The Quest
and
The hero’s Journey
ARCHETYPE:
A UNIVERSAL SYMBOL
ARCHETYPE:
A pattern or
prototype, such as
a type of story,
character, or
common theme
that is repeated in
literature and
reflective of the
human experience.
THE QUEST /
HERO’S JOURNEY
And Stonehenge…
is one of the oldest
story archetypes on
the planet.
Some say it is older than
the Pyramids…
And even cave drawings.
The
Quest
THE QUEST: Literature based on
a journey, a road of trials in which a hero
hears a call and leaves his home—alone or
in the company of others—to search out a
treasure. Along the way he undergoes
trials, receives aid, fights enemies and may
even die, and, if he succeeds in attaining
the treasure sought, may change who and
what he is, as well as the community he
returns to.
THE QUEST has appeared
in cultures throughout history.
..
Homer’s
Odyssey
Ancient Greece
8th Century BC
Gilgamesh
Ancient Mesopotamia
18th Century BC
Virgil’s Aeneid
Ancient Rome
29-19 BC
THE QUEST
THE HOLY
GRAIL
The Arthurian Legends
Le Morte de Arthur
Sir Thomas Mallory
1470
Chretian de Troyes’
“The Story of the Holy Grail”
from Perceval
Late 12th Century
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Bridge of Death
PERCEVAL AND THE FISHER KING
Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval
Continuation of Perceval
The Vulgate Cycle
Malory's Morte D’arthur (King Pellam)
T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land
Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival
(Anfortas the Grail King)
Wagner’s Parsifal
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/Fisherking/fkessay.htm
PARSIFAL’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE FISHER KING
BY FERDINAND PILOTY
THE FISHER KING
Trailer
Parry tells the story of “The Fisher King”
The Fisher King
“The Red Knight”
THE
QUEST
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
Late 14th Century
Dante’s
Inferno
1308-1321
Don
Quixote
Miguel
de Cervantes
1605-1615
Gulliver’s
Travels
Jonathan
Swift
1726
THE
QUEST
Candide
Voltaire
1759
Jane Eyre, 1847
Charlotte Bronte
The Catcher
in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
1951
Song of Solomon
Toni Morrison
1977
THE: QUEST
MYTHIC RETELLINGS
+2,400
years
Oedipus Rex
Sophocles
429 BC
Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami
2002
WNB: How does the quest motif shed light
on Their Eyes Were Watching God?
•What is the physical journey? Where is Janie going?
•What is the apparent purpose of the quest—the “holy
grail?”
•What initiates the quest?
•What is the real reason for Janie’s quest?
•What are the obstacles and challenges?
•How is her quest structured?
•How does she know when the quest is completed?
•How does the quest archetype echo and add layers of
meaning to the novel?
The
Hero’s
Journey
Carl Jung
Collaborator and
friend of Freud
Collective
unconscious =
inherited fantasy life
Archetypes = basic
components of
human psychic nature
The hero = an
important archetype
Carl Jung
1875 – 1961
Swiss psychologist/ psychiatrist
Just as the human body
shows a common
anatomy over and above
all racial differences,
so, too, the human psyche
possesses a common
substratum transcending
all differences in culture
and consciousness.
I have called this
substratum the
collective
unconscious,
… [which] is … the
brain structure
irrespective of
all racial
differences.
JOSEPH
CAMPBELL
(1904 – 1987)
• American mythologist,
•
•
writer and lecturer,
best known for his
work in comparative
mythology and
comparative religion.
His work is vast,
covering many
aspects of the human
experience.
He is best known for
his definition of a
HERO.
“FOLLOW
YOUR
BLISS.”
ORIGIN of ARCHETYPES
Joseph Campbell recounts a curious
phenomenon of animal behavior.
Newly hatched chickens, bits of eggshells still clinging to their tails, will
dart for cover when a hawk flies
overhead: yet they remain unaffected
by other birds. Furthermore, a
wooden model of a hawk, drawn
forward along a wire above their
coop, will send them scurrying (if the
model is pulled backward, however,
there is no response). "Whence,"
Campbell asks, "this abrupt seizure
by an image to which there is no
counterpart in the chicken's world?
Living gulls and ducks, herons and
pigeons, leave it cold, but the work of
art strikes some very deep chord!"
In his book, The
Hero with a
Thousand Faces,
Joseph Campbell
asserted that all
storytelling follows
the ancient patterns of
myth, and that all
stories use elements
of the Hero’s Journey.
THE
MONOMYTH.
