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Dr. J. TaylorHonors Mythology Hero Projects (and Papers)
Hero Project (and Paper) Requirements:
The focus the visual portion of this project (as well as of the 4-page minimum paper portion) will be an application of Joseph Campbell’s Hero Cycle to the story of a hero (the one chosen by you and approved by me). Find out as much of the hero’s quest as possible preferably in summary form (I don’t recommend trying to read an epic like the Odyssey if you have Odysseus. Read a summary of his adventures in a Classical Mythology book). After you have found one really good summary or version of your hero’s myth, apply Campbell’s Hero Cycle to the myth of your hero. Joseph Campbell developed the Hero Cycle or pattern (see the Hero Cycle on pages 204-205 in the text book) after studying myths of heroes from around the world. According to him, every hero myth fits the pattern. You are testing his theory by applying the pattern to the myth of your hero. Consider whether your hero’s myth fits the pattern as outlined by Campbell. Is it an exact fit? How does it differ?
THEPROJECT’S (and PAPER’S) GOAL: Find at least six subcategories from the main categories of Departure, Initiation, and Return in the myth of your hero.
HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN: I would like you to find at least six subcategories, ideally two from each of the main categories: Departure, Initiation, and Return. However, some of the heroes do not fit into the Return Category because they die. If that is the case for your hero, you can divide the six subcategories up between Departure and Initiation. The Goal is six subcategories divided between the three main categories. Remember that the Departure category is just about getting away from home, while the main portion of the myth ought to fit into the Initiation category’s subcategories.
Focus on key events that either do or do not fit the cycle and include those events as examples in your presentation (and paper). Be sure to explain how/why the events do or do not meet the criteria of Joseph Campbell’s Hero Cycle. (If you are writing a paper, this information should be worked into the Thesis Statement.)
There may be some overlap between subcategories. For example, an event may be part of the Road of Trials, but it also may fit under Meeting with the Goddess or Woman as Temptress.
FOR THE PAPER PORTION - Whichever subcategories you choose, those six will become part of your Thesis Statement in the Introduction to your paper along with some general background about your Hero and Joseph Campbell’s Hero Cycle.
Example of Thesis Statement: The Epic of Gilgamesh, while not strictly adhering to Campbell’s Hero Cycle, does contain enough elements of that cycle to decisively call Gilgamesh a Hero. These elements include from Departure: (choose two of the subcategories), from Initiation: (choose two of the subcategories), and from Return: (choose two of the subcategories).
You only need one source for the hero’s story. Please use a scholarly, academic, or literary source unless otherwise approved.
Presentation – based on the research you do for your hero, you will be the resident expert on that particular hero for a short 15-20 minute presentation at the end of the semester. Please bring in a visual aid such as a power point or home movie so that we have some idea of what your hero or heroine looks like.
Presentations will be graded on the quality of research, preparation, delivery, and to some degree on the visual aids relative to the medium used.
If you are shy, feel free to do your presentation entirely in power point, tape record your voice, or even make a video/DVD presentation. You may use a cast who can do your talking for you. The most important thing is to convey what makes your hero heroic and how he or she fits into the Hero Cycle identified by Joseph Campbell.
This is an example of the Rubric I use to grade the Hero Projects:
Dr. J. TaylorPresentation Name ______
Time Limit 5-10 minutes
Students will be graded from 1 to 5; 1 being poor, and 5 being outstanding, on:
Preparation 12345
Organization 12345
Knowledge of Subject12345
Delivery12345
Use of Visual Aids12345
Use of the Hero Cycle12345
Roughly equivalent to(FDCBA)
Students should come prepared to deliver their presentation on the assigned date. There can be little to no rescheduling because of the amount of material we must cover this semester.
Some advice:
If you are creating a power point presentation, bring in the presentation on either CD or a media stick/flash drive AND email it to yourself as a backup.
If there is music on your presentation, make sure to save the music to your media files. You’ll know that the music files are saved if they actually appear in the CD or media stick’s window. If the CD or media stick only shows a PowerPoint, there is every likelihood that the music files were not saved correctly. You may choose to bring music in on a separate CD. It is tricky to save it to the PowerPoint, but it can be done.
Choose font sizes and colors that will be easy to read projected on the video screen. Make sure that the font color stands out against the background.
There must be visuals of your hero in the presentation even if you merely have a set of images to show while you narrate the presentation yourself. The class needs to see the hero.
It is important to be present and pay attention to the presentations. Please make sure your electronic devices are silent. Anyone texting during the presentations will be asked to leave. Not only is it discourteous, it is disruptive to those around you.