The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey (Monomyth)

• A common story template that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, wins a victory in a decisive crisis, and
  then comes home changed or transformed.

• “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)

Steps/Stages (Christopher Vogler, 2007)

Multiple Select

What is the template for most modern tales involving heroes?

• The Monomyth

• The Great Adventure

• The Hero's Journey

• The Ordeal

Multiple Choice

Who came up with the idea of the Hero's Journey?

• Stan Lee

• George Lucas

• J.R.R. Tolkien

• Joseph Campbell

Ordinary World

Story begins with hero in
situation of normalcy

Call to Adventure

Hero receives information
that acts as call to head
off into unknown

Refusal of the Call

Hero initially refuses to answer Call

Meet the Mentor

Hero meets guide or supernatural helper, might provide him
with talisman or
artifacts that will
help him later

Crossing the Threshold

Hero crosses into field of
adventure, leaving the known behind and venturing into the unknown

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Hero faces tests, encounters allies, confronts enemies, and learns the ways of the unknown (Special World)

Approach

Hero makes final preparations needed before he faces the central Ordeal

Ordeal

Hero engages in central life-or-death crisis, during which he faces his greatest fear,
confronts this most
difficult challenge,
and experiences “death”

Reward

Hero has survived Ordeal
and seizes Reward
(elixir, magical object,
knowledge, etc.)

Road Back

Hero must recommit to journey and return to Ordinary World, turning-point event will push hero to action and heightening stakes

Resurrection

Hero faces final
life-and-death
Ordeal, demonstrates
that he can maintain
and apply all that he
has brought back to
Ordinary World; final
showdown with Villain

Return with Elixir

End of cycle; hero shares elixir with others or heals a wounded land

Multiple Choice

What is Tony Stark's "Crossing the Threshold"?

• Getting captured by terrorists

• Living selfishly and blissfully ignorant

• Escaping from the terrorists

Multiple Choice

What is Tony Stark's "Ordeal" (i.e. life-and-death situation)?

• Escaping from the terrorists

• Facing his business partner Obadiah Stane (Iron Monger)

• Getting approached by Nick Fury

• Fighting Steve Rogers (Captain America)