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Hero's Journey Archetypes Explained

The document discusses Joseph Campbell's discovery of the "monomyth" or hero's journey narrative structure that is common across many world myths and stories. It describes how Campbell analyzed thousands of myths to identify a basic hero's journey template involving a call to adventure, crossing a threshold into another world, encounters with allies and enemies, confronting a nemesis, and returning home with experience. It also notes how Chris Vogler later popularized applying the hero's journey framework to screenwriting.

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Nina Jason
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229 views1 page

Hero's Journey Archetypes Explained

The document discusses Joseph Campbell's discovery of the "monomyth" or hero's journey narrative structure that is common across many world myths and stories. It describes how Campbell analyzed thousands of myths to identify a basic hero's journey template involving a call to adventure, crossing a threshold into another world, encounters with allies and enemies, confronting a nemesis, and returning home with experience. It also notes how Chris Vogler later popularized applying the hero's journey framework to screenwriting.

Uploaded by

Nina Jason
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HERO'S JOURNEY CHARACTER ARCHETYPES

The Hero’s Journey `monomyth’ story template was discovered by anthropologist Joseph
Campbell after studying thousands of the world’s myths.

In his book “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” he revealed the basic `monomyth‟ that
united all cultures via narrative.

Chris Vogler wrote a legendary memo while working at Disney - and then refined it in his
book “The Writer’s Journey” which Hollywood embraced in the 1990’s.

One summary of the monomyth is as follows:

The Hero’s Journey: the Hero starts in their ordinary world.

The Herald appears, and announces the Call to Adventure.

The Hero refuses it.

A Mentor appears, and gives the Hero the `supernatural’ key, tool or aid they need to embark
on the quest.

The Hero then reluctantly accepts, and crosses the First Threshold (which is guarded by
Threshold Guardians) and enter into the Other world, where they meet with Tests, Allies and
Enemies on their way to confronting the Shadow (their nemesis).

The Hero also can encounter a Trickster (who may become a sidekick character) along the
way, and a Shapeshifter (who first appears as an ally but becomes an enemy - or vice- versa,
or another character type altogether).

If it is a male Hero, along the way they may meet the Heroine, who may also be the love
interest, (or indeed the Jewel/Sword/Elixir)...

They approach the Innermost Cave (often the Shadow’s headquarters), confront the Shadow,
seize the “sword”( reward) and then escape, and the Road Back usually involves a chase.

Finally they return to their tribe and restore the elixir, bringing a boon to the community.

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