THE
HERO’S
JOURNEY
ELEMENTS OF THE EPIC HERO CYCLE
• The main character is a hero, who is often possessed of
supernatural abilities or qualities.
• The hero is charged with a quest.
• The hero is tested, often to prove the worthiness of himself and
his quest.
• The presence of numerous mythical beings, magical and helpful
animals, and human helpers and companions.
• The hero’s travels take him to a supernatural world, often one
that normal human beings are barred from entering.
• The cycle must reach a low point where the hero nearly gives up
his quest or appears defeated.
• A resurrection.
• Restitution. Often this takes the form of the hero regaining his
rightful place on the throne.
HOME
• A place of security, support, familiarity
• Known patterns of thinking and behaving
• Examples:
CALL TO ADVENTURE
• The “hero” is called to adventure.
• He or she is chosen for a task.
• Examples:
THE THRESHOLD
• The hero crosses from the old life to the
new.
• Examples:
ENTERING THE WILDERNESS
• Dark, lonely,
dangerous
• No longer has
support of “home”
• Many ordeals, trials
• Discovers power
within him or herself
• Discovers who
he/she was meant to
be
IN THE WILDERNESS…
• Meets a willing “spiritual guide”
• A teacher appears to help the hero find inner powers
• Temptation
• Endures temptations of the soul
• Ordeals
• Tests of strength and inner power
• Atonement
• Making amends with father
• Transformation
• Finds enlightenment/discovers
inner powers
RETURNS HOME
• Survives ordeals
• Gains self
knowledge
• Able to help
others create a
new world
"Can you tell me, please, where I ought to go
from here?" "That depends a great deal on
where you want to go.“
Alice and the Cheshire Cat, in Alice in Wonderland
by Lewis Caroll
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO
FIND THE HERO’S JOURNEY?
Movies
Video Games
Religion
Mythology
Television
Nonfiction
Real Life
THE TWELVE ARCHETYPES
• Innocent
• Orphan
• Warrior
• Caregiver
• Seeker
• Lover
• Destroyer
• Creator
• Ruler
• Magician
• Sage
• Fool
SO WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
•
•
•
•
Archetypes are patterns that can be, and
are, copied.
They are symbols or characters that appear
again and again in myths and literature.
They survive because they portray
characters, conflicts and events that are
timeless.
They help the reader to understand the
theme of the work.
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
• Archetypes have been present in folklore and
literature for thousands of years and appear to
be present in prehistoric artwork.
• The use of archetypes to analyze personality
was advanced by Carl Jung early in the 20th
century.
• The value in using archetypal characters in
fiction derives from the fact that a large group
of people are able to unconsciously recognize
the archetype, and thus the motivations,
behind the character's behavior.
HEROIC ARCHETYPES
• Heroic stories--deep and eternal.
• Joseph Campbell, in The Hero with a Thousand
Faces, identified both the archetypes of the
“Hero” and the “quest” that the hero follows, in
many of the folk tales and myths of the world.
• This archetype and its journey are surprisingly
invariant through many of the tales. Carol
Pearson, in Awakening The Heroes Within
expands the idea of the Hero into twelve
distinct archetypes, each of which can follow
the Hero Quest.
CAROL PEARSON
• A twelve–archetype model for the journey of
individuation for individuals and organizations,
described in Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve
Archetypes that Help Us Find Ourselves and
Transform Our World
QUEST
This is the hero quest, which the archetypal character sets
out on. The hero may not realize he is on such a quest until it
is too late to retreat.
FEAR
This is the fear which
is usually the
motivating factor for
undergoing the quest
(why else would the
hero need to put
herself at risk?) It is
also the principal
danger that lurks in
the shadow of the
archetype.
The Scream by Edvard Munch
depicts someone showing
signs of fear
DRAGON
In most quests the
hero soon meets her
dragon. This
represents the major
problem or obstacle
of the quest -- the
opposition that must
be overcome in
order for the quest to
be successful.
TASK
This is the task that the
hero must accomplish
in order to succeed at
the quest. Succeeding
at the task is usually
sufficient to overcome
the dragon; however
failure to do so can
lead to becoming
what the hero fears
most -- his dark self, or
shadow.
YOUR JOB, SHOULD YOU
CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO….
VIRTUE
Succeeding at the
quest earns the
hero these
rewards of self. In
addition to the
hand of the
princess, the
castle, and the
gold.
