1. Society’s Collective Quest:
The Hero’s Journey & Its Archetypes
Mythology In Art & Literature
Professor Will Adams
Valencia College

2. Defining The Archetypal Hero

3. The Archetypal Hero
 The archetypal hero appears in all religions,
mythologies, and stories of the world.
 He or she is an expression of our personal and
collective unconscious, as theorized by Carl Jung
& Joseph Campbell.
 All archetypal heroes share certain
characteristics.
 This fact has only come to light this century, after
people like Joseph Campbell began comparing
mythologies of the world.

4. The Archetypal Hero
 Heroes are constructions;
they are not real.
 All societies have similar
hero stories not because
they coincidentally made
them up on their own,
but because heroes
express a deep
psychological aspect of
human existence.

5. The Archetypal Hero
 They can be seen as a
metaphor for the
human search of self-
knowledge.
 In other words, the
hero shows us the path
to our own
consciousness through
his actions.

6. The Archetypal Hero
 Jung called the process of
forming a consciousness
"individuation," which
means the process by
which we reconcile the
conscious & unconscious
aspects of our psyche.
 Thus, when the hero slays
a monster, he or she is
not literally killing it in the
real world.

7. The Archetypal Hero
 Instead he or she is facing
an aspect of the
unconscious, such as lust
or rage, in order to
control that side of his
being.
 The hero stories can be
thought of as road maps
to successful assimilation
of the conscious, rational
mind with the
unconscious, animal mind.

8. The Archetypal Hero
 The image of the hero
conquering death or
returning from a
successful battle provides
the restricted conscious
mind with new raw
material into which it can
expand.
 Thus, it forces the
consumer of the hero
story to expand his or
her conscious image of
him or herself.

9. The Archetypal Hero
 The hero stories are both a
record of primitive
encounters with the
unconscious and a prompt
for individuals to enter into
the struggle for higher
consciousness.
 Functioning in this way,
heroes give men and
women hope for such things
as life after death, reprieve
from suffering, and a sense
that order rules their lives.

10. The Roles of Carl Jung & Joseph
Campbell

11. Carl Jung & Joseph Campbell
 Carl Jung & Joseph Campbell are two of the most prominent explorers of
the psychoanalytical & mythological origins of human and social behavior.
 Jung expanded the work of Sigmund Freud on the unconscious mind to
emphasize the mythological forces working within the individual to shape
his or her personality.
 Cooperatively, Jung & Campbell developed the ideas of the archetype &
the collective unconscious.
 An archetype is defined as a recurring pattern of images, situations, or
symbols found in the mythology, religion, art, and dreams of all global
cultures.
 The collective unconscious refers to part of the unconscious mind
incorporating patterns of memories, instincts, and experiences common to
all mankind.
 These patterns are inherited, may be arranged into archetypes, and are
observable through their effects on thought & behavior.

12. Carl Jung & Joseph Campbell
 Joseph Campbell built
on Jung's concept of the
collective unconscious
to encompass all the
world's mythologies.
 Campbell studied the
world's religions, art,
and stories and
discovered common
threads throughout all,
including the hero.

13. Carl Jung & Joseph Campbell
 Campbell believed that
mythology is the
collective “dream” of
mankind, the “song of
the universe.”
 Campbell's work
highlights mankind's
common search, both
personally & socially, for
meaning and truth
throughout the ages.

14. The Hero’s Journey

15. Stages Of The Hero’s Journey
Upon analyzing
& comparing the
various world
myths, Campbell
came to the
realization that
nearly every
culture’s hero
story follows a
set plot, or
sequence of
events.

16. The Hero’s Unique Birth
 A hero's birth will
always have an unusual
aspect to it.
 Many heroes are born
into royalty or are in
danger at birth.
 Either way, they are
marked by these
circumstances as
different and destined
for greatness.

17. The Hero’s Unique Birth: The Lion King
 Remember the
beginning of Lion King?
 Simba's birth is being
celebrated.
 The unusual aspect of
his birth is his royal
status.
 His father, Mufasa, is the
King of the Jungle.

