From Hercules to Harry Potter
ARCHETYPES & THE HERO’S JOURNEY The Legend of Susanuo by Howard David Johnson
Archetypes Carl Jung : Swiss psychiatrist & student of
Freud Theorized there was a connection
between the psychology of people & to universal cultural patters & symbols A number of symbols, themes, &
character-types existed in all cultures Found throughout religion, myths,
art, and folklore. (Smith & Brown, 85 - 87)
ARCHETYPES (CONT.)
Character Archetypes
Situational Archetypes
Hero
Quest
Scapegoat
Initiation
Outcast
Fall
Devil Figure
Death and Rebirth
Archetypal Symbols Lightness/Darkness Water/Desert Heaven/Hell
The Hero’s Journey Joseph Campbell : Scholar & world traveler Read & analyzed myths from
around the world for 5 yrs. straight Theorized myths from all across
the globe, having survived thousands of years, all have the same basic structure. (Monomyth) The Hero’s Journey is one of the
reoccurring patterns
• Three Phases with 17 steps • Not every myth contains all the steps • Phases: Departure, Initiation, and Return (Smith & Brown, p. 91)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE 1. The Call to Adventure - the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
ARCHETYPE
The Herald ď‚„The Herald character issues challenges and announces the coming of significant change
(Campbell, p. 42)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE 2. Refusal of the Call - Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. Reasons: sense of duty or obligation fear insecurity a sense of inadequacy anything to hold the person in his or her current circumstances
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE 3. Supernatural Aid Once the hero has committed to the quest, his or her guide & magical helper appears, or becomes known
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
ARCHETYPE The Mentor ď‚„The Mentor is a helper who aids the Hero in seeking a guiding vision to help him/her on the journey The Master of Jordan College gives Lyra the alethiometer before she leaves Oxford with Mrs. Coulter.
(Campbell, p. 59)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE 4. Crossing the First Threshold the person crosses into the field of adventure leaves the known limits of his or her world & ventures into an unknown & dangerous realm where the rules & limits are not known.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
ARCHETYPE
General Li Shang
(Campbell, p. 64)
The Threshold Guardian ď‚„Threshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secrets from the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero's commitment and worth
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: DEPARTURE 5. The Belly of the Whale Final separation from the hero's
known world & self Person's lowest point? The person is transitioning
between worlds & selves Experiences that will shape the
new world & self will begin shortly Often symbolized by something
dark, unknown, & frightening By entering this stage, the
person shows their willingness to undergo change
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION 1. The Road of Trials A series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin
the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in
threes.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
AMULETS Amulets, Advice, & Secret Agents ď‚„The hero is aided by the advice, amulets, and secret agents of the Mentor, whom he or she met before his or her entrance into this region.
(Campbell, p. 81)
ARCHETYPE
The Shapeshifter ď‚„The Shapeshifter's mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character's intentions and loyalties
(Neal, p. 85)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION 2. The Meeting with the Goddess The person experiences love All-powerful, all encompassing,
unconditional; love that a baby experiences with his or her mother. May take place entirely within
the person Very important step in the
process Does not have to be
represented by a woman.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
ARCHETYPE The Trickster ď‚„Tricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the Ordinary World into chaos with their quick turns of phrase & physical antics
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION 3. Woman as the Temptress Temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest Does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman This step is about the revulsion that the (usually male) hero may feel about his own nature Attachment or projection of that revulsion to women Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION 4. Atonement with the Father The person must confront whatever
holds the ultimate power Usually the father, or a father figure,
who has life and death power Center point of the journey Symbolized by an encounter with a
male entity or someone or thing with incredible power For the transformation to take place,
the person must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being
Sometimes this killing is literal, & the
earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm
(Campbell from Warren, et al.)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION
5. Apotheosis When someone dies a physical
death, or dies to the self to live in spirit (e.g., Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kanobi,Yoda, eventually Anakin) A state of divine knowledge,
love, compassion, & bliss Can simply be a period of rest,
peace, & fulfillment before the hero begins the return In the Riddle family graveyard, Cedric asks Harry to take his body back to his father.
(Campbell from Warren, et al.)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: INITIATION 6. The Ultimate Boon The achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step The boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that
supplies immortality, or the holy grail. Gains important self-knowledge & skills
(Campbell from Warren, et al.)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN
1. Refusal of the Return ď‚„Having found bliss and
enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN
2. The Magic Flight Sometimes the hero must
escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous &
dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN
3. Rescue from Without Oftentimes the hero must have powerful guides & rescuers to bring them
back to everyday life Especially if wounded or weakened by the experience Perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can
return, or that others need their boon.
