The document discusses Joseph Campbell's theory of the monomyth or the hero's journey, which is a pattern of narrative archetypes that appears in stories across cultures. It describes the typical stages of the hero's journey as defined by Campbell, including the ordinary world, the call to adventure, crossing a threshold, trials and ordeals, and return with experience. The document also discusses related concepts from Carl Jung and James Joyce and examples of the hero's journey pattern in stories like Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and The Hunger Games.
4. “In his study of world hero myths
Campbell discovered that they are all
basically the same story –
retold endlessly in infinite variations.”
— Christopher Vogler
8. The Hero’s Journey
8. Abyss
Ordeal, Death &
Rebirth
Known: Ordinary World
Unknown: Special World
9. The Hero’s Journey
8. Abyss
Ordeal, Death &
Rebirth
Mentor
Helper
Threshold
Guardians
Threshold
Guardians
10. The Hero’s Journey
8. Abyss
ordeal, death &
rebirth
1. Ordinary world
2. Call to adventure
3. Refusal of the call
4. Meeting
the mentor
5. Crossing the
threshold
6. Tests, allies,
enemies
7. Approach
9. Reward, seizing
the sword
10. The road
back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir
11. The Hero’s Journey
8. Abyss
ordeal, death &
rebirth
1. Ordinary world
2. Call to adventure
3. Refusal of the call
4. Meeting
the mentor
5. Crossing the
threshold
6. Tests, allies,
enemies
7. Approach
9. Reward, seizing
the sword
10. The road
back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir
“Revelation”
“Transformation”
“Atonement”
“Gift of the
god/goddess”
14. The Hero’s Inner Journey
Big
change
feeling of rebirth
1. Limited awareness of problem
2. Increased awareness
3. Fear, resistance
to change
4. Overcoming
fear
5. Committing
to change
6. Experimenting
with new
conditions
7. Preparing for
major change
9. Accepting
consequences
of new life
10. New
challenge and
rededication
11. Last-minute
dangers
12. Mastery
16. The Heroine's Journey
7. Initiation
descent to the
goddess
1. Separation from the feminine
2. Identification with
the masculine
3. Gathering of
allies
4. Road of
trials
5. Finding the
boon of success
6. Awakening to feelings
of spiritual aridity; death
8. Urgent yearning
to reconnect with
the feminine
9. Healing
the mother/
daughter split
10. Healing the
wounded
masculine
11. Integration of
feminine &
masculine
17. Christopher Vogler, Screenwriter:
• Beowulf
• The Spiderwick Chronicles
• I am Legend
• Hancock
• 10,000 B.C.
• Then She Found Me
• The Wrestler
22. Star Wars Episodes I-VI
AnikinLuke
Ordinary world
Ordinary world Special world
Special world
9. Reward,
seizing
the sword
9. Reward,
seizing
the sword
23. The Hero’s Journey is
not history
The hero grows up as they progress through the story.
The archetypes help or impede progress.
24. References
★ The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph
Campbell
• Man and his Symbols by Carl Jung
• Finnegans_Wake by James Joyce
★ The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
✴Hero’s Journey summary by Christopher Vogler
• Monomyth article at Wikipedia