Hero’s Journey Project
Homer’s The Odyssey and
Stan Lee’s Spiderman 3
By: Greg Hockaday
Departure: The Belly of the Whale
(Homer’s The Odyssey)
• In Homer’s The Odyssey Odysseus enters the belly of the
whale when he and his crew get stuck in the Cyclops cave and
are unable to escape. This is shown when the Cyclops says “I
would not let you go for fear of Zeus” (Book 9, 181). I think
this shows how Odysseus was so stuck that not even Zeus the
king of all gods could save him. The only way Odysseus could
escape this was if he helped himself.
Initiation: Woman as the Temptress
(Homer’s The Odyssey)
• Odysseus is tempted several times throughout The Odyssey
but one the one that he fell for was when Calypso seduced
him into staying with her for a multitude of years. This is
shown when they describe Calypso “Divine Calypso, the
mistress of the isle” (Book 5, 15-16). This epithet shows how
Calypso is not only a goddess but a mistress at the same time
so she is the ultimate temptress.
Return: Rescue from Without
( Homer’s The Odyssey)
• Odysseus has to be rescued from without by Zeus when he
comes home because without the gods on his side no four
men can defeat hundreds of suitors without the help of the
gods. This help is shown when “Zeus thundered overhead,
one loud crack for a sign” (Book 21, 115-116). This is a clear
sign that Odysseus has to have assistance from without (Zeus)
in order to return back to his normal home life.
Departure: The Belly of the Whale
(Stan Lee’s Spiderman 3)
• Peter Parker ends up in the belly of the whale when Mary
Jane breaks up with him when he is intending to ask her to
marry him. She does this when she brings him to the bridge
and she says “Peter, this isn’t working out, you and me are
over” (Spiderman 3). This shows how everything Peter Parker
had was taken away from him and he had truly hit rock
bottom.
Initiation: Woman as the Temptress
(Stan Lee’s Spiderman 3)
• In Spiderman 3, Spiderman is tempted not by a woman but by
power. He shows this when he is talking about the new black
suite “This feels good, I feel powerful” (Spiderman 3). This
shows how even the best of people have trouble with
temptation and all hero’s will be tempted by something
whether it’s a girl power or both.
Return: Rescue from Without
(Stan Lee’s Spiderman 3)
• In order for Peter to complete his hero’s journey he required
help from his best friend Harry to help him when he was on
the verge of death. This is shown when the TV. reporter says
“Amazing! When all hope seemed lost Spiderman gets help
from some green man on a hover board” (Spiderman 3). This
shows Spiderman needed help to complete his task because
no one can do everything alone.
Works Cited
• Allen, Janet. "The Odyssey." Holt McDougal Literature: Texas
Grade
9.
Texas ed. Evanston, Ill.: Holt McDougal, a
division of Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 1185-1288.
Print.
• Spiderman 3. Dir. Sam Raimi. Perf. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten
Dunst. Columbia Pictures, 2007. DVD.