Aragorn just before he is rescued by his horse
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN 4. Crossing the Return Threshold The trick in returning is to: retain the wisdom gained on the quest to integrate that wisdom into a human life maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the
world. This is usually extremely difficult
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN
5. Master of the Two Worlds Usually represented by a
transcendental hero, like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean
achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become
comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds Hermione Granger, the muggle-born witch
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
THE HERO’S JOURNEY: RETURN
6. Freedom to Live Mastery leads to freedom from
the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live This is sometimes referred to as
living in the moment neither anticipating the future
nor regretting the past.
(Warren, et al. from Campbell)
References (cont.) Greydanus, S. D. (2010). Why Star Wars still matters. Retrieved 8/12/10 from www.decentfilms.com/articles/starwars.html. harrypotter.wikia.com hdm.wikia.com Myth encyclopedia: Myths and legends of the world. Animals in mythology. Retrieved on 8/12/10 from www.mythencyclopedia.com/Am-Ar/Animals-inMythology.html. Advameg. Neal, C. (2007). Wizards, wardrobes and wookies: Navigating good and evil in Harry Potter, Narnia and Star Wars. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
REFERENCES (CONT.)
Owens, K. (2009) Draconika Dragons. Retrieved 8/8/10 from www. Draconika.com/index. Reihla (2004). The way of the Jedi: A comparison of the Jedi order to the Japanese Samurai. Retrieved on 8/15/10 from www.sagajournal.com/rwayofjedi.html. Smith, E.L., & Brown, N. R. (2007). The complete idiot’s guide to world mythology:Timeless tales and legends from every corner of the globe. New York: Alpha. Star Wars:The Legacy Revealed. Dir. Kevin Burns. 2007. The History Channel. Videocassette Tolkien, J. R. R. (1989). “On fairy-story.” Tree and leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, p. 9-73. Warren, L., et al. (2000). The hero’s journey. Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction: Maricopa Community Colleges. Retrieved 7/29/10 fromhttp://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/main.html.
Original Artwork !!! Myth Takes. 2008. !!! Warp, Web. 13 Aug. 2010. <http://pitchfork.com/ reviews/albums/9956-myth-takes/>. (Cover Artist unknown) Fairies, Goblins and Dwarfs by Howard David Johnson, 2007 Game Wallpapers. com.The Golden Compass. 2007. Wallpapers-s.oorg. Shiny Entertainment. Web. 13 Aug. 2010. </http://wallpaper-s.org/ 18__The_Golden_Compass,_2007.htm>. The Legend of Susanuo by Howard David Johnson The Lightning Thief (book jacket) by John Rocco, 2008. Meditation by Kuro Samarai. http://artzone.daz3d.com/index.php?/gallery/user/vi/&mid= 134537&aid=32859 Harry Potter – The Mirror of Erised, Mary GrandPre Time Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy by François Lemoyne, 1737 Treebeard and the Hobbits by Per Sjogren, 2003 Every effort was made to provide information for every image used in this presentation.
Photos from Movies: Beowulf. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. 2007, Paramount Pictures. Warner Home Video, 2008. DVD. The Golden Compass. Dir. Chris Weitz. 2007. New Line Cinema. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Dir. Christopher Columbus. 2002. Warner Bros. , 2003. DVD. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Dir. David Yates. 2010. Warner Bros. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Dir. Mike Newell. 2005. Warner Bros. , 2006. DVD. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Dir. David Yates. 2009. Warner Bros. , 2009. DVD. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Dir. David Yates. 2007. Warner Bros. , 2007. DVD. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dir. Alfonso Cuaron 2004. Warner Bros. , 2004 DVD. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Dir. Christopher Columbus. 2001. Warner Bros. , 2002. DVD. Hero. Dir. Yimou Zhang. 2002. Miramax, 2004. DVD.
PHOTOS FROM MOVIES (CONT.)
The Last Samurai. Dir. Edward Zwick. 2003 Warner Bros. 2004, DVD. Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring. Dir. Peter Jackson. 2001. New Line Cinema. Mulan. Dirs. Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. 1998. Buena Vista. Star Wars Episode II:The Attack of the Clones. Dir. George Lucas. 2002 Lucasfilms. Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Irving Kershner. 1980. Lucasfilms. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. 1977. Lucasfilms. Star Wars Episode I:The Phantom Menace. Dir. George Lucas. 1999. Lucasfilms. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Dir. Richard Marquand. 1983. Lucasfilms. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Dir. George Lucas. 2005. Lucasfilms.
All images were located using Google images search. Credit was provided when available.