18. The Hero’s Unique Birth: Moses
 In contrast, Moses wasn't
born into royalty like
Simba, but he did grow up
in the Pharaoh's
household.
 Ramses II had decreed
that all Hebrew male
babies under age two be
killed, so Moses' mother
placed him in a raft on
the Nile, where he was
found by one of the
Pharaoh's daughters.

19. The Hero’s Unique Birth: Star Wars
 Although viewers of Star
Wars must wait until the
second movie to find out
the truth about Luke
Skywalker's birth, hints
about its unusual
circumstances are given.
 Chief among these are
the fact he lives with his
aunt and uncle, and didn't
know his parents.

20. The Hero’s Unique Birth: Harry Potter
 In contemporary myth,
Harry Potter’s birth is
perhaps the best
example.
 Not only was Harry born
a wizard, but his parents
were murdered shortly
thereafter, and young
Harry was raised by his
aunt & uncle, who kept
his magical lineage from
him.

21. The Hero’s Call to Action
 The defining event of
every hero’s story is his
or her call to action.
 This is the event takes
that begins an adventure
for the hero.
 Sometimes it is traumatic,
or it can be coincidental.
 Either way, its occurrence
spurs the hero to begin
his or her adventure.

22. The Hero’s Call to Action: The Lion King
 Simba’s call to action –
happening upon his
childhood friend, Nala – is
coincidental rather than
traumatic.
 Initially, Simba fights with
Nala, but they soon
realize they are friends.
 She tells him of his evil
uncle, Scar's, reign, which
begins Simba's quest to
regain his father's
kingdom.

23. The Hero’s Call to Action: Moses
 Moses had nothing less than
his god,Yahweh, appear in
person to prompt Moses to
go to Egypt and lead the
Hebrews out of slavery.
 The picture on the right is a
portion of the ceiling in the
Sistine Chapel, painted by
Michelangelo.
 Yahweh (on the left) is
telling a young Moses to
return to Egypt and lead the
Hebrews out of slavery.

24. The Hero’s Call to Action: Star Wars
 In Star Wars, Luke
Skywalker’s call to action
is similarly traumatic.
 His quest to fight the
Empire begins abruptly
after Stormtroopers
murder his aunt and
uncle.
 Luke then leaves their
farm, never to return, and
goes on to become a Jedi
master.

25. The Hero’s Call to Action: Harry Potter
 Harry Potter’s own call
to action is no less
surprising.
 He begins receiving
invitations to attend
Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft & Wizardry,
and is eventually visited
by the ogre Hagrid, who
informs Harry of his
magical lineage.

26. The Hero’s Refusal of the Call to Action
 It is important to bear in mind that, many
times, the hero at least initially refuses the call
to action.
 He or she may do this for a number of
reasons, but the most common are that he or
she is frightened (either of the danger the
quest involves, or of leaving the familiar), or
because he or she believes that the quest is
too much for him or her to take on solely.

27. The Hero’s Supernatural Help
 Heroes always seem to
receive some sort of
supernatural help, whether
it be from a god, a wizard,
or a spirit.
 Their help typically arrives
just at the point at which
the hero in considered
refusing the call.
 The supernatural helper’s
presence inspires the hero
to accept the quest, and
gives him or her confidence.

28. The Hero’s Supernatural Help: The Lion King
 Simba sees his father's
spirit and also gets helps
from Rafiki, a medicine
man-type character.
 Rafiki is the supernatural
force in The Lion King.
 He doesn't play as large a
part as say, Dumbledore
or Obi-Wan, but he does
influence & inspire Simba
and provide him with
important guidance along
the way.

29. The Hero’s Supernatural Help: Moses
 This image by Michelangelo
at the Sistine Chapel depicts
Moses first displaying the
Ten Commandments, then
destroying them after he
sees the Hebrews’ idol
worship.
 Notice the person standing
behind him in blue and
yellow.
 That's an angel, representing
Yahweh's supernatural help
for Moses.

30. The Hero’s Supernatural Help: Star Wars
 Luke in Star Wars gets help from
Obi-Wan Kenobi even after
Obi-Wan is slain by Darth Vader.
 Here, is Ben healing Luke after
Luke has been attacked by the
Sand People.
 Obi-Wan has many powers
that make him a wizard-like
character, similar to Merlin.
 He teaches Luke about the
power of the Force, and later
guides Luke from his place in
the spirit world.

