Aim: How can our examination of Joseph Campell’s “The Hero’s Journey” expose Odysseus as an archetypal hero?
Do Now: Interpret the following quote and apply it to Odysseus
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of
supernatural wonder. Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive
victory is won.”
My answer: When Odysseus fought in the Trojan War, he left behind his kingdom and his comfortable life with his wife Penelope as well as his newborn son. During his trip back to Ithaca, he faced many challenges with supernatural wonders in it. Such as the cyclops and sirens.
Classmate answers:
In the Greek world, not many got the favor of the gods but Odysseus had it. This goes with the supernatural wonder in the quote.
He left his kingdom for the Trojan war. While returning home, he was faced with many obstacles.
Information on Joseph Campbell and “The Hero’s Journey”
Joseph Campbell, an American psychologist and mythological researcher, wrote a famous book entitled The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
In his lifelong research, Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. These years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of).
He calls this common structure “the monomyth.”
It is commonly referred to as "The Hero's Journey."
First video - What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler
Joseph Campbell studied myths from all over the world and published a book called “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” which explained how each stories represented the monomyth/ Hero’s Journey
Hero’s Journey = a cycle where the journey ends and begins in the hero's ordinary world, but their quest takes place in an unfamiliar, special world
1:00 - Call to Adventure = the hero receives a mysterious message
2:00 - Assistance = the hero gets help from someone older and wiser
3:00 - Departure = the hero crosses the threshold from his normal, safe home, (ordinary world) and enters the special world
4:00 - Trials = the hero solves problems, slays monsters, and escapes from a trap
5:00 - Approach = the hero faces the biggest ordeal and their worst fear
6:00 - Crisis = the hero faces death and possibly even dies (hero’s darkest hour)
7:00 - Treasure = the hero is reborn and gains a treasure, special recognition, or special power
8:00 - Result = the monsters can bow down to the hero or chase him as he flees from the special world
9:00 - Return = the hero returns to his ordinary world
10:00 - New Life = the quest has changed the hero and he has outgrown his old life
11:00 - Resolution = all the tangled plot lines get straightened out
12:00 - Status Quo = Hero is updated to a new level
What is an Archetype?
An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made, especially a character, an action, or situation that seems to represent common patterns of human life.
Often, archetypes include a symbol, a theme, a setting, or a character that have a common meaning in an entire culture, or even the entire human race.
Some examples of archetypal characters are “the evil genius”, “the hero”, or “the damsel in distress.
Archetypes Found in Myths:
HEROES: Central figures in stories. Everyone is the hero of his or her own myth.
SHADOWS: Villains, enemies, or perhaps the enemy within. This could be the repressed possibilities of the hero, his or her potential for evil.
MENTORS: The hero’s guide or guiding principles.
HERALD: The one who brings the Call to Adventure. This could be a person or an event.
THRESHOLD GUARDIANS: The forces that stand in the way at important turning points, including jealous enemies, professional gatekeepers, or even the hero’s own fears and doubts.
TRICKSTERS: Clowns and mischief-makers.
ALLIES: Characters who help the hero throughout the quest.
WOMAN/MAN AS TEMPTRESS: Sometimes a character offers danger to the hero by attempting to lure them from their quest.
Second video - Netflix's Myths & Monsters: Joseph Campbell & The Hero's Journey ("Heroes & Villains," S1E1)
Identify at least 2-3 examples of archetypes, as seen in The Odyssey.
Hero: Odysseus
Lover: Penelope
Rebel: Eurylochus
Temptress: Sirens, Calypso, Circe, Lotuses
Allies: Telemachus, Odysseus’s comrades
Innocents: Penelope, Telemachus
Third video - The Hero's Journey in 5 Minutes
HW: IN GOOGLE CLASSROOM - Joseph Cambell’s Monomyth Framework
*Due 11/19/2021 at 10 PM*
Using the supplemental worksheet (19 Joseph Campbell’s - Monomyth framework)with this lesson (that you will also be using for homework) along with this diagram, apply Joseph Campbell’s theory to Homer’s Odyssey.
Complete the chart/table tracking Odysseus’ path through the Hero’s Journey.
*You can incorporate images into your chart*
After completing the chart, answer this last question:
Assess Odysseus’ status as a hero through the lens of Campbell.
➢We’ve had multiple discussions about his status as a hero with many of you arguing both for and against him. With the application of Campbell’s theory of hero, has Odysseus emerged as more (or less) of an archetypal hero? Explain your answer below!
Reflection:
In today’s lesson, we learned about Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” and how Odysseus was an archetypal hero. We also identified other archetypes from The Odyssey and learned about the different steps in a Hero’s Journey/ monomyth.
Joseph Cambell studied myths from all over the world and created the book “The Hero’s Journey”. It explains how each myth goes through the Hero’s Journey, the cycle that begins and ends in the hero’s ordinary world, but its journey takes place in a special world. The hero’s ordinary world is the world he is used to and feels comfortable in. The hero’s special world on the other hand is the world with challenges at which the hero has to overcome. Ms. Peterson showed us a video and a picture of the cycle in the Hero’s Journey. The video is extremely helpful because it illustrates and explains the Hero’s Journey in a quick and easy way to comprehend.
Next, we learned about the archetypes in myths. Archetypes are characters, actions, or situations that keep recurring. Archetypes include symbols, themes, settings, or characters that have a common meaning in a culture or human race. Ms. Peterson gave us a list of the many archetypes there are as well as what they mean. Then, we were asked to identify characters from The Odyssey and shared our answers. This helps us understand the different archetypes and their roles more.
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