THE ART OF STORYTELLING
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
The Heart of the Hero’s Journey
At the heart of countless narratives from ancient myths to modern blockbusters lies the Hero's Journey - a powerful, universal storytelling template. Developed by Joseph Campbell, it outlines a hero's transformative adventure through various stages:
The Call to Adventure: The hero is invited to leave their ordinary world in pursuit of something greater.
Refusal of the Call: Initially hesitant, the hero resists the call due to fear or obligation.
Meeting the Mentor: The hero encounters a mentor who provides wisdom, tools, or motivation to face the journey.
Crossing the Threshold: The hero commits and steps into the unknown, leaving behind the familiar.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: As the hero ventures into new territories, they face challenges and make allies, shaping their character and abilities.
Approach to the Inmost Cave: The hero prepares for the central crisis in the deepest part of their adventure.
The Ordeal: The hero confronts death or faces their deepest fear, undergoing a symbolic experience that brings transformation.
Reward (Seizing the Sword): After surviving the ordeal, the hero claims a treasure or new insight.
The Road Back: The hero must return to the ordinary world, often facing a chase or pursuit.
Resurrection: The hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth, emerging transformed with the elixir or wisdom they gained.
Return with the Elixir: The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world.
The Hero's Journey isn’t just a story structure; it's a metaphor for the challenges we face in our own lives. By understanding and applying this framework in storytelling, we connect more deeply with our audience, crafting tales that resonate with universal truths and experiences.
In our Storytelling Workshop, we delve into each stage of the Hero's Journey, exploring how you can use this timeless blueprint to create captivating and meaningful stories of your own.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," the main character, Frodo Baggins, goes on a hero's journey to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
Frodo is entrusted with the task of destroying the One aRing by Gandalf, who believes that Frodo is the only one who can do it.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINARY WORLD
Frodo leaves the Shire, his home, with a group of companions, including Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.
TESTS AND CHALLENGES
Along the journey, Frodo and his companions face many challenges, including attacks from Sauron's minions, treacherous mountains, and difficult decisions.
CONFRONTATION WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMY
Frodo ultimately confronts Sauron in a final battle to destroy the One Ring.
RETURN TO THE ORDINARY WORLD
After the ring is destroyed, Frodo returns to the Shire and is able to live in peace. He has changed, both physically and mentally, but his home still remains the same. He has gained a new understanding of the world and his place in it.
Frodo’s journey is a classic example of the hero's journey and is one of the key elements that makes Lord of the Rings a timeless classic.
In "The Incredibles," a family of superheroes, the Parr family, goes on a hero's journey to save the city and restore their reputation as superheroes.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
The Parr family, also known as the Incredibles, are called to adventure when they are presented with an opportunity to save the city from a dangerous villain.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINARY WORLD
The Parr family leaves their mundane suburban life and embrace their superhero identities once again.
TESTS AND CHALLENGES
The Parr family faces various challenges and obstacles as they work together to stop the villain and save the city. They also have to deal with their own personal struggles and conflicts.
CONFRONTATION WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMY
The ultimate enemy in this story is the villain, Syndrome, who wants to be recognized as a superhero and wants to destroy the Incredibles in order to prove his worth.
RETURN TO THE ORDINARY WORLD
After the villain is defeated, the Incredibles are able to return to their normal lives, but they have grown as a family and have learned to trust and rely on each other. They also have a newfound appreciation for the importance of their roles as superheroes and the impact they can have on the world.
The Incredibles shows how a family can come together and work as a team to save the day and how heroism comes in many forms and can be found in ordinary people.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Captain Marvel," Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, goes on a hero's journey to discover her true identity and become a powerful superhero.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
Carol is called to adventure when she is abducted by the alien race the Kree, who are in the midst of a war with the shape-shifting Skrulls. She is given Kree powers and trained to be a warrior.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINARY WORLD
Carol leaves her life as a pilot and is thrust into a new world of alien battles and intergalactic politics.
TESTS AND CHALLENGES
Carol faces various challenges as she tries to understand her powers, her past, and her place in the larger conflict between the Kree and Skrulls. She also has to come to terms with the truth about her identity and her past.
