the hero’s journey: characters and their...
TRANSCRIPT
1 ) T h e H e r o
2 ) T h e H e r a l d
3 ) T h e M e n t o r
4 ) T h e T h r e s h o l d G u a r d i a n
5 ) A l l i e s / H e l p e r s
6 ) T h e S h a d o w
7 ) T h e S h a p e s h i f t e r
8 ) T h e T r i c k s t e r
9 ) T h e T e m p t e r
1 0 ) E n e m i e s / R i v a l s
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
CAMPBELL’S ARCHETYPLAL CHARACTERS
• O u r p r o t a g o n i s t ; t h e s y m b o l i c “ e v e r y m a n ”
• M u s t l e a r n t o a c c e p t t h e s a c r i f i c e o f o r d i n a r y p h y s i c a l / e m o t i o n a l / s p i r i t u a l “ l i f e ” f o r t h e s e r v i c e o f o t h e r s
• M u s t b e d r i v e n b y a l t r u i s m : t o r i g h t a w r o n g , t o s e e k j u s t i c e
• M a y c o i n c i d e n t a l l y a c c o m p l i s h s e c o n d a r y / s e l f i s h n e e d s ( f i n d i n g a h u s b a n d / w i f e , g e t t i n g r i c h , e t c . )
• P R I M A R Y P U R P O S E = T O S A C R I F I C E H I M S E L F F O R T H E S E R V I C E O F O T H E R S O N T H E J O U R N E Y A T H A N D
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for & serve others
• The hero need not be “al l good”—some of our favorite heroes are actual ly
o Antiheroes
o Outlaws
o and/or Loner Heroes
• The hero invariably grows and learns the most during the Journey.
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for & serve others
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
1) THE HERO: to sacrifice for and serve others
• M a y a p p e a r a n y t i m e d u r i n g t h e J o u r n e y , b u t o f t e n a p p e a r s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e J o u r n e y t o a n n o u n c e t h e I n i t i a l C a l l t o A d v e n t u r e
• A n n o u n c e o t h e r C a l l s t o A d v e n t u r e ( p o t e n t i a l d a n g e r s , c h a n g e s , e t c . )
• M a y b e i n t e r n a l : d r e a m s o r v i s i o n s
• M a y b e e x t e r n a l : a d e c l a r a t i o n o f w a r , a s t o r m , a n e w s f l a s h , a l e t t e r , a n a n n o u n c e m e n t , a w o r d o f c a u t i o n , a w a r n i n g
• W h a t e v e r i t s f o r m , t h e h e r a l d i s n e c e s s a r y t o p r e s e n t / f r a m e t h e C h a l l e n g e
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
2) HERALD: to warn/announce/challenge
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
2) HERALD: to warn/announce/challenge
• P r o v i d e s m o t i v a t i o n , i n s i g h t , a n d t r a i n i n g t o h e l p t h e H e r o o v e r c o m e h i s d o u b t s a n d f e a r s a n d p r e p a r e f o r t h e J o u r n e y .
• M u s t d e m a n d d i s c i p l i n e a n d s a c r i f i c e .
• H a s u s u a l l y “ b e e n t h e r e , d o n e t h a t … ”
• M a y r e w a r d t h e H e r o w i t h m a g i c a l g i f t s ( a w e a p o n , c l o t h i n g , a d v i c e , a k e y , e t c . ) t h a t w i l l h e l p h i m o n t h e J o u r n e y
• N e e d n o t b e a p h y s i c a l e n t i t y ; m a y b e i n s t e a d a n I n n e r M e n t o r ( e . g . , a C o d e o f H o n o r , a p r o m i s e m a d e o n c e u p o n a t i m e , o r a F a m i l y T h i n g , e t c )
• O f t e n i s a n " o u t c a s t , " a n u n d e s i r a b l e , d e f o r m e d , e t c .
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
3) MENTOR: to guide
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
3) MENTOR: to guide
JOSEPH CAMPBELL
BOB SCOTTBOB SCOTT
LAO TSU
• P r o v i d e e s s e n t i a l T e s t s t o p r o v e t h e H e r o ’ s c o m m i t m e n t a n d w o r t h
• P r o t e c t t h e S p e c i a l W o r l d a n d i t s s e c r e t s f r o m t h e H e r o
• M a y b e c h a r a c t e r s , a l o c k e d d o o r o r s e c r e t v a u l t , a n a n i m a l , a f o r c e o f n a t u r e , s u c h a s a t o r n a d o , e t c .