31. The Hero’s Supernatural Help: Harry Potter
 Within the Harry Potter
series, three very
important figures act as
his supernatural support.
 His primary support
comes from Albus
Dumbledore, headmaster
of Hogwarts.
 Secondary support comes
from the occasional
glimpses of his parents’
spirits that Harry
receives.

32. The Hero Crosses The Threshold
 This act provides the jumping off point for the
adventure.
 It also marks the point at which the hero crosses
the boundary from the known world into the
unknown.
 Typically, however, there is usually a presence
which serves as an obstacle or blocks the way.
 The hero defeats, conciliates, eliminates that
obstacle and enters the realm of the unknown
through a conduit such as the Shadowlands,
Arabian Desert, a journey through space, or a trip
through Platform 9 ¾ to the Hogwarts Express.

33. The Hero’s Initiation & Tests
 A hero just can't claim he or she's a hero and assume his or
her position, now can he or she?
 Of course not!
 The hero must first prove – to both him or herself and
others – that he or she is a true hero.
 This initiation and testing phase of the quest may be
physical, spiritual, or mental.
 In any event, the purpose is to prepare the hero for the
difficulties that await him or her.
 In the end, the hero must face his greatest fear alone, even
though he may have a companion.
 The difficulty and strain of the conflict purify and transform
he or she into a true hero.

34. The Hero’s Initiation & Tests: The Lion King
 Simba, like many other
heroes, is immature at first
and unable to be the hero
he will eventually become.
 However, once Simba
realizes Scar must be
removed and that Simba is
the only one who can do it,
Simba assumes his proper
role as the hero and saves
the land from the evil Scar.
 Hmmmmm, that does sound
awfully familiar, doesn't it?

35. The Hero’s Initiation & Tests: Moses
 For instance, Moses
performs many miracles
to free his people from
Egypt, as well as to help
them survive the desert
and reach Canaan.
 In Egypt, Moses proves
himself to the Pharaoh by
performing miracles that
the Pharaoh's magicians
cannot equal, showing
Moses' power through his
god,Yahweh.

36. The Hero’s Initiation & Tests: Star Wars
 Luke faces Darth Vader in
battle several times during
the Star Wars trilogy.
 These battles, along with
other services Luke
provides for the Rebellion,
his training with Yoda, and
his personal maturation are
part of the trials he must
successfully pass through to
become the hero of the
story.

37. The Hero’s Initiation & Tests: Harry Potter
 Throughout the series,
Harry is constantly
tested.
 His sorting, classes,
conflict with the
Deatheaters, fight to
save his school &
friends, and battles with
Lord Voldemort all
prove his worthiness as
a true hero.

38. The Hero’s Paternal Atonement
 Atonement means to offer payment or
reparation for a wrongdoing.
 Very often, heroes must avenge their fathers
or make up for their fathers’ wrongdoings.
 In most cases, the hero must either redeem
his or her father’s evil deeds or gain some of
recognition or approbation from his father or
father-figure.

39. The Hero’s Paternal Atonement: The Lion King
 In The Lion King, the spirit of
Mufasa, Simba's father, tells Simba
to be strong and assume his place
on the throne.
 Simba, who has been reluctant up
until that point to return to his
kingdom, realizes he has little
choice but to avenge his father's
murder.
 This also provides him the
opportunity to divest himself of
his guilt over his father’s death,
which Scar had convinced him he
caused.

40. The Hero’s Paternal Atonement: Moses
 Moses' father-figure,
Yahweh, doesn't initially
allow Moses or the
Hebrews into the
Promised Land.
 Yahweh does this so that
Moses atones for his
hesitancy to lead the
Hebrews.
 This is a unique situation
that reverses the
traditional atonement by
the hero for the father.

41. The Hero’s Paternal Atonement: Star Wars
 Luke's ultimate quest is to
rescue his father from the
evil of the Dark Side.
 Here, Luke consoles his
dying father after his father
saves Luke and atones for
his own past by killing the
Emperor, the leader of the
Empire.
 Luke chooses to be good,
the opposite of what the
father chose, and therefore
atones for the father's sins.

