The Hero’s Adventure

Joseph Campbell’s Model: the Hero’s Adventure

• Campbell explains his model of the hero’s adventure in a book called The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

• Campbell’s main idea is that the basic hero myth, found in many cultures and places around the world, has a single, underlying structure.

• He calls this the “monomyth,” which means the single, mythic structure.

The MonomythThe diagram above shows the movement of the hero from the familiar world into the world of wonders. Campbell compares this to moving from the ordinary waking world into the world of dreams.

Separation, Initiation and Return

• The simplest form of Campbell’s model has three stages:– Separation– Initiation– Return

Separation

• In the first stage, the hero is separated from his ordinary life from home and the familiar.

Gandalf the Wizard callsFrodo Baggins to his adventure with the dwarves in Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit.

Frodo sits comfortably smoking his pipe in his front yard. Gandalf represents separation from the familiar and comfortable, a call to adventure in the unknown.

Call to Adventure: Princess Leia’s MessageLuke Skywalker and his guide, Obei-Wan Kenobi, receive Leia’s holographic message, which serves as Luke’s call to adventure.

Threshold of Adventure

The bizarre café in Star Wars represents the border between Luke Skywalker’s familiar world and his coming adventures in space. Here he encounters strange beings, people who have been out where he is heading.

Initiation• The hero undergoes adventures which test his or her

character, ingenuity, persistence. The hero suffers setbacks and achieves triumphs, all the while growing and learning.

After the greatest warriors fail, Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he shall be king

This action represents a typical test for the hero, a seemingly impossible task that only he or she can perform

Yoda Initiates Luke into the Ways of the Jedi

Skywalker’s VisionDeep in a cave, Luke has a vision in which he confronts Darth Vader. This dream vision represents a foreshadowing of the supreme ordeal, the decisive victory at the cycle’s end.

Return• The hero returns, having won a decisive battle, and

brings a boon to the community. This can be a magical object or elixir or the result of an act, like freeing the people from a dragon, giant or other enemy.

The Jewish heroine Judith holds the severed head of Holfernes, a Syrian general sent to destroy her city and its people

The hero returns with a boon or gift for the community (a golden fleece or freedom from an enemy or monster or some great threat)

Hercules Returns with the Erymanthian BoarHercules brings the gigantic boar to King Eurystheus, the one who sends him on his twelve labors. Eurystheus cowers in terror as Hercules offers him the prize.

Miraculous Birth

• Some hero stories begin with a miraculous birth. The Greek heroes Hercules and Perseus are sired by the god Zeus, who takes different forms in each case.

Zeus appears to Perseus’ mother Danae as a shower of golden coins. In this famous painting, her otherworldly look contrasts with her maid, who greedily gathers the gold.

The Infant Hercules Strangles Two SerpentsZeus’ wife, Hera, sends two serpents to kill the infant Hercules. Showing his heroic strength and courage, Hercules easily dispatches the snakes.

Harry Potter’s Lightning-Shaped ScarWhile there is nothing unusual about Harry’s birth, he bears a scar from infancy that marks him as extraordinary. Like King Arthur, Harry is unaware of his special status until many years later.

Call to Adventure

• The hero may choose to go on the adventure, or may be tricked or stumble into it by accident.– Examples

• The Twelve Labors of Hercules• Perseus and the head of Medusa• The Pevensie Children enter Narnia accidentally through

an ordinary-seeming wardrobe• Harry Potter is pulled from his miserable life with the

Dursleys into the wizarding world when he receives a mysterious letter from Hogwarts School

Lucy Enters the WardrobeThis represents Lucy’s encounter with the threshold, and her separation from the ordinary world.

And Emerges into NarniaThis magical land is under an evil witch’s spell; it is always winter, but never Christmas.

Harry Potter’s call to adventure comes in the form of an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School (delivered by owl, of course).

Hogwarts represents Harry’s threshold of adventure, his entrance into a world of wonders

Magical Helpers

• Often the hero receives aid from one or more magical helpers.– Perseus receives winged sandals, a cloak of

invisibility and a magical bag from his helpers, the goddess Athena and the god Hermes.

