GUIDED NOTES: The Hero’s Journey:What is a hero?
The Hero’s Journey
•An archetype is the original pattern or ______and the hero’s journey is one of the world’s oldest story ______.
•The components of the hero’s journey were identified and developed by ______Campbell, who was the world’s leading authority on mythology. In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he stressed that all storytelling follows the ancient patterns of myth, and that all stories use elements of the Hero’s Journey. Campbell called this archetype a ______.
The Stages of the Hero’s Journey
Stage 1: the Ordinary World
- The hero exists in a world that is considered ______or uneventful by those who live there. Often the hero is considered ______by those in the ordinary world and possess some ability or characteristic that makes them feel out-of-place.
•The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Dorothy in Kansas
•The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins in Hobbiton
•The Lion King: Simba at Pride Rock
Stage 2: The Call to Adventure
•For heroes to begin their journey, they must be ______from the ordinary world. Heroes must be removed from their typical environment. Most heroes show a ______to leave their home, their friends, and their life to go on a quest. But in the end they accept their destiny.
•Usually there is a discovery, some event, or some danger that ______them on the heroic path. Heroes find a mystic object or discover their world is in danger. In some cases, heroes happen upon their quest by ______.
•The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The tornado
•The Hobbit: Gandalf the wizard arrives
•Star Wars: R2D2’s cryptic message
Stage 3: Refusal of the Call
•During the Call to Adventure heroes are given a task or quest which only they can ______. They are faced with a choice: ______the quest or deny it.
•The hero has fears and insecurities.
•The hero prefers the safe haven of the ordinary world.
•The ______demonstrates the risks involved in the journey.
•Each call and refusal increases the stakes until the hero has ______but to accept.
Stage 4: Acceptance of the Call
•The hero finally ______, realizing that there is no one else who is better ______to or available to accept the responsibility.
Stage 5: Entering the Unknown
- As they embark on their journey, the hero ______a world they have never experienced before. Often it is filled with supernatural creatures, amazing sights, and the constant threat of death. This outside world has its own ______, and the hero must quickly learn to ______them. •The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy must learn the rules of Oz.
Stage 6: Supernatural Aid (Meeting the Mentor)
- Supernatural doesn’t have to mean magical. ______simply means “above the laws of nature.” Heroes are almost always started on their journey by a “______” character who has mastered the laws of the outside world and has come back to bestow this ______upon them. This character often gives them the means to complete the quest. Sometimes the gift is simply wisdom. Other times it is an object with magical powers. In every instance it is something the hero ______to succeed. The mentor may not be an actual person.
–The Hobbit: Gandalf - Cinderella: Fairy Godmother
Stage 7: Crossing the Threshold
•Signifies that the hero has finally ______to the journey; there is no turning back.
•The threshold separates the Ordinary World from the ______.
Stage 8: Tests, Allies, and Enemies
•The hero must learn who they ______and cannot ______.
•Every hero needs a helper or helpers (______), Without the assistance of these ______(allies) along the way, most heroes would fail miserably.
- Lord of the Rings: SamwiseGamgee
- The Wizard of Oz: The Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow, & Cowardly Lion
•The hero progresses through a series of ______, a set of obstacles, that force them to face their fearsand ______. These tests make them stronger and prepare them for their ______.
Stage 9: The Supreme Ordeal
•All of the previous tests and ordeals lead to this final ______- ____ - ______crisis or crises.
•In this moment all of their training and preparation comes into play. The ______has changed them, and it’s time for them to show they are the true hero.
•The hero must face their greatest fear(s) and deepest insecurities; experiences “______”
•Only through “death” can the hero be reborn and gain greater powers and insight through this ______.
•Once this obstacle is overcome, the tension will be relieved. The worst is passed, and the quest, while not officially over, has succeeded.
Stage 10: Reward
•Having survived “death”, the hero receives the ______he sought.
•It comes in many forms (a magical sword, an elixir, knowledge, reconciliation).
•This allows the hero to ______himself and the audience to “catch its breath.”
Stage 11: The Road Back
•The hero must accept the ______to the ordinary world
•As with “crossing the threshold”, the hero needs an event that will push him ______home (a force to chase him out of the special world).
Stage 12: Return With the Elixir
•The hero’s final reward.
•The hero has been resurrected and purified through the ______and has returned home as a stronger and better person.
•The hero has earned the right to be accepted back into the ordinary world.
•The hero shares the “______” of the journey with others and/or heals a wounded land.
•All celebrate the journey’s end with celebration and/or marriage.
•Harmony and balance are restored to the ______world.
Archetype
•An archetype is the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies.
•In literature archetypes may be a ______, a symbol, the theme, or the ______in the story.
•Character archetypes are those characters which seem to possess the ______set of ______that you see over and over in different books and movies.
•The following slides are a list of common archetypal characters which occur frequently in literature and their function(s) to the story.
The Archetypes
The Hero (“to serve and sacrifice”)
•His/her purpose is to separate and ______self for the service of the journey.
•His/her qualities often include: ______, independent, unhappy with the status quo (the ordinary), somewhat different from others in their society, and assertive.
•He/she does not have to be all good (antiheroes, outlaws, loner heroes).
•He/she grows and ______the most during the journey.
The Mentor (“to guide”)
•The ______provides the hero with motivation, insight, training, and guidance.
•Has traveled the road before.
•May provide the hero with magical gifts.
The Companions (“to help”)
•Companions are friends or ______who show faithful and loyal support to the hero throughout the journey.
•Qualities: faithful, loyal, ______
The Villain/Evil Figure (“to allow evil to prevail”)
•The Villain/Evil Figure is the person who is capable of crime or ______. He/she is also the ______with whom the hero must struggle. They are the “bad guy” in the story.
•Qualities: represents things we don’t like and would like to eliminate, negative forces, sneakiness
The Damsel in Distress (“to be rescued”)
•The damsel in distress is usually a ______woman who needs to be______by the hero.
•They are often used as a trap to try to ______the unsuspecting hero.
•Examples: Fiona, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty.
The Temptress (“to distract”)
•The Temptress is someone whom the hero is physically ______to and who ultimately brings about his downfall.
•Qualities: almost always a ______, physically beautiful, tries to tempt the hero in order to get him off course
•Examples: Helen of Troy, Sirens, Calypso
The Threshold Guardian (“to test”)
•______the special world and its secrets from the hero.
•Provides tests which the hero must ______to prove commitment and worth.
•May be ______, objects, or ______.
The Herald (“to warn and challenge”)
•Issues challenges or announces the coming of ______change.
•Often appears at the ______of the journey.
The Shapeshifter (“to question and deceive”)
•Misleads the hero by hiding a character’s ______and ______.
•Presence causes ______and questions in the hero’s mind.
•Creates ______.
The Shadow(“to destroy”)
•Represents our ______or rejected desires.
•Symbolizes our greatest ______and phobias.
•May not be all bad.
•May be another character or ______lurking ______the hero that must be accepted or purged.
The Trickster (“to disrupt”)
•______the “status quo”, turning the ordinary world into ______.
•Uses laughter to help the hero see the ______of a ______.
•Often is the ______.