The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell’s Vision of the Hero’s Path
All throughout mankinds history, in the greatest tales and myths we have every created, a common framework for storytelling can be found; and that is the hero’s journey. If you haven’t already, I HIGHLY recommend that you buy Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. This book outlines the common story structure that the greatest heroes of legend all go through in one way or another. Here I will go into the steps that Campbell describes as the essential points of a hero’s journey, to the best of my ability and in the simplest way that I can (there is also a helpful story wheel at the end of the article):
#1 The Call to Action — The Journey Begins
1) The Mentor
In the beginning, the hero is living quietly. He lives a normal life, content, or at least used to his circumstances, even if they aren’t ideal. If is from here that the hero is going along his way, when quite suddenly something unexpected happens. This unexpected incident shatters his routine and he is met by his mentor. (This mentor doesn’t have to be taken literally in the sense of student and teacher. The mentor symbolizes a guiding figure, entity, or semi-conscience object. All that this mentor needs to do is guide, help, and be the factor which sparks the adventure for the hero in some way.) At first the hero may refuse, but circumstances, guilt, or a realization will bring him back.
2) Trials of Worth
This part of the story, after the mentor has gotten the hero to start the adventure, the hero is met with obstacles. These obstacles would be the things that tests his resolve. The obstacles can be most anything; enemies, foreign lands, creatures, gaining allies, or overcoming a psychological trauma/weakness. All that these trials serve is to bring the hero closer to the “supernatural world” (i.e. the world of magic, un-natural, and not-normal occurrences, and overall the world the hero will adventure in) as Campbell put it, and eventually cross the first threshold of the journey.
3) The First Threshold — Determination
This part involves the hero finally reaching that first climactic goal and overcoming it. This would be the first important test to overcome and bring the hero one giant step closer to the ultimate goal of the story and journey. The first threshold is the first plot point in which the story takes a dramatic shift both in the mental perspective of the hero, and in the physical journey’s path that lies before him. Perhaps a great truth is revealed, or a powerful character/entity is felled. Either way, the event must be highly impactful to the hero and motivate him to continue forward, the taste of success and growing self-esteem on his lips. Conversely, it could also entail a great victory, but a tragic loss of some kind which fuels his determination to see the journey to the end.
4) Into the Maw
This part of the story is when, after the rush of completing the first threshold, the hero is set onto an even more perilous path. A foreboding of high danger, and high stakes seem to loom on the horizon. As the hero ventures deeper into the story, overcoming deathly challenges and stunning encounters, it is here in the maw of darkness were the first shadows of madness begin to creep in. The hero’s morals are still intact, but seem to slowly erode as time furthers. At this point the hero encounters his shadow self and begins to lose himself and embrace the darkness and its temptations.
5) The Abyss
It is in this part of the story were the harrowing of the soul begins. Here the hero succumbs to his darkness, and in this blind, veracious state, the hero losses all semblance of what made him the chosen hero. He may continue his journey, but the paths he takes to reach his goal warp and bleed, usually with the blood of unnecessary bloodshed. The mind of the hero in the abyss is a beast caught between a cliff and a forest fire, fear of the future, hatred of the present, and resentment of the past. At this point no elixir or salve could heal the hero’s darkness, only one thing would quench his growing madness and tortured soul: The distant sparkle of the goals reward, boon, and victory. Which leads to the second threshold.
#2 The Supreme Ordeal — The Journey’s Renaissance
6) The Second Threshold — The Spark
It is here at the midpoint of the story were the chosen hero who started the adventure has died. Not physically died, mind you, but his moral, self-identity has died. Overcome with his own darkness and the onslaught of oncoming darkness, the hero losses everything that made him who he was. And in this depth of despair, shadow, madness and fear, the hero accomplishes the second threshold, bringing him within view of journeys end. But, with the death of his former self, and the creation of his present, beastly form, a heavy price is paid for the completion of the second threshold; this price could be one of many things; the death of a beloved friend, the separation from a romantic partner, or, my favorite, an unintended consequence of horrific magnitude. It is from some sort of overly traumatic event that the hero himself had a hand in, which, even in the depth of his darkness, sparks the seed of his true moral and divine soul to be reborn.