42. The Hero’s Paternal Atonement: Harry Potter
 Harry Potter’s contact
with his parents’ spirits
serves a twofold function.
 First, it allows him to
come to terms with their
death, and his feelings of
abandonment and
isolation.
 Second, their support
assists him in defeating
Lord Voldemort, their
murderer, thus avenging
their deaths.

43. The Hero’s Apotheosis
 After the hero's journeys are over, the hero is
rewarded spiritually in some way, in addition to
being restored to his or her rightful place within
society.
 Normally, the hero achieves a life of bliss, often in
a place with other heroes, either in a spiritual
realm, like Valhalla, the Isle of the Blessed, or
Heaven; or in a peaceful earthly setting.
 Global examples differ widely at this point in the
story.

44. The Hero’s Apotheosis: The Lion King
 By defeating his evil uncle
Scar, Simba assumes his
rightful place as ruler of
his pride, partners with
his childhood love Nala,
and is reunited with his
mother and family.
 In addition, he restores
the prosperity and
happiness of his own
realm, creating a paradise
for his subjects.

45. The Hero’s Apotheosis: Moses
 Here's the painting from the
Sistine Chapel showing
Moses' life.
 He's in two places in this
shot, one on the left praying,
and again on the right in
blue being carried to heaven
by angels.
 Even though he didn't get
into the Promised Land,
Moses' service to the
Hebrews & Yahweh gained
him spiritual reward of
heaven.

46. The Hero’s Apotheosis: Star Wars
 Here are Obi-Wan,
Yoda, and Anakin
Skywalker in spirit form.
 They all were Jedi
Knights and are now
rewarded spiritually for
being on the Good Side
of the Force, implying
that a Jedi like Luke will
also be rewarded when
his body dies.

47. The Hero’s Elixir Theft
 Sometimes the hero
steals or obtains
something during his
quest that can benefit
humankind.
 Depending on the story
or culture, the nature of
the “elixir” varies – it
can take the form of
fire, an elixir of long life,
or even a bride.

48. The Hero’s Return Home
 Because of the new knowledge he or she has obtained,
the hero may not always want to return home.
 In fact, sometimes (rarely), he or she does not.
 Other times, the hero’s flight from a pursuer motivates
his or her return back to the known world.
 Once the hero returns, he or she can be regarded a
product of 2 worlds with strong powers.
 Once returned, he or she then restores and heals
society.
 Sometimes the society accepts his or her gifts or
knowledge, while other times they may not be ready.

49. Heroic Archetypes
 Hero as warrior (Odysseus): A near
god-like hero who faces physical
challenges and external enemies
 Hero as lover (Prince Charming): A
pure love motivates the hero to
complete his or her quest
 Hero as Scapegoat (Jesus): The hero
suffers for the sake of others
 Transcendent Hero: The hero of a
tragedy whose fatal flaw brings about
his or her downfall, but not without
achieving some kind of transforming
realization or wisdom (Greek &
Shakespearean tragedies, i.e. Oedipus,
Hamlet, Macbeth, etc.)

50. Heroic Archetypes
 Romantic/Gothic Hero (Edward
Cullen in Twilight): A hero/lover
with a decidedly dark side
 Proto-Feminist Hero (Katniss
Everdeen): Female heroes
 Apocalyptic Hero (Will Smith in
Independence Day): Hero who
faces the possible destruction of
society
 Anti-Hero (Homer Simpson): A
non-hero, given the vocation of
failure, frequently humorous

51. Heroic Archetypes
 Defiant Anti-hero (Dr. House):
Opposer of society’s definition of
heroism/goodness
 Unbalanced Hero (One Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest): The protagonist
who has (or must pretend to have)
mental or emotional deficiencies
 The Other/Denied Hero (Edward
Scissorhands): The protagonist
whose status or essential otherness
makes heroism possible
 The Superheroic (Superman):
Exaggerates the normal proportions
of humanity; frequently has divine or
supernatural origins

52. Homework Assignment
 In a two-page, typed essay, please
respond to the following prompt:
 Do you have a hero?
 Explain what makes that
person a hero to you.
 Do you think our society
would also value this person
as a hero?
 Are there certain professions
that are more heroic than
others?
 Your opinions should reflect
consideration of Campbell’s
ideas of a hero and the
various hero archetypes.

53. To Be Continued…