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
4) THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: to test & protect
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
4) THRESHOLD GUARDIAN: to test & protect
Can be “full time” characters.
Can be “part time” characters.
Can help in major ways.
Can help in minor ways.
Aren’t always humans.
Often function deus ex machina.
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
5) ALLIES/HELPERS:To support, aid & assist
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
5) ALLIES/HELPERS:to support, aid & assist
• The antagonist
• May be external: the bad guy, demon, force, etc
• May be internal: fears, phobias, desires, impulses, f laws, etc.
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
6) SHADOW:to destroy
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
6) SHADOW:to destroy
• Misleads the Hero by hiding intentions and loyalt ies
• Causes doubts and quest ions in the Hero’s mind, thereby infusing suspense
• Seems to be one thing. . . turns out to be/into another
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
7) SHAPESHIFTER:to question and deceive
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
7) SHAPESHIFTER:to question and deceive
• R e l i s h e s d i s r u p t i n g t h e s t a t u s q u o , t u r n i n g t h e O r d i n a r y o r t h e N e w W o r l d ( s ) i n t o c h a o s
• C h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a n t i c s , w i t , t u r n s o f p h r a s e , l a u g h t e r t o r e v e a l t h e a b s u r d i t y o f t h e s i t u a t i o n
• T h e H e r o o f t e n d o n s t h e m a s k o f t h e T r i c k s t e r t o o u t w i t o r d i s a r m a v i l l a i n o r e n e m y
• I s o f t e n t h e “ v o i c e o f s a n i t y / r e a s o n ” d u r i n g t h e J o u r n e y ’ s c o n f u s i o n
• S h a k e s p e a r e ’ s “ f o o l s ” a r e e x a m p l e s
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
8) TRICKSTER:to disrupt/defy
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
8) TRICKSTER:to disrupt/defy
• p u l l h e r o f r o m t h e c o r r e c t p a t h
• D i s t r a c t s w i t h f e a r , d o u b t , d e s i r e , e t c
• m a y p r e t e n d t o b e f r i e n d s o r e v e n m e n t o r s , b u t t h e i r g o a l i s i n e v i t a b l y s e l f i s h
• h e r o e s m u s t r e l y o n t h e i r s e n s e o f p u r p o s e a n d j u d g m e n t , a n d o n t h e i r m e n t o r s / h e l p e r s t o h e l p t h e m r e c o g n i z e t e m p t e r s
• t e m p t e r s a l w a y s s e e m t o s t r i k e a t t h e h e r o ’ s g r e a t e s t w e a k n e s s e s : h i s p o o r e s t s k i l l s ; h e r s h a k i e s t k n o w l e d g e ; h i s m o s t v u l n e r a b l e e m o t i o n s
• a l w a y s a p p e a l t o t h e h e r o ’ s n e e d s / d e s i r e s a n d f e a r s
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure
If heroes are unable to identify and resist tempters, their quest will fail and they will turn back and re-cross the threshold into the prior secure/ known/ understood state of immaturity/ignorance
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
9) TEMPTERS:to tempt, mislead, lure
T h i s i s a c a t c h - a l l c a t e g o r y , m e a n t t o i n c l u d e a l l “ B a d G u y s ” n o t p r e v i o u s l y n a m e d .
C a n b e m i n o r c h a r a c t e r s .
N o t n e c e s s a r i l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e S h a d o w .
“ G o o d G u y s ” a r e s i m p l y a l l i e s / h e l p e r s ; C a m p b e l l n o t e s n o s u b t y p e s ; h e h a s n o e q u i v a l e n t “ B a d G u y ” c a t e g o r y .
T h e u l t i m a t e “ B a d G u y ” i s t h e S h a d o w .
S h a p e s h i f t e r s , T r i c k s t e r s , ( a n d o c c a s i o n a l l y T e m p t e r s ) c a n b e b o t h “ G o o d G u y s ” a n d “ B a d G u y s . ”
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat
THE HERO’S JOURNEY:CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROLES
10) ENEMIES/RIVALS:to oppose/defeat