In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a clever and cunning king of Ithaca, in Greece,
trying to return home from war. Through tough trials and a rigorous journey, Odysseus uses his
new traits to become a better king. “The Hero’s Journey” by Joseph Campbell represents the
stages and events Odysseus goes through to come home. These stages are: Entering the
Unknown, Supernatural Aid, and the Reward and Journey Home are 3 reasons in “The Hero’s
Journey” that Odysseus follows in “The Odyssey”.
Odysseus and his crew “Enter the Unknown” when they enter the cyclops cave. It’s quite
a frightening sight and they’re not sure what they’re about to see “We climbed, then, briskly to
the cave. But the cyclops had gone afield… so we looked
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This quote is significant because the crew is not sure in what they
are supposed see. “The Hero’s Journey” quote relates to this by having “Heroes enter a world
they have never experienced before. Very often it is filled with supernatural creatures,
breathtaking sites, and the constant threat of death” (Campbell). The cyclops, would be the
supernatural creatures, breathtaking sites are the giant sheep, and the island itself, and
the constant threat of death is when the cyclops returns.
Odysseus encounters “Supernatural Aid” when Athena, god of wisdom and military
Tactics, disguises Odysseus as an old beggar to infiltrate his castle, and tends to disguise him
often as Odysseus states: “She has the knack to make me seem a beggar man sometimes”
(Homer 597). This relates to “The Hero’s Journey” quote by the supernatural character (Athena)
giving the means to complete the quest and continue to the hero’s reward, as stated:
“Supernatural simply means “above the laws of nature…” This supernatural character often
gives the means to complete the quest” (Campbell). This quote is significant because Athen, who
is the supernatural aid, assists Odysseus in completing the
Holmes, Thomas. “The hero’s journey: an inquiry-research model. Jun 2007, vol 34 issue 5, p19-22.4p. 1 Diagram
...heir journeys or overcome their limitations had it not been for the gods. Of all of the requirements of heroism, being influenced by the gods is the most important. Only through the aid of the gods can a character defeat his shortcomings and truly understand what a hero is. The character must become overconfident and prideful, then, and only then, can the gods step in and break their faults. Finally, the hero either comes to realize how wrong he was or he dies in ignorance.
The Hero’s Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homer’s The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. The story begins in the middle of the story, as many of the oral Greek traditions did, with the Journey of Telemachus to find his father. Although Telemachus has not yet met his father, it is almost as if they are journeying together, where the end of both of their journeys results in being reunited. Telemachus journeys from being a boy to becoming a man, while out in the sea Odysseus is battling Poseidon to return to the home that wife that he loves and the home he has left behind.
The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and
The first place Odysseus goes after the war is the land of the Ciconians. He and his men raid the island and destroy the village. However the next day, more Ciconians arrive and defeat Odysseus and his men. Several men are killed, and Odysseus experiences his first of many sorrows and tribulations. Next, the hero goes to the land of the lotus-eaters. Some of his men eat the lotus plant and instantly want to stay there and never leave. Odysseus manages to get his men away from the island, and they leave.
The hero must share their boon with the world but, like the call to adventure, the call to return canbe refused. One such example is in the story of the Hindu warrior-king Muchukunda. When he won a battle against demons, he asked that the gods grant him unending sleep. He went to a cave in the mountains that separated him from the normal world. Muchukunda later returned to the land only to find that he was an giant compared to the man that inhabited it (Campbell 167-169).
This tale coincides with the times in Greece. This was a time that art and Philosophy were extremely important and respected by the people. Odysseus was a new type of hero that didn’t win by overpowering his opponents, but by using his mind to outwit them. Manners also seemed to play an important role to Odysseus, as he was learned to be polite and generous to strangers and in the end punished those who weren’t.
Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Moyers 1). The Hero’s Journey consists of three major parts: the separation, the initiation, and the return. Throughout a character’s journey, they must complete a physical or spiritual deed. A physical deed involves performing a daunting and courageous act that preserves the well-being of another person. A spiritual deed calls for action that improves another individual’s state of mind.
After reading this essay one can see how The Odyssey main character Odysseus faces struggles and hardships that only make him stronger.He learns to be more cautious than he was and he truly shows how much he wants to return to Ithaca and learns who is faithful to
The Hero’s Journey is the pattern that many fantasy narratives follow. Lian Hearn’s book Across the Nightingale Floor and Christopher Columbus’ movie Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone have compared against the Hero’s Journey. The stages of the Hero’s Journey that are in both studied fantasies are the call to adventure, crossing the threshold and freedom to live.
In The Odyssey by Homer, an epic poem from Ancient Greece composed c. 8th century BC, Odysseus’ journey created a path for self-reflection. As I read, I noticed a parallel between our obstacles, adventures, and goals. Odysseus faced many obstacles due to his excessive pride, experienced several adventures from being taken off course, and had an overall goal to make it home to his dear land of Ithaca.
For instance, Odysseus develops two relationships outside of his marriage – one of which was a goddess. Penelope remains loyal to her heroic husband, and even avoids suitors by unraveling the shroud she weaves for Odysseus during the day. The handmaidens that assist circumspect Penelope act as reminders to her consistent virtue and loyalty to her husband as they outline what not to do. The handmaidens are untruthful to Penelope and report her actions to the suitors, engage in festivities with the suitors, and do not stand by her side when she needs them. Penelope undergoes the struggles because she knows that her Odysseus will return to her, and he is a man worth waiting on. However, of course, Penelope does not know about these relationships that Odysseus has taken part in. Though, Penelope still believes that Odysseus is a good man and is proud to be his wife. Odysseus wants to return to his wife but he has everything and more with Calypso on her island. He could have stayed there and would have been very happy there, however he would not have earned his kleos for his quests. If he stayed with Calypso then no one would hear his great tales of battle or his amazing cunning abilities. Penelope is great and all, but she’s no
“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 upon his fellow man.” (Campbell 23)
One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby. Joseph Campbell calls the initial phase of a hero’s development the “Call to Adventure.” The call is the in... ...
...cal mythology, and modern fictional heroes stories. They encounter unexpected supernatural and unusual events, but they fight until the end. A good example is Theseus fighting with the Minotaur. According to Campbell, the heroes receive help from unexpected sources or rather divine sources when they are about to give up. When they return back home, no one recognizes them. For instance, Odysseus could not be recognized on his return home even by his own wife Penelope.