Christopher Vogler, a
Hollywood filmmaker,
was inspired by Joseph
Campbell’s idea of the
Monomyth . In his book
The Writer’s Journey, he
demonstrates how
writers can apply this
ancient mythic structure
to modern film.
First Major Section
of the Cycle
Departure
Stage 1: Call to Adventure
A character exists in an ordinary world
A herald or announcer appears and indicates
to the hero that his life is about to (or at least has
the potential) change
The call promises both treasure and danger.
The call requires travel to a distant land, forest,
or kingdom somewhere underground, beneath the
waves, above the sky, on a secret island, atop a
lofty mountain—even into a profound dream state.
The hero must leave the ordinary world.
Odysseus
is called to
fight the
Trojan War
Pinocchio wants
to become a
real boy.
Dorothy
wants to
leave
Kansas.
Campbell says this about the
Call to Adventure:
The call [is] a … moment, of
spiritual passage, which,
when complete, amounts to a
dying and birth. The familiar
life horizon has been outgrown;
the old concepts, ideals, and
emotional patterns no longer
fit; the time for the passing of
a threshold is at hand.
Stage 2: Refusal of the Call
Almost all heroes at first refuse the adventure.
The consequences of finally accepting the call:
The person gains self-awareness and control.
The consequences of always refusing the call:
According to Campbell, the person’s “flowering
world becomes a wasteland of dry stones and his
life feels meaningless.”
Dorothy runs back to the
farm and Auntie Em.
A storm is brewing.
Luke Skywalker
doesn’t have time for
the adventure - he
has to help his Uncle
Owen on the
moisture farm.
Campbell says this about the
Refusal of the Call:
The refusal is
essentially a
refusal to give
up what one
takes to be one’s
own interest.
Stage 3:
Supernatural
Aid (Meeting
the Mentor)
Usually [but not
always] masculine
in form
Typically a wizard,
hermit, shepherd, or
smith—someone
peripheral to the
community
Supplies the
amulets and
advice that the
hero will require to
begin
The ruby
slippers
Luke receives his
light saber from
Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Campbell says this about the
Mentor and the Supernatural Aid:
For those who have not
refused the call, the
first encounter … is
with a protective
figure … who provides
the adventurer with
amulets against the
dragon forces he is
about to pass.
Stage 4:
Crossing the
First
Threshold
The hero leaves
the old world
behind and enters
the new.
Dorothy is carried away to
Oz by the tornado, and she
begins her journey on the
Yellow Brick Road.
Luke Skywalker leaves his
home on Tatooine.
Campbell says this about
Crossing the First Threshold:
The hero goes forward
in his adventure until he
comes to … the
entrance zone of
magnified power.
Beyond … is
darkness, the
unknown, and
danger.
Stage 5: The
Belly of the
Whale
The belly = the
adventure, where the
rules are different.
The hero is to be
born again,
undergo a
metamorphosis,
shed his old character
for a new one.
For some, the Belly of the Whale
experience is a situation in which the
hero feels trapped.
Like Jonah and Pinocchio, the hero experiences the
“dark night of the soul” and must face his faults
and the truth.
Luke Skywalker trains with Yoda
in a whale-like house.
Luke, Han, and Leia are trapped in the
Death Star Garbage Compactor.
Second Major Section of
the Cycle
Initiation
Stage 6: The
Road of Trials
The hero must prove
that he is worthy of
the quest.
This stage is
PREPARATION or
TRANING for the
final challenge.
Dragons must be
slain, victories won,
barriers passed,
ecstasies
experienced, etc.--
usually in series
of threes.
A series of tests, tasks, or ordeals
(often in sets of three) that the hero
must undergo to begin the
transformation.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy must
first navigate the dangers of the
Yellow Brick Road before she can get
to her ultimate goal.
Campbell says this about the
Road of Trials:
Once having
traversed the
threshold, the
hero … must
survive a
succession of
trials.
Stage 7:
Meeting with
the Goddess
Usually depicted young
and/or beautiful
Teaches the hero an
important lesson.
Does not have to be a
goddess [such as the
Greek Athena or the
Egyptian Isis]. Any strong
female or feminine
force meets the
requirements for this stage.
It could also be some kind of
self-discovery.
A wise or
magical
woman gives
guidance or
advice to the
hero.
Stage 8: Woman
as Temptress
Woman is the metaphor
for the physical or
material
temptations of life.
A temptation tries to lead
the hero off his path of
adventure.
The “woman” can be a
female, a strong
feminine force, or a
temptation
representing lust,
comfort, and/or lack
of spirituality.
Someone or something tempts the
hero to leave the “true path” to his
goal. Luke is tempted by the Dark
Side of the Force; Frodo is tempted
to keep the ring for himself; Circe
the witch tries to keep Odysseus
on her island.
