The Stages of the Heros Journey

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The Stages of the Heros Journey
Based on Joseph Campbells Concept of the Monomyth
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The Journey Begins...

• The Hero of legend can be viewed as being reliant
  upon an archetype, or a model upon which similar
  things are patterned
• can be patterned intentionally (Star Wars, The
  Matrix) or unintentionally (LOTR, Greek
  mythology)
• The Heros Journey is made up of a series of
  eight steps contained in three phases, a path
  that is followed throughout the story
• It is not crucial that these steps all be
  included in the story, nor that they occur in
  this exact sequence

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The Journey Begins...

• The usual Hero of legend is someone
• From whom something has been taken
• Who feels that something is lacking in his or her
  life
• this journey offers the Hero the opportunity to
  search for (quest) and gain something of physical
  or spiritual value (grail)
• A grail quest is usually not about finding a
  physical item itself it is about a search for
  wisdom, fulfillment or experience

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Phase 1 Separation From the Known

• Step 1 The Call
• invites the Hero into the adventure
• The Hero may choose willingly to undertake the
  quest, or may be dragged into it unwillingly
• May be initiated by the appearance of a herald
• signals that something important will soon happen

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Phase 1 Separation From the Known

• Step 1 The Call (continued)
• The hero may initially refuse the call to
  adventure
• Reluctant to jump into the unknown the devil you
  know versus the devil you dont
• Often, a painful, pivotal event occurs which
  calls the hero out through a dramatic change in
  perspective or destruction of something dear

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Phase 1 Separation From the Known

• Step 2 The Threshold
• "jumping off point" for the adventure
• It is the gateway between the known and the
  unknown, a world filled with challenges and
  dangers.

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Characters Along the Path

• the Hero may meet several different types of
  characters who may either offer to help or try to
  thwart the Hero
• A single character can take on different
  functions at different points in the story.

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Characters Along the Path

• threshold guardians
• people, beings, or situations which block the
  Heros passage, often at the Threshold stage.
• can protect the Hero by keeping him or her from
  taking journeys for which he or she is unready or
  unprepared

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Characters Along the Path

• helpers
• provide assistance or direction to the Hero
• mentor
• sage giver of guidance, advice
• often is lost to the Hero at some point in the
  quest

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Characters Along the Path

• tempters
• try to pull the Hero away from his or her path
• shapeshifter
• helper, tempter or both. May literally change
  shape/form or may merely change personalities or
  status or alliances.

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Phase 2 Initiation and Transformation

• Step 3 The Challenges
• the Hero begins the journey into the unknown
• can be outward into a physical unknown or inward
  to a psychological unknown
• early challenges are relatively easy but become
  more difficult as journey progresses
• challenges often strike the Heros greatest
  weaknesses

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Phase 2 Initiation and Transformation

• Step 4 Into the Abyss
• the journeys greatest challenge, faced alone by
  the Hero may be an inner conflict
• external conflicts are often with the storys
  shadow figure, the storys antagonist.
• "slay the dragon

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Phase 2 Initiation and Transformation

• Step 5 Transformation
• the Hero conquers the Abyss and transformation
  becomes complete.
• final step is a moment of death and rebirth
• a part of the Hero dies so that a new part can be
  born

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Phase 2 Initiation and Transformation

• Step 6 Revelation
• sudden, dramatic change in the way the Hero
  thinks or views life
• usually occurs during or after the Abyss (but not
  always!)

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Phase 2 Initiation and Transformation

• Step 7 Atonement
• the Heros acceptance of his or her new self and
  place in the world
• Often coincides with revelation

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Phase 3 The Return

• Step 8 The Return
• the return to everyday life, the final stage of
  the journey
• essence of the Heros return is to begin
  contributing to society
• Saving or renewing society, teaching and
  enlightening
• Message may be rejected by society