Archetypes & Hero’s Journey

1. Archetypes & Hero’s Journey English Landtroop

2. The basic archetypes: • The Hero • The Shadow • The Mentor • The Princess • The Outcast • The Scapegoat • The Star-Crossed Lovers • The Sidekick

3. The Hero • The Hero: unusual birth, raised by foster parents, possess special abilities and/or weapons, has a strange but wise teacher, embarks on a spiritual or physical search for something, endures trials involving overwhelming obstacles, has faithful companions, lives in harmony with the natural world, wins what he or she fights for or wants. • Examples: Harry Potter, Frodo, Hercules, Luke Skywalker, King Arthur   

4. The Shadow • Adark and worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle in a fight to the end, represents evil, is selfish and power-hungry, usually bears some physical scar or wears a mask. • Examples: Voldemort, Sauron, Darth Vader, Morgan le Fey

5. The Mentor • A wise person who teaches the hero, gives valuable gifts (weapons, magic, information), guardian of old traditions, often commands special powers, can serve as the hero’s conscience.  • Examples: Dumbledore, Gandalf, Yoda,  Merlin

6. The Shaman • guardian of traditions, usually uses magic

7. The Princess • A female of great beauty, virtue, and power, usually of noble birth, sometimes needs to be rescued, often marries the hero. Examples: Princess Leia, Arwen, Cinderella, Belle

8. The Outcast • Commonly thrown out of society, sometimes a pathetic or comedic figure, sometimes a dark and doomed figure, a wanderer without a home. • Examples: Gollum, Jar JarBinks, Caliban

9. The Star-Crossed Lovers • A couple who love each other but are separated by fate, often kept apart due to circumstances, social class, birth, or a curse.  • Examples: Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood and Maid Marion

10. The Sidekick • A person who represents faith and support by being loyal to the hero.

11. The Hero’s Journey The hero’s journey is about taking a journey to find the treasure of your true self, then returning home to transform the kingdom. It is an archetypal story pattern seen in all cultures and all time periods, an expression of our collective unconscious. Because of our shared human experience, we have in common the same longings, fears, dreams, and joys. We follow similar paths on our journey through life. The hero story is a guide to us along the way. Fortunately, there are many paths available to us, plenty of room for us to be heroic in our unique ways. However, certain predictable stages emerge. After developing a strong enough sense of who we are and our place in the world, we are ready to go adventuring. We yearn for something beyond ourselves. We leap off into the unknown, trusting that we will have what we need to face our dragons (fears) and discover our treasures (gifts) when the time comes. Having found our own truth, we must then have the courage to return home and act on that vision.

12. States of the Hero Journey (in all of them): • Call to Adventure – hero is alerted to the situation and asked to help (yearning, longing, dissatisfaction) • Initiation/Road of Trials – series of difficulties (through suffering, loss of what seemed essential, letting go) • Rebirth – birth of true self; love of people, places, causes, work; commitment • Return – After final difficulty, the hero reaches home (creative expression of self in the world, harmony)

13. Other states of Hero Journey (in some of them): • Refusal of the call – hero refuses to help • Supernatural aid – god, goddess, or magician helps the hero • Acceptance of the call – hero decides to help • First threshold – first difficult encounter • Meeting with princess/goddess/magician – usually female supernatural character helps the hero • Finds out about father – hero learns who is true father or makes up with him after a long fight • Finds treasure – hero receives some sort of treasure (material or spiritual) • Refuses to return – hero does not want to go home • Rescued by someone else – hero realizes he must go home • Return threshold – final difficulty before reaching home

14. In your interactive notebook, respond to the following: • Common archetypal journey patterns include the following types of quests: • The quest to know who you are • The quest to find knowledge • The quest to get revenge • The quest to rid the land of danger • The quest for fortune and fame • Decide what type of quest you are on and write a paragraph that describes what motivates you to pursue this personal quest.