From Hercules to Harry Potter: Hero's Journey

ARCHETYPES & THE HERO’S JOURNEY

From Hercules to Harry Potter

The Legend of Susanuo by Howard David Johnson

ArchetypesCarl Jung :Swiss psychiatrist & student of FreudTheorized there was a connection between the psychology of people & to universal cultural patters & symbolsA number of symbols, themes, & character-types existed in all culturesFound throughout religion, myths, art, and folklore.

(Smith & Brown, 85 - 87)

Situational ArchetypesQuestInitiationFallDeath and Rebirth

ARCHETYPES (CONT.)

Character ArchetypesHeroScapegoatOutcastDevil Figure

Archetypal SymbolsLightness/DarknessWater/DesertHeaven/Hell

The Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell :Scholar & world travelerRead & analyzed myths from around the world for 5 yrs. straightTheorized myths from all across the globe, having survived thousands of years, all have the same basic structure. (Monomyth)The Hero’s Journey is one of the reoccurring patterns

• Three Phases with 17 steps• Not every myth contains all the steps• Phases: Departure, Initiation, and

Return (Smith & Brown, p. 91)

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE

1. The Call to Adventure - the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not.

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

ARCHETYPE

The HeraldThe Herald character issues challenges and announces the coming of significant change

(Campbell, p. 42)

2. Refusal of the Call - Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. Reasons: sense of duty or obligationfearinsecuritya sense of inadequacyanything to hold the person in his or her current circumstances

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

3. Supernatural AidOnce the hero has committed to the quest, his or her guide & magical helper appears, or becomes known

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

ARCHETYPEThe MentorThe Mentor is a helper who aids the Hero in seeking a guiding vision to help him/her on the journey

(Campbell, p. 59)

The Master of Jordan College gives Lyra the alethiometer before she leaves Oxford with Mrs. Coulter.

4. Crossing the First Thresholdthe person crosses into the field of adventureleaves the known limits of his or her world & ventures into an unknown & dangerous realm where the rules & limits are not known.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

ARCHETYPE

The Threshold GuardianThreshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secrets from the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero's commitment and worth

(Campbell, p. 64)

General Li Shang

5. The Belly of the Whale Final separation from the hero's known world & selfPerson's lowest point?The person is transitioning between worlds & selvesExperiences that will shape the new world & self will begin shortlyOften symbolized by something dark, unknown, & frighteningBy entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo change

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

1. The Road of TrialsA series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation.Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

AMULETSAmulets, Advice, & Secret AgentsThe hero is aided by the advice, amulets, and secret agents of the Mentor, whom he or she met before his or her entrance into this region.

(Campbell, p. 81)

ARCHETYPE

The ShapeshifterThe Shapeshifter's mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character's intentions and loyalties

(Neal, p. 85)

2. The Meeting with the GoddessThe person experiences loveAll-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional; love that a baby experiences with his or her mother.May take place entirely within the personVery important step in the processDoes not have to be represented by a woman.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

ARCHETYPE

The TricksterTricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the Ordinary World into chaos with their quick turns of phrase & physical antics

3. Woman as the TemptressTemptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her questDoes not necessarily have to be represented by a womanThis step is about the revulsion that the (usually male) hero may feel about his own natureAttachment or projection of that revulsion to womenWoman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

4. Atonement with the FatherThe person must confront whatever holds the ultimate powerUsually the father, or a father figure, who has life and death powerCenter point of the journeySymbolized by an encounter with a male entity or someone or thing with incredible powerFor the transformation to take place, the person must be "killed" so that the new self can come into beingSometimes this killing is literal, & the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

(Campbell from Warren, et al.)

5. ApotheosisWhen someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit (e.g., Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kanobi, Yoda, eventually Anakin)A state of divine knowledge, love, compassion, & blissCan simply be a period of rest, peace, & fulfillment before the hero begins the return

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

In the Riddle family graveyard, Cedric asks Harry to take his body back to his father.

(Campbell from Warren, et al.)

6. The Ultimate BoonThe achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to getAll the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this stepThe boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail.Gains important self-knowledge & skills

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION

(Campbell from Warren, et al.)

