The Hero as a Character

Transcription

1 The Hero Journey

2 Archetype An archetype is a model, prototype or generic ideal for a type of character. Popular archetypes are the hero and the villain, but there are many others. They are basically templates or patterns to follow.

3 The Hero Archetype Originally, the hero was portrayed as a demi-god, or half-god character capable of great feats beyond what a normal mortal could do. Over time the character type evolved to refer to any character that displays bravery in the face of danger or death.

4 The Hero as a Character Hero characters embody the beliefs and highest values of the society they come from. They are supposed to be viewed as role models and high moral examples for others to look up to and emulate.

5 The 1970 s The hero of the 1970 s is referred to as the anti-hero. These characters are usually disenchanted with the system and often take matters into their own hands. They are brooding and dark and may not even be nice people, even if they save the day. Examples: Dirty Harry and Death Wish

6 The 1980 s 80 s heroes followed the mantra of the decade bigger is better. These heroes had the subtlety of a tank. The biggest of them were characters played by Arnold Schwarzenneger.

7 The 1990 s 90 s heroes were more sophisticated than 80 s heroes. Often, they were trained in martial arts and/or had technical training. Steven Seagal is a prime example of this hero type.

8 Examples of Classic Heroes Heroes such as Beowulf, Achilles and Hercules are classic examples of the demigod warrior archetype. These characters had abilities beyond mortal men, were royalty and embodied the ideals of strength, bravery and heroism that their respective cultures valued.

9 The 2000 s 2000 s heroes were much like 90 s heroes, but were as much thinkers as fighters. Some of them even bordered on antiheroes. Jason Bourne is the gold standard of this kind of hero.

10 The Journey Template All hero stories roughly follow the same basic template. Joseph Campbell was the one who popularized the idea of studying the journey as template across many different cultures and stories. His name for it is the Monomyth and it has 17 stages. Not all stories show all of the stages.

11 The Steps of the Hero Journey The Hero s Journey has several phases that are made up of smaller steps. For our purposes I have highlighted the big ones.

12 The Separation Phase The Separation Phase is the beginning of the hero s journey.

13 The Call to Adventure The hero begins in a mundane, boring situation. The place they find themselves in is the known world. The Call beckons the hero to go on his/her journey. Often this occurs because the hero feels something is lacking in life or has to reclaim something that has been taken. The hero may receive information from a herald character that spurs them to undergo his/her adventure. Hero may initially be unsure and refuse the call.

14 Crossing of the Threshold This signals the hero leaving the known world for the realm of the unknown. Hero may meet a helper or guide at this point. Helper may give him/her a magical gift that will help on the journey. This stage may be symbolized by crossing a physical barrier, ala Back to the Future when Marty goes back in time.

15 The Initiation / Quest Phase During the initiation phase, the hero will undergo tests and trials that force him/her to mentally, emotionally, and physically. These tests validate that it was not by random chance that the hero was selected for the quest.

16 Tests and Trials Hero will often train and undergo tests. These tests come in many forms and often bring danger. Hero may encounter a female influence, either a great love, a temptress, or both. It is up to the hero to figure out which is which.

17 Descent Into the Abyss A dark time for the hero. Often, he/she will face their toughest challenge at this point and must do so alone. Traditionally represented by a cave or other dark underworld type place. Hero will encounter a great monster, traditionally a dragon, but can be whatever the hero most fears or must overcome. Monster guards a valuable object the hero seeks. Traditionally dragons guard treasure. This object is called The Ultimate Boon. Hero may be thought to have died at this stage.

18 Revelation / Transformation Hero has an a-ha moment where he breaks through a previous barrier. This moment leads to the hero transforming mentally or physically and achieving a higher level of ability or understanding. Atonement hero forgives himself and enemies, especially a father figure.

19 The Return Phase Hero comes back to life. Hero returns from the abyss with The Ultimate Boon. Hero shares what he/she has learned on his journey to enhance the community/kingdom etc. Sometimes, the hero will find difficulty integrating back into his/her world.

20 Master of Two Worlds Hero may freely travel between the normal and magical realms. Is master of himself and his abilities. Has passed all of the tests including achieving his great love.