7) The Return
It is here after the horror and ill-gotten victory over the second threshold that the hero begins his return to the light. But the return is not without its hurdles. The hero, at this point, so devastated at what he’s become, loses hope in his quest and himself. At this point the hero feels the urge to quit, and abandon the journey to someone else more worthy. His companions, with their good intentions, try to persuade the hero out from his guilt. But to no avail. Then the time comes when the hero is so distraught with himself that he leaves his companions and the quest. Alone with only his thoughts and guilt, it is in this landscape of self-regret that the hero may be helped by his mentor, or some supernatural force and brought back to the realization about the importance of his quest, his life, and his purpose. And from this contemplation the hero, with all the scars of his past actions, heals himself and returns to the group and quest. The hero returns with a new determination, compassion, and will that could only have been forged in the hottest and most ferocious of flames. With his newly tempered will, he journeys to third threshold.
8 ) The Third Threshold — Sacrifice
In this part of the story the hero, wised and experienced, attempts to re-enter the normal world, and feels the need to atone for his sins. This is the second plot point of the story, if the first plot point was the beginning, then this would be the near completion of the quest. It is here that the hero enters the gates of his final battle. Though mentally and spiritually, our hero is trying to find a balance between the material and spiritual; the “material” being the physical events and choices he must make in the event around him, and the “spiritual” being his moral compass and ideals. At this point the hero would choose to sacrifice himself in some way that would put his companions out of harms way, or make up for what he put them through. And from this decision, the hero would go on alone towards the final stage of his journey.
#3 Unification — Mastering the Journey
9) The End Game
Now, this is when the entire purpose of the journey is to be realized. The hero, alone, or with his companions, stand before the reason why they started their quest. Its in this fight, or event, that all the hero’s conflicting thoughts and unease disappear. His mind becomes sharpened and he strikes a balance within himself, instinctively and consciously knowing what must be done for victory. This part can be as epic as you want. Its a no-holds-barred cage match, and the hero aims to win. Also to take note, when the hero is fighting (of doing whatever your story find necessary to be the final climax) his wised ideals and morals never falter, and if they do, not for long. Consider this moment in the story as a condensed fire-hose off all the previous thresholds being unleashed upon the hero. And the hero brushing it off with his wised will and determination, gains victory.
#4 Freedom to Live — The Cosmic Dancer
10) The Fourth Threshold — Peace
The battle has been won, and the world, released from whatever negative force that bound it, rejoices! In this last part of the hero’s long and winding journey, he becomes what Campbell refers to as “The Cosmic Dancer.” I believe that the best way to convey this enlightenment that the hero experiences, would be to let the great Joseph Campbell tell you himself:
“Freedom to pass back and forth across the world division, from the perspective of the apparitions of time to that of the causal deep and back — not contaminating the principles of the one with those of the other, yet permitting the mind to know the one by virtue of the other — is the talent of the master. The Cosmic Dancer, declares Nietzsche, does not rest heavily in a single spot, but gaily, lightly, turns and leaps from one position to another. It is possible to speak from only one point at a time, but that does not invalidate the insights of the rest. The individual, through prolonged psychological disciplines, gives up completely all attachment to his personal limitations, idiosyncrasies, hopes and fears, no longer resists the self-annihilation that is prerequisite to rebirth in the realization of truth, and so becomes ripe, at last, for the great at-one-ment. His personal ambitions being totally dissolved, he no longer tries to live but willingly relaxes to whatever may come to pass in him; he becomes, that is to say, an anonymity.” — Joseph Campbell
I hope you enjoyed my extrapolation of Campbell’s VAST wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend reading his book, as it goes into far more detail about the many aspects of the hero! Please share, and comment if you so wish. Good luck on your own hero’s journey and have fun!
