Related Links
- Article: Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: The Monomyth Joseph Campbell is well known for defining the structure and storytelling patterns of the hero’s journey.
- Joseph Campbell Foundation website In this study of the myth of the hero, he suggests the existence of a Monomyth (a word he borrowed from James Joyce), a universal pattern that is the essence of, and common to, heroic tales in every culture.
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What is the Monomyth?
The Monomyth is a term coined by Joseph Campbell. Commonly referred to as "The Hero's Journey," it examines the stages of the hero who goes on an adventure, faces a crisis and wins, then returns victorious.
Campbell's Monomyth
Joseph Campbell, an American mythological researcher, wrote a famous book entitled The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In his lifelong research, Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of). He calls this common structure “the monomyth.” It is commonly referred to as "The Hero's Journey."
George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, claims that Campbell’s monomyth was the inspiration for his groundbreaking films. Lucas also believes that Star Wars is such a popular saga because it taps into a timeless story-structure which has existed for thousands of years.
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” Joseph Campbell
The Hero's Journey is a great technique for analyzing all kinds of stories--whether they be myths, legends, films, novels, short stories, plays, or even comic books. It also leads to the consideration of what qualities are associated with heroes. Are heroes born or are they made? Are there heroes in real-life or must they be larger-than-life? Who are the heroes in our society?
The Hero with a Thousand Faces [3:11 mins]
In this clip from Episode 1 of Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, Moyers and Campbell begin their groundbreaking and timeless conversation with an exploration of the classic hero cycle, including consistent and enduring hero patterns in literature and real life. Campbell encourages the audience to view parts of their own lives as heroic journeys.
CITATION: Joseph Campbell Foundation (2021), The Hero with a Thousand Faces, posted on YouTube, https://youtu.be/Byli-Y8KonY
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Developer: Barbara Stout (Teacher Librarian) St Stephen's School (2022)