Monomyth Essay and Poster
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”
“The hero is the same, but the costume changes.”
“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.”
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Joseph Campbell
Author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces
In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell asserts that all heroes’ journeys follow the same basic
cycle. He calls this template “the heroic monomyth.” If Campbell’s theory holds true, then the epic poem Beowulf, the
first heroic narrative written in the English language, would follow this model; so, too, would your favorite movie,
television series, or work of literature: Transformers, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Matrix, The Wizard of Oz, The
Goonies, Spiderman, Batman, The Watchmen, The Shawshank Redemption, Fiding Nemo – the list goes on and on.
Assignment: In a well-crafted five-paragraph essay, write about how a movie, television series, or work of literature
follows the mold of the heroic monomyth. In your essay, you should be sure to (a) briefly define Campbell’s idea of the
monomyth and (b) discuss in detail the elements of the monomyth that are present in the movie, TV series, or work of
literature of your choice. Additionally, create a dynamic poster (complete with images) to depict the monomyth
diagram for your chosen movie, TV series, or work of literature.
How to Begin: Review your notes on Campbell’s monomyth, as well as the the diagram that we completed in class.
Examine your homework assignment in which you wrote briefly about how a movie, TV series, or work of literature
utilized heroic archetypes.
Quotes and Terms:
Standard: Use at least 2 quotes from Joseph Campbell. You can select quotes from above, or find your own.
Honors: Use at least 3 quotes from Campbell. At least 2 of your quotes should come from the excerpts assigned in class.
Some terms: epic hero, “crossing the threshold,” “the belly of the beast,” elixir, amulet, supreme ordeal, climax, flight
Scoring Rubric: This essay will be scored according to the MCAS long composition scoring rubric.
The poster will be scored as a ________ point project assignment.
Due Dates:
Essay Rough Draft and Final Poster: __________________________________
Honors students should be prepared to present posters to the class on this date.
Honors students will earn extra credit for a presentation that features a video clip.
Standard students may present on this date for extra credit.
Essay Final Draft: _________________________________________________
English 10 Honors and Standard
Medford High School Humanities Department