Transcript The Hero’s Journey: The Epic in 13 parts

The Hero’s Journey:
The Epic in 11 parts
The Odyssey, Star Wars and
The Wizard of Oz: Stories of
Epic Proportion
Call to Adventure:
An invitation to Journey
 Supernatural Aid
 The call to
 Crossing of the
adventure
first
threshold
 Refusal of the

Belly
of
the
Whale
Call
Call to Adventure
•In the Iliad, Odysseus is called to
journey by Agamemnon and Menlaus.
•In the Odyssey, the hero is called or
challenged by Poseidon, god of the
seas.
Refusal of the Call
•Because the hero is mortal
(human) often times, the call
is refused. In the Odyssey,
the hero claims insanity until
he is tricked.
Refusal of the Call
•Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz, tries to
keep out of the tornado that eventually
pulls her into the land of Oz.
•When asked by Ben Kenobi, Luke refuses
his call claiming that he is needed on
his uncle’s farm
Supernatural Aid
•Most of our heroes receive help from beyond
their own world.
•Odysseus has Athena on his side
•Dorothy has Glenda the Good Witch to help
her
•Luke has Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and “The Force”
Crossing of the Threshold
•In order for the journey to take place,
the hero must leave his own world and
enter the “other” world.
•Dorothy is transported to Oz
•Luke must journey outside of Tattoine
•Odysseus is blown off course to the land
of the lotus eaters
Belly of the Whale
•Often considered the lowest point of the
hero’s journey, this is where he/she is
trapped away from home and fully
involved in the journey. At this point in
the story, the hero has to rely soley on
his/herself for safety.
Belly of the Whale
•Luke and friends get stuck in the
trash compactor
•Odysseus finds himself and his crew
in the Cave of the Cyclops
•Dorothy finds herself alone in the
Witch’s Castle
Initiation:
Trials and Challenges
•The Road of Trials
•The Great Love/Temptation
•The Ultimate Gift/Reward
The Road of Trials
•Throughout The Wizard of Oz, The Odyssey,
and Star Wars, the hero is confronted with
one trial after another. Usually he/she is
victorious, though sometimes not. Often
times it is through the hero’s own weakness
that victory isn’t reached.
Great Love/Temptation
•In most journeys, there is the
temptation to quit, or some distraction
from the hero’s goal.
•Odysseus has Circe and Calypso
•Dorothy has the field of poppies
•Luke has Leia
Ultimate Gift/Reward
•What the hero has been after all along
•Odysseus is promised a safe passage home
•Luke finds his father
•Dorothy is given the key to the ruby slippers
The Return Home
•Rescue from without
•Crossing the return threshold
•Freedom to live
Rescue from without
•Most heroes require help, often
supernatural, from outside of their
normal world in order to return home.
•Odysseus has his Mother and Athena
•Dorothy has Glenda the Good Witch
•Luke has Ben Kenobi and Yoda
Crossing the return threshold
•Just as the hero had to cross into the
“other world” now he/she has to cross
back. This time, the hero must bring
back all the new knowledge acquired in
his/her journeys and use it in the “real
world”. In some stories this is the end.
Crossing the return threshold
•Odysseus crosses over when Athena disguises him
for his return to Ithaca
•Dorothy crosses the threshold with a click of her
heels.
•Luke, along with Han, Leia and Chewie, crosses
over with the awards ceremony after destroying
the Death Star.
Freedom to Live
•The ultimate reward for any hero. At this
point all challenges have been conquered and
enemies slain.
•Odysseus reaches this point by reclaiming his
family, slaying Penelope’s suitors and making
amends with Poseidon.
Freedom to Live
•Dorothy reaches this point when she
awakens and finds herself safe in
Kansas with her family and friends.
•Luke hasn’t yet found this place. There
are still challenges ahead for him.