1. Refusal of the ReturnHaving found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

2. The Magic FlightSometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous & dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

3. Rescue from WithoutOftentimes the hero must have powerful guides & rescuers to bring them back to everyday lifeEspecially if wounded or weakened by the experiencePerhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

Aragorn just before he is rescued by his horse (Warren, et al. from

Campbell)

4. Crossing the Return ThresholdThe trick in returning is to:

retain the wisdom gained on the quest to integrate that wisdom into a human life maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the

rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

5. Master of the Two WorldsUsually represented by a transcendental hero, like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

Hermione Granger, the muggle-born witch

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

6. Freedom to Live Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live This is sometimes referred to as living in the momentneither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN

(Warren, et al. from Campbell)

References (cont.)

Greydanus, S. D. (2010). Why Star Wars still matters. Retrieved 8/12/10 from www.decentfilms.com/articles/starwars.html.

harrypotter.wikia.com

hdm.wikia.com

Myth encyclopedia: Myths and legends of the world. Animals in mythology. Retrieved on 8/12/10 from www.mythencyclopedia.com/Am-Ar/Animals-in- Mythology.html. Advameg.

Neal, C. (2007). Wizards, wardrobes and wookies: Navigating good and evil in Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

REFERENCES (CONT.)Owens, K. (2009) Draconika Dragons. Retrieved 8/8/10 from

www. Draconika.com/index.Reihla (2004). The way of the Jedi: A comparison of the Jedi

order to the Japanese Samurai. Retrieved on 8/15/10 from www.sagajournal.com/rwayofjedi.html.

Smith, E.L., & Brown, N. R. (2007). The complete idiot’s guide to world mythology: Timeless tales and legends from every corner of the globe. New York: Alpha.

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. Dir. Kevin Burns. 2007. The History Channel.       Videocassette

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1989). “On fairy-story.” Tree and leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, p. 9-73.

Warren, L., et al. (2000). The hero’s journey. Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction: Maricopa Community Colleges. Retrieved 7/29/10 fromhttp://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/main.html.

Original Artwork!!! Myth Takes. 2008. !!! Warp, Web. 13 Aug. 2010. <http://pitchfork.com/ reviews/albums/9956-myth-takes/>. (Cover Artist unknown)

Fairies, Goblins and Dwarfs by Howard David Johnson, 2007

Game Wallpapers. com.The Golden Compass. 2007. Wallpapers-s.oorg. Shiny      Entertainment. Web. 13 Aug. 2010. </http://wallpaper-s.org/      18__The_Golden_Compass,_2007.htm>.

The Legend of Susanuo by Howard David Johnson

The Lightning Thief (book jacket) by John Rocco, 2008.

Meditation by Kuro Samarai. http://artzone.daz3d.com/index.php?/gallery/user/vi/&mid=

134537&aid=32859

Harry Potter – The Mirror of Erised, Mary GrandPre

Time Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy by François Lemoyne, 1737

Treebeard and the Hobbits by Per Sjogren, 2003Every effort was made to provide information for every image used in this presentation.

Photos from Movies:

Beowulf. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. 2007, Paramount Pictures. Warner Home Video, 2008. DVD.The Golden Compass. Dir. Chris Weitz. 2007. New Line Cinema.Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Dir. Christopher Columbus. 2002. Warner       Bros. , 2003. DVD.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Dir. David Yates. 2010. Warner       Bros. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Dir. Mike Newell. 2005. Warner       Bros. , 2006. DVD.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Dir. David Yates. 2009. Warner       Bros. , 2009. DVD.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Dir. David Yates. 2007. Warner       Bros. , 2007. DVD.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dir. Alfonso Cuaron 2004. Warner       Bros. , 2004 DVD.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Dir. Christopher Columbus. 2001. Warner       Bros. , 2002. DVD.Hero. Dir. Yimou Zhang. 2002. Miramax, 2004. DVD.

PHOTOS FROM MOVIES (CONT.)

The Last Samurai. Dir. Edward Zwick. 2003 Warner Bros. 2004, DVD.Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Dir. Peter Jackson. 2001. New Line Cinema.Mulan. Dirs. Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. 1998. Buena Vista.Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones. Dir. George Lucas. 2002 Lucasfilms.Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Irving Kershner. 1980. Lucasfilms.Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. 1977. Lucasfilms.Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Dir. George Lucas. 1999. Lucasfilms.Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Dir. Richard Marquand. 1983. Lucasfilms.Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Dir. George Lucas. 2005. Lucasfilms.

All images were located using Google images search. Credit was provided when available.