– Gandalf serves as Bilbo Baggins’ guide and helper in the early stages of his adventure

– Lucy Pevensie receives guidance and help from Mr. Tumnus and the Beaver family.

Gandalf Lights the Way for Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves

Lucy Meets Mr. Tumnus at the Lantern Wastes

Hagrid Serves as Harry’s First Guide into the World of Wizardy

Let’s follow out the story of Perseus in full and see how it corresponds to Campbell’s model

• 1. Miraculous Birth– Zeus brings about Perseus’ birth despite his

grandfather’s attempt to prevent Danae from having a child. Through Zeus’ aid, Perseus and Danae survive on a raft in the open sea

“Danae” by Titian, circa 1554

“Danae” by Gustav Kimpt, 1907

Call to Adventure

2. Polydectes tricks Perseus into promising him the head of the gorgon Medusa.

“Medusa” by Caravaggio , 1597

Magical Helpers

• Perseus receives instructions and gifts from Athena and Hermes

Perseus and the Graeae• In order to cross the threshold to adventure,

Perseus must force the Graeae, who serve as boundary guardians, to help him.

These ancient ladies share one eye and one tooth between them, passing them around so each gets a turn to see and speak

Perseus steals the eye and tooth, forcing the Graeae to reveal Medusa’s mysterious lair. The Graeae represent obstacles which the hero must overcome on the way to the decisive battle.

Boundary CrossingUsing the winged sandals, Perseus flies toward his confrontation with Medusa

Perseus with the Head of Medusa

Using Athena’s highly polished shield as a mirror, Perseus able to behead Medusa

This violent act marks the decisive victory, the accomplishment of the quest

This more contemporary image clearly incorporates the detail of the polished shield

Unlike the Greek artists and sculptors, this one depicts Medusa as both monstrous and alluring

The winged horse Pegasus is said to have emerged from Medusa’s severed neck.

The Return

– Flight – Perseus flees from Medusa’s immortal sisters under cover of the cloak of invisibility.

– During the return, Perseus has several adventures, the most important of which deals with the princess Andromeda• Perseus encounters Andromeda chained to a rock, a

sacrificial offering to a sea monster.• Using his magic sandals and sword, he kills the monster

and claims Andromeda as his bride.

Andromeda’s Parent Plead with Perseus to Save Their DaughterThe smitten Perseus agrees provided he is given her hand in marriage

Perseus Attacks the Sea Monster

Perseus rescues Andromeda

Despite his heroic act, Andromeda’s parents renege on their promise. Andromeda’s former suitor threatens Perseus with a company of armed men

Outnumbered by his attackers, Perseus turns his head aside, pulls Medusa’s severed head from his bag and reveals it to his enemies.

The head retains its terrible power, and the hall is soon filled with lifelike statues of warriors frozen into stone.

Medusa’s head represents the boon, an object of great power, which allows the hero to win his bride, and when he returns, free his mother.

When Perseus returns to Polydectus, the arrogant king and his court laugh, refusing to believe that Perseus could have accomplished the impossible task.

Of course Perseus proves it, turning them all to stone.

Perseus Becomes King

• In a strange twist of fate, Perseus, Andromeda and Danae return to Argos.– Acrisius hears of his return and flees.– While participating in an athletic competition,

Perseus hurls the discus but it goes awry and kills an old man in the crowd.

– Of course this turns out to be Acrisius; the dreaded prophecy is fulfilled.

– Perseus founds a new city, Mycenae, and rules there with Andromeda as his queen.

The Constellation Perseus

At the end of his reign, Perseus ascends to the heavens as a constellation

Campbell’s Model

• Campbell’s model is very useful for helping to see underlying similarities in myths that may seem quite different on the surface.

• It is not, however, a substitute for engaged and creative reading. It is a tool that can help you see and identify patterns.

• Let’s end with a collage of heroes:

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