INNOCENT
Quest: To remain in
safety
Fear: Being abandoned
Dragon: Will deny it or
seek outside rescue
from it
Task: To gain fidelity
and discernment
Virtue: Trust and
optimism
EXAMPLES: Brady Bunch, Forrest Gump, Bambi, Gomez
Adams, Leo the Late Bloomer, The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio
ORPHAN
Quest: To regain safety
Fear: Being exploited
Dragon: Will be victimized
by it
Task: To process and feel
pain fully
Virtue: Interdependence
and realism
EXAMPLES: Charlie Brown, Cinderella, Dorothy in The
Wizard of Oz, Huckleberry Finn, Frankenstein’s Monster,
Maniac McGee, Oedipus, Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit, Dorothy
WARRIOR
Quest: To win
Fear: Weakness
Dragon: Will slay or
confront it
Task: To fight only for
what really matters
Virtue: Courage and
discipline
EXAMPLES: Batman, Lancelot, Ulysses, Joan of Arc, Jo in Little
Women, Robin Hood, 3 Musketeers, Superman, Darth Vader
CAREGIVER
Quest: To help others
Fear: Selfishness
Dragon: Will take care
of it and those it
harms
Task: To give without
maiming self or others
Virtue: Compassion
and generosity
EXAMPLES: Geppetto in Pinocchio, Holden Caulfield, The Giving
Tree, Horton, “The Jewish Mother,” Mary Poppins, Pygmalion,
Anne Sullivan, Mother Theresa,, The Velveteen Rabbit
SEEKER
Quest: To search for a
better life
Fear: Conformity
Dragon: Will flee from it
Task: To be true to the
deeper self
Virtue: Autonomy and
ambition
EXAMPLES: Goldilocks, Indiana Jones, Don Juan,
Leo the Late Bloomer, Luke Skywalker, Pinocchio
LOVER (FRIEND)
Quest: To gain bliss
Fear: Loss of love
Dragon: Will love it
Task: To follow bliss
Virtue: Passion and
commitment
EXAMPLES: Bathsheba, Delilah, Don Juan, Don
Giovani, Byron’s Don Juan, Casanova, Romeo, Robin
DESTROYER
Quest: To
metamorphosis
Fear: Annihilation
Dragon: Will allow
dragon to destroy
oneself
Task: To let go
Virtue: Humility
EXAMPLES: Beowulf, The Big Bad Wolf, Samson,
The Terminator, Darth Vader, Lord Voldemort
CREATOR
Quest: To gain identity
Fear: Of being
illusionary
Dragon: will claim it as
part of oneself
Task: To self-create
and self-accept
Virtue: Individuality
and vocation
EXAMPLES: Kevin Costner in Field of
Dreams, Frederick, The Purple Crayon
RULER
Quest: To create order
Fear: Of creating
chaos
Dragon: Will find
constructive uses for it
Task: To take full
responsibility
Virtue: Responsibility
and control
EXAMPLES: Aslan, King Arthur, Max in Where the Wild Things
Are, Jupiter, Obi Wan Kenobi, The Lion King, Zeus
MAGICIAN
Quest: To transform
Fear: Of assuming evil
sorcery
Dragon: Will transform it
Task: To align self with
the cosmos
Virtue: Personal power
EXAMPLES: Abuela, Gandalf, Genie, Hermione, Merlin,
Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, Samantha in Bewitched,
The three Witches in Macbeth, The Wizard of Oz
SAGE
Quest: To find truth
Fear: Deception
Dragon: To transcend it
Task: To attain
enlightenment
Virtue: Wisdom and
non-attachment
EXAMPLES: The Professor in Gilligan’s Island, Jiminy
Cricket, Dumbledore, The Fairy Godmother, Gandalf,
Luke Skywalker, Yoda
FOOL
Quest: To enjoy life for its
own sake
Fear: Of being not alive
Dragon: Will play tricks
on it
Task: To trust in the
process of becoming
Virtue: Joy and freedom
EXAMPLES: Anansi the Spider, The Cat in the Hat,
Coyote, Ferdinand, Forest Gump, The Hare in the Tortoise
and Hare Race, Huckleberry Finn, Raven, Tom Sawyer,
Sawyer on Lost, Scheherazade, The Wizard of Oz