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The Archetypal Hero

The Archetypal Hero. What is an archetype and what does it have to do with heroes?. Who came up with the concept?. Carl Jung. Joseph Campbell. &. What is an archetype?. A symbol that stays the same in all time periods and cultures around the world.

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The Archetypal Hero

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  1. The Archetypal Hero What is an archetype and what does it have to do with heroes?

  2. Who came up with the concept? • Carl Jung • Joseph Campbell &

  3. What is an archetype? • A symbol that stays the same in all time periods and cultures around the world.

  4. What are the characteristics of an Archetypal Hero?

  5. Traits of the Archetypal Hero • Unusual Circumstances of Birth • Leaves Family and Lives With Others • Event Leads to Quest • Special Weapon • Supernatural Help • Proves Himself on Quest • Journey and Unhealable Wound • Atonement With Father • Spiritual Apotheosis

  6. Unusual Circumstances of Birth • Mysterious, unusual, or miraculous circumstances at birth. 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.

  7. Leaves Family & Lives with Others • A sequestered or hidden childhood attended by surrogate parents. • A hidden or concealed identity known to only a few, sometimes only to one person. • Education with a very old and very wise teacher.

  8. Event, Sometimes Traumatic, Leads to Quest • The call to adventure or to a quest for identity and the realization that the hero or heroine has special duties or responsibilities in this world. • Revelation of the nature of the hero or heroine's true identity and birthright and their special responsibilities.

  9. Special Weapon • The discovery and development of special powers which are unique to the hero or heroine. These are often gifts from the gods or other powerful beings whom the hero or heroine has assisted, and such gifts usually compensate for weakness. Since Simba does not really have a “special weapon,” let’s look at Luke Skywalker. Luke uses a light saber, a weapon of the Jedi Knights, in Star Wars. The saber belonged to Luke's father. Only a Jedi can master this weapon.

  10. Supernatural Help • Hero receives some sort of supernatural help, whether it be from a god, a wizard, or a spirit.

  11. Hero Proves Him/Herself on Journey • An arduous physical or psychological journey fraught with trials, tests and temptations. • Ultimately the hero or heroine must rely on his or her own strength, wits and resources to emerge victorious.

  12. Hero Proves Him/Herself on Journey (continued) • Simba, like Luke, is immature at first and unable to be the hero he will eventually become. However, once Simba realizes Scar must be removed and 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. Just as Luke saves the world from Darth Vader.

  13. Journey and Unhealable Wound • Simba's descent into "hell" is combined with his defeat of Scar and the hyenas. Remember all the flames in the background as he fights Scar? He symbolically goes where none of the other lions could go in order to help his tribe and prove himself. Simba's Unhealable Wound? His past, where his courage failed him and his tribe, will always haunt him. • The journey ascends to a high spiritual plane and returns or descends into darkness and returns • The journey leads to a transformation or to self realization.

  14. Atonement with Father • Atonement means to offer payment for a wrongdoing. Very often, heroes must avenge a father or make up for the father's evil. • 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 to this point to return to his kingdom, realizes he has little choice but to avenge his father's murder.

  15. Spiritual Apotheosis • After the hero's journeys are over, the hero is rewarded spiritually in some way. Normally, the hero achieves a life in bliss, often in a place with other heroes. These characters all were Jedi Knights and have been rewarded spiritually for being on the Good Side of the Force, implying that a Jedi like Luke will be rewarded when his body dies.

  16. Do All Heroes Display All Traits? • NO! • As long as a hero displays several of these characteristics, he, or she, is in the “club.”

  17. Works Cited • Davis, Bryan M. "The Archetypal Hero in Literature, Religion, Movies, and Popular Culture." 11 Oct 1997. Stephen F. Austin University. (Day Mon Year accessed go here).<http://www.tatsbox.com/hero>. • http://www.googleimages.com • http://www.slideshare.net/chrismurban/hero-archetype

  18. Your Turn! • Think of an Archetypal Hero. This hero can be a character in any book you’ve read (including religious ones!) or any movie you’ve seen. • Complete the chart as it applies to your choice of hero. • Begin now and finish for homework.

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