The Hero Cycle The Stages of the Heros

The Hero Cycle The Stages of the Hero’s Journey

n With Examples from:

Departure (or Separation) 1. The Call to Adventure 2. Refusal to the Call 3. Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor 4. The Crossing of the First Threshold 5. The Belly of the Whale

The call to adventure n. The call to action

1. Departure (or Separation) a. The Call to Adventure n In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, the hero, begins the story in frustration over being unable to leave home. The heralds are the two droids who carry a message from Princess Leia

Refusal of the Call n. The hero initially refuses the call to adventure. When this happens, the hero suffers somehow, and eventually chooses the quest.

1. Departure (or Separation) b. Refusal of the Call n In Star Wars, Luke is refused adventure by his uncle, a man who seeks to protect Luke from the inevitable dangers of fate. As a result, Luke's family is killed by stormtroopers.

Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor n. The hero often encounters a mentor who gives both psychological and physical weapons (usually a wise old man).

1. Departure (or Separation) c. Supernatural Aid/The Meeting with the Mentor n In Star Wars, Luke encounters the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi who presents Luke with a lightsaber and teaches him the Force.

Crossing of the Threshold n. The hero takes responsibility for/ownership over the journey

The “Belly of a Whale” –OR- THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL n. The hero eventually must cross into a dark underworld, where he will face evil and darkness, and thereby find true enlightenment. The ‘belly of a whale’ may be an ambiguous place of dark dream-like forms.

Departure (or Separation) e. The Belly of the Whale n In Star Wars, it is the Death Star, in which Luke is engulfed and in which he learns how to be a hero.

Initiation 1. The Road of Trials 2. The Meeting with the Goddess 3. Women as Temptress, or Temptation From the True Path 4. Atonement with the Father 5. Apotheosis 6. The Ultimate Boon

The Road of Trials n. Once in the other world, the hero is repeatedly challenged with mental and physical obstacles that must be overcome.

2. Initiation a. n The Road of Trials In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke undergoes his training with Yoda.

The Meeting with a Goddess or divinelike being n. After completing the Road of Trials, the hero often encounters a goddess-like woman

2. Initiation b. The Meeting with the Goddess

Temptress or Temptation from the True Path n. In some hero’s quests the hero will encounter the goddess, but before he can unite with her, he must prove his worthiness by overcoming the temptation of the Woman as Temptress.

2. Initiation c. Woman as Temptress, or Temptation From the True Path n in Star Wars, there is tension between Luke and Han Solo over their love for Princess Leia -- this is resolved in Episode VI, Return of the Jedi when Luke finds out that Leia is actually his sister.

n Luke is also tempted by the dark side itself, as demonstrated by his vision in the cave on Dagobah.

Atonement with the Father n. The hero may encounter a father-like figure of patriarchal authority. “Father” and “son” are often pitted against each other for mastery of the universe.

2. Initiation d. Atonement with the Father n In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke confronts Darth Vader and learns that he is his father; in Return of the Jedi, he is reconciled with the reformed Vader.

Apotheosis (Deification) n. The Hero’s idea of reality is changed; he may find himself able to do new things or able to see a larger point of view. Allowing him to sacrifice himself.

2. Initiation e. Apotheosis n In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke sacrifices himself rather than turn to the dark side.

The Ultimate Boon n. Having reconciled with the father and achieved personal enlightenment, the hero’s psychological forces are again balanced. His new found knowledge, or boon, also has potential to benefit society.

2. Initiation f. The Ultimate Boon n At the end of The Return of the Jedi, Luke has made peace with his father, and recognizes that he has saved him from the Dark Side.

Return 1. Refusal of the Return 2. The Magic Flight 3. Rescue from Without 4. The crossing of the Return Threshold 5. Master of Two Worlds 6. Freedom to Live

Refusal of the return n. Having reconciled bliss and enlightenment in the underworld, the hero may not want to return with the boon.

3. Return a. Refusal of the Return

The Magic Flight n. A mad dash is made by the hero to return with the prize.

3. Return b. The Magic Flight

Rescue/Help from Others n. The hero may need to be rescued or helped by someone else.

3. Return c. Rescue from Without n In The Return of the Jedi, Luke is unable to destroy the Emperor, and must rely on his redeemed father.

The Crossing of the Threshold n. Before the hero can return to the real world, he must confront another threshold guardian. The first threshold was a symbolic death; this is now a symbolic rebirth.

3. Return d. The Crossing of the Return Threshold n In Return of the Jedi, Luke again confronts Darth Vader, this is the culmination of the plot. Luke faces Vadar and uses the talents that have been building throughout the story to overcome his enemy.

Master of Two Worlds n. Once the final threshold is crossed, the hero is now free to move back and forth between the two worlds at will. He has mastered the conflicting psychological forces of the mind.

3. Return e. Master of Two Worlds n In Return of the Jedi, Luke becomes a Jedi. He has mastered the force and defeated the one true temptation, the Dark Side.

Freedom to Live n. With the journey now complete, the hero has found true freedom, and can turn his efforts to helping or teaching humanity.

3. Return f. Freedom to Live n In "The Return of the Jedi" Luke has overcome the Empire and his rebellion is free to live and thrive, the ending scene establishes the peacefulness established by Luke's victory.