THE HERO’S JOURNEY—OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Heroes Celebrities

TYPES OF MYTHOLOGY

Classical mythology—is from a more civilized time Primitive mythology—deals with the ugliness and

terror found everywhere Greek mythology—is more inclined to deal with

nymph-like creatures, heroes, explanations of the world, and more pleasant topics

Roman mythology—pertains to the origins of ancient Rome

Norse mythology—built on belief that doom is inevitable for both god and man; Scandinavia and Germany

LET’S COMPARE

Norse mythology Christianity

COMPARE/CONTRAST

Norse mythology Christianity

COMPARE/CONTRAST

Norse mythology Christianity

LET’S COMPARE

Norse mythology Christianity

TYPES OF EPIC STORIES

Myths—traditional stories that are rooted in a particular culture, and could be religious, and usually serves to explain a belief, ritual, or mysterious natural phenomenon

Legend—a story coming down from the past; one usually regarded as historical but it’s not necessarily verifiable

Folk tale—story that has no known author and was originally passed from one generation to another by word of mouth

COMPARE AND CONTRAST—USE CUE WORDS

Christianity Norse mythology

NORSE MYTHOLOGY INFLUENCES ON TODAY

Norse gods are responsible for naming days of the week: Tyr, the god of war,

Tuesday Woden (Odin), the

god of the sky, Wednesday

Thor, the god of thunder, Thursday

Freya, the goddess of love and beauty, Friday

Norse gods vs. Greek gods

Woden (Odin)—Zeus/Jupiter

Frigga—Hera/Juno Thor—Odin’s oldest

son, god of thunder and lightning

HEADS UP ABOUT MYTHOLOGY

Mythology changes as people develop and change.

There are different versions of a single story because these stories come from different times and different authors. (Think about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—all tell pretty much the same story but from their own experiences).

Some authors use the same characters but view the same character different ways.

COMPONENTS OF MYTHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

All mythological systems contain: An explanation for some natural occurrence

or a phenomenon (example: Creation) Moral lessons Hero(es) or heroin(es)—sometimes human,

sometimes immortal, or a combination of the two (demigod)

A ‘kingdom’ for their gods to reside in: Norse mythology: Asgard Greek mythology: Mount Olympus

Epic hero—the main character, or protagonist, in an epic that is heroically larger than life, often the subject of legend or a national hero http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD51mcnc9Hg (eight

characteristics—take notes) Describes the typical adventure of the archetype

known as the hero—a person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe or civilization

Archetypes are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories.

EXAMPLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGV1BvnyvGo&feature=related

Discussion: Who is the epic hero in Star Wars?

Harry Potter? The Wizard of Oz? Are they archetypes? Explain.

FAMOUS EPICS

Epic of Gilgamesh (from Mesopotamia) The Fenris Wolf (from

Scandinavia/Germany) The Iliad and The Odyssey (Greece) The Aeneid (Roman) Buddhacarita (Indian) Beowulf (Old English) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_poetry

HEROES

Epic hero—the main character, or protagonist, in an epic that is heroically larger than life, often the subject of legend or a national hero

Anti-hero—main character of a story who is flawed and often does not display admirable qualities

Tragic hero—a character whose flaws lead to his or her own downfall/death

Alter ego--

ABOUT EPIC HEROES

Archetypes are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories.

Bildungsroman—a coming-of-age story about a character’s journey, usually maturity

Epithet—adjectives or phrases commonly used to describe a person or group of people

ANTI-HEROES EXAMPLES

Batman (D.C. Comics) Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) Conan the Barbarian (Conan the Barbarian novels and

film) Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye) Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind) Vito and Michael Corleone (The Godfather) Wolverine (Marvel Comics)

EPITHET EXAMPLES

Baby boomers Blue girdler of the islands Honest Abe The gray-eyed goddess Star-crossed lovers Judas Iscariot The winged messenger

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EPIC

A larger than life hero of national or historical importance

embarks on a journey, or quest, in search of something of value

Involvement of supernatural forces A vast setting (including physical and

special or spiritual worlds) Has a basis in a culture or society Glorification of the hero at the end

WHAT EPICS ARE THERE TODAY?

The earliest epics were the blueprint for those created today.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY1. Ordinary World

2. Call to Adventure

ORDINARY WORLD

SPECIAL WORLD

3. Refusal of the Call

4. Meeting the Mentor

5. CrossingThe Threshold

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

7. Approach

8. Ordeal, Death & Rebirth

9. Reward, Seizingthe Sword

10. The Road Back

11. Resurrection

12. Return with Elixir

THE HERO’S INNER JOURNEY1. Limited awareness of problem

2. Increased awareness of need for change

3. Fear; resistance to change

4. Overcoming fear

5. Committing to change

6. Experimenting with newconditions

10. New challengeand Rededication

9. Accepting consequences of new life

8. Big change withfeeling of life and death7. Preparing for

major change

11. Final attempt(s)—Last minute dangers

12. Mastery

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED The Ordinary World—Hero is introduced

sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.

The Call to Adventure—Something shakes up the situation, either external pressures or from something within the hero, so the hero now faces the beginnings of change.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED Refusal of the Call—The hero fears the

unknown and tries to avoid the challenge but only briefly.

Meeting with the Mentor—The hero encounters a seasoned traveler who gives him/her training, equipment, or advice for the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage or wisdom.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED Crossing the Threshold—The hero commits

to leaving the ordinary world and enters a new region or realm with unfamiliar rules and/or values.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies—The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.

Approach—The hero and newfound allies (if any) prepare for the major challenge in the Special World.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED The Ordeal, Death & Rebirth—The hero

enters a space in the Special world and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life.

The Reward—The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED The Road Back—The hero is driven to

complete the adventure, leaving the Special world to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.

The Resurrection—The hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice or another moment of death and rebirth but on a higher level.

HERO’S JOURNEY STAGES EXPLAINED Return with the Elixir—The hero returns

home or continues the journey but with some element of the treasure assuring the audience of the hero’s transformation.

ODYSSEUS’S JOURNEYhttp://www.tripline.net/trip/Odysseus'__journey-2646574370671004A829DCA6FAF5F853

EPIC/ HOMERIC SIMILES

What is a “regular” simile? An epic simile is a detailed comparison of

something every day to something monumental. For instance, in Dateline: Troy, it says that Paris

is drawn to Helen like a moth to a flame. That’s a simile.

If it were an epic simile, it would be something like the following lines in the Calypso episode: Lines 41-47 Lines 119-122