Campbell says this about the
Woman as Temptress:
Not even monastery walls, …
not even the remoteness of
the desert, can defend
against female
presences; for as long as
the [hero’s] flesh clings to his
bones and pulses warm, the
images of life are alert to
storm his mind.
Stage 9:
Atonement with the
Father
Atonement = at + one +
ment
The hero encounters his
biological father, a
father figure, a strong
male presence, or
someone or something with
incredible power.
At first, the “father”
represents what the hero
despises or disagrees
with.
The hero is killed during the
encounter--either literally
or symbolically--so that a
new self can come into
being.
I am a Jedi,
like my father
before me!
Dorothy faces the
Great Oz!
Campbell says this about the
Atonement with the Father:
There is a new
element of rivalry
in the picture: the
son against the
father for
mastery of the
universe.
Stage 10:
Apotheosis
Exaltation of divine rank
or stature. The hero
recognizes his/her true
identity - that spark of
divinity within. The hero
becomes “godlike” by
performing a miracle or
accomplishing
something no one
thought possible.
Dorothy melts
the Wicked
Witch and the
guards bow to
Dorothy.
May the
FORCE
be with
you!
Stage 11:
The Ultimate
Boon
All previous steps have
prepared and
purified the hero for
the boon.
A difficult task is
accomplished with
great ease.
The boon is sometimes
the goal of the
adventure--a magical
elixir, the holy grail, a
golden fleece.
There is a catharsis–
the hero comes close to
death.
Dorothy returns
to Emerald City
with the witch’s
broom.
Luke
destroys the
Death Star.
Third Major Section of
the Cycle
Return
Stage 12: The
Refusal of the
Return
The Hero has
proven that he is
a new person
The Adventure is
over.
How could
anyone go back
to life the way it
was?
A period of
indecision.
The hero wonders if it’s
possible to return to the old
life now that so much has
changed.
The Great Oz flies
away alone in the
hot air balloon, so
Dorothy loses hope
that she will get
home.
Campbell says this about Stage
12, the Refusal of the Return:
The hero-quest
requires that the
hero return. The
responsibility has
been frequently
refused.
Stage 13: The
Magic Flight
• After you’ve stolen
•
•
the golden idol, how
do you get out of the
crumbling temple (or
exploding space
ship, etc)?
The first dangerous
steps of the journey
are often retraced in
rapid fashion.
We know the battle
has been won, but
we need to see the
loose ends tied up.
Stage 14:
Rescue From
Without
• After the Magic
•
•
Flight, the hero is
often left wounded,
or dangling on the
edge of a cliff.
He may need help
returning to the
ordinary world.
An ALLIE or
MENTOR or even a
bad guy turned
good often brings
the hero out of
danger.
But you’ve
always had the
power to
go home!
Glinda the Good
Witch reminds
Dorothy of the ruby
red slippers.
Campbell says this about Stage
13, Magical Flight:
The final stage of
[the hero’s] adventure
is supported by all
the powers of his
supernatural patron …
or complicated by …
magical obstruction.
Campbell says this about Stage
14, Rescue from Without:
The world may
have to come
and get him.
Society is
jealous of those
who remain
away from it,
and will come
knocking at the
door.
Stage 15:
Crossing the
Return
Threshold
• The hero steps out
of his active role.
• He either finds
himself back in the
old Ordinary World,
or in a new,
balanced world that
his quest has
created
Dorothy finds her
power to return to
Kansas on her own
by wishing for home.
Campbell says this about
Crossing the Return Threshold:
He [must] re-enter …
where men who are
fractions imagine
themselves to be
complete.
Stage 16:
Master of the
Two Worlds
• Every story has an
•
external conflict
(to find the Holy
Grail, to rescue the
maiden) and an
internal conflict
(to become worthy,
to gain confidence)
The Master of Two
worlds is when we
have evidence that
the hero has solved
both conflicts
Stage 17: The
Freedom to
Live
• You know the
feeling at the end of
the movie where
you just know that
everything will be
alright, even if the
future is uncertain?
THAT is the
FREEDOM TO LIVE
Dorothy returns to
Kansas and is
welcomed by all
her family.
“There’s no place
like home”
Campbell says this about Stage
16, Master of Two Worlds:
Powerful in insight, calm
and free in action, … the
hero is the conscious vehicle
of the terrible, wonderful Law
of the Universe, whether his
work be that of butcher,
jockey, or king.
Campbell says this about Stage
17, Freedom to Live:
Freedom to
pass back and
forth across
the world
division … is
the talent of
the master.