatures,
breathtaking sights and the constant fear of death.
• The outside world has its own unknown rules, the hero
must learn to respect these rules.
• There may be Threshold Guardians who try to prevent the
person from crossing into the new world.
Phase 2: Initiation
The Road of Trials
• The hero will go through a series of tests,
tasks or ordeals that he must endure to
begin the transformation.
The Meeting of the Goddess
• This is the point when the hero experiences
an all-encompassing, all-powerful love.
The person may fall in love, get married, or
come to love himself.
Phase 2: Initiation
• Brother Battle • The hero may physically or mentally battle
someone who is a relative or close friend.
Phase 2: Initiation
Temptations
• The hero will be tempted to stray from or abandon the quest.
The temptation can come in the form of love, greed, fear,
etc.
Atonement with the Father
• This is the center point of the journey. The person must
confront whatever holds the most power over him. This
often can be seen as a male figure or someone with
incredible power.
• For the transformation to take place, the hero must be
“killed” so that the new self can come into being.
Phase 2: The Departure
The Belly of the Whale
• This is the point of time when the hero must
face his deepest fear of darkest evil.
Phase 2: Initation
Apotheosis
• This is a period of peace, rest and fulfillment before the
hero begins the return. At this point, the hero may be
worshipped as a god.
The Ultimate Boon
• The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the
quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All
the previous steps serve to prepare the hero for this step. In
many myths, the boon in the elixir of life, a plant that
supplies immortality or the holy grail.
Phase 3: The Return
Refusal of the Return
• After all the excitement, the hero does not want to return to
the boring, mundane world.
The Magic Flight
• If the hero has to escape with a magical item, sometimes
the return home can be even more dangerous than the trip
there.
Rescue from Without
• Just as the hero may need guides to set out on the quest,
often times he must have powerful guides or rescuers to
bring him back to everyday life, especially if the hero has
been weakened or wounded.
• The hero also may not realize that it is time to go back.
Phase 3: The Return
The Crossing of the Return Threshold
• The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to
integrate that wisdom into a human life, or maybe how to share that
wisdom with the rest of the world. Often they return with “the exilir,”
an object or personal ability that allows them to save their world.
Master of Two Worlds
• Success on the hero’s quest is life-changing, for them and often for
others. By achieving victory, he has changed or preserved his original
world. The hero has also grown in spirit and strength. He has proven
himself worthy for marriage, kingship, or queenship. His mastery of
the outside world qualifies him to be a giant in his own world.
• Freedom to Live
Common Motifs
• HEROES: Central figures in stories. Everyone is the hero of his or her
own myth.

SHADOWS: Villains, enemies, or perhaps the enemy within. This
could be the repressed possibilit


MENTORS: The hero’s guide or guiding principles.
HERALD: The one who brings the Call to Adventure. This could be a
person or an event.

THRESHOLD GUARDIANS: The forces that stand in the way at
important turning points, including jealous enemies, professional
gatekeepers, or even the hero’s own fears and doubts.

SHAPESHIFTERS: In stories, creatures like vampires or werewolves
who change shape. In life, the shapeshifter represents change.

TRICKSTERS: Clowns and mischief-makers.

ALLIES: Characters who help the hero throughout the quest.

WOMAN AS TEMPTRESS: Sometimes a female character offers
danger to the hero (a femme fatale)