CONFRONTATION WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMY
The ultimate enemy in this story is the Kree leader, Yon-Rogg, who turns out to be Carol's enemy and tries to stop her from discovering the truth about her past.
RETURN TO THE ORDINARY WORLD
After the final battle, Carol finally discovers her true identity and her past, and returns to Earth, where she uses her powers to protect and defend humanity. She becomes Captain Marvel, a powerful superhero, who is a part of the Avengers team.
The hero's journey in "Captain Marvel" showed how a person can overcome their struggles and find their true identity and purpose, and how one person can make a difference in the larger conflict and protect the world.
Office Space is a delightful comedy that tells the story of a man named Peter Gibbons who becomes disillusioned with his job at a software company.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
Peter is called to adventure when he begins to hate his job and feels unfulfilled in his work.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINARY WORLD
Peter starts to make small changes in his life that gradually lead him to see the world differently. He starts to see the monotony of his office job, the lack of appreciation from his boss, and the pointlessness of his work.
TESTS AND CHALLENGES
Peter faces various challenges as he tries to navigate the corporate world and find fulfillment in his job. He's forced to deal with his boss's inefficiency and the company's plan to downsize.
CONFRONTATION WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMY
The ultimate enemy in this story is the system of corporate America and the cubicle culture that Peter is trapped in.
RETURN TO THE ORDINARY WORLD
By the end of the movie, Peter is able to come to terms with his job, and find a way to use his skills and knowledge to create a more fulfilling and enjoyable work environment. He also takes steps to improve his life outside of work, such as starting a romantic relationship and taking a stand against the company's plans to downsize.
The hero's journey in "Office Space" shows the audience that an individual can find fulfillment and happiness, even in the midst of a frustrating and unfulfilling job and work environment.
In the Pixar animated film "WALL-E," the title character, a waste-collecting robot, goes on a hero's journey to save humanity and the planet.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
WALL-E is called to adventure when he discovers a plant growing among the garbage he's been collecting, and becomes determined to save it.
DEPARTURE FROM THE ORDINARY WORLD
WALL-E leaves the desolate and garbage-filled Earth to journey to a spaceship where the last remnants of humanity reside.
TESTS AND CHALLENGES
WALL-E faces various challenges as he tries to convince the humans to return to Earth and take responsibility for cleaning up their planet. He also has to navigate the ship's advanced technology and avoid being caught by the ship's autopilot, AUTO.
CONFRONTATION WITH THE ULTIMATE ENEMY
The ultimate enemy in this story is the apathy and consumerism of the human race, and their reliance on technology and corporations to solve their problems.
RETURN TO THE ORDINARY WORLD
After WALL-E's journey, the humans return to Earth and begin the process of cleaning it up. WALL-E and his love interest, EVE, are able to start a new life together on a lush, thriving Earth.
WALL-E’s hero’s journey showed how an unlikely hero can inspire change and make a difference, even in the face of overwhelming odds. The film also highlights the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and taking care of our planet.
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature's most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero.
Lesson by Matthew Winkler, animation by Kirill Yeretsky.
“The hero’s journey is the journey of self-discovery. It is the journey of finding our own unique voice and using it to make a difference in the world.
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Joseph Campbell was an American professor of literature and mythology, who is best known for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion.
He is most famous for his concept of the "hero's journey," which he described as a universal narrative pattern that is found in the mythology of many different cultures throughout history. The hero's journey, as Campbell described it, is a common pattern that consists of several stages, including the call to adventure, the road of trials, the meeting with the mentor, the crossing of the threshold, and the return home with the elixir. Campbell's ideas have been widely influential in many fields, including literature, film, and psychology.
He wrote several books about mythology and the hero's journey, including "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" which is considered one of his most famous work.
THE CAVE YOU FEAR TO ENTER HOLDS THE TREASURE YOU SEEK.
- Joseph Campbell
“The hero’s journey is not about being special or chosen, but about facing our fears and growing as individuals.
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“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
“The hero journey is the journey of the human spirit, moving out of the realm of the ego and into the realm of the soul.” ”
THE UNKNOWN AND CHALLENGING. IT'S ABOUT GROWING AND EVOLVING AS A PERSON.
- Brené Brown