The same hero wearing a different mask appears throughout great literature and films. The “hero’s journey” motif, as Joseph Campbell, the acclaimed American mythology professor and famous author identified, has been present in all cultures since the first documented stories. From Odysseus and the other great figures of the ancient Greek myths to the more modern character of Frodo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the audience essentially accompanies the same hero throughout a series of stages and obstacles that compose the original heroic journey. The hero’s journey can be particularly followed in the various animated Disney films that give existence to some of the most loved heroes of all time. For instance, the successful film, Aladdin, released in 1992 and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, brings to the public the interesting journey of a young man on a quest to find himself. The character of Aladdin fits the profile of the hero as he embarks in the hero’s journey unintentionally but proves to have undergone a complete maturation of character while attaining valuable insight about his true nature and worth by the end of the adventure.…
After Bilbo’s discovered Smaug’s weak spot and the group is trapped inside the secret passage in the mountain.…
Moreover, both Frodo Baggins and Luke Skywalker, the archetypal heroes in The Fellowship of the Ring and the Star Wars trilogy, demonstrate the heroic quality of determination with Frodo when he finds his seed of courage then when he endures the wound of the Morgul blade and when he fights against those who underestimate him, and Luke shows determination when he trains with Obi Wan and then when he trains with Yoda and most importantly when Yoda dies. When Frodo finds the seed of courage within himself and when Luke trains with Obi Wan, the archetypal heroes exhibit their heroic characteristic of determination. Finding the seed of courage within himself, Frodo is able to exhibit the hero that is inside of him when fighting in the Barrow Downs…
The well-known adventure novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and the historical fiction novel Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson both exemplify the use of the “wise old man” archetype through the characters Gandalf and “Grandfather.” Although the former is a powerful sorcerer and the latter is a vulnerable slave, both act as sagacious advisors for the stories’ main protagonists—Bilbo and Isabel. At one point in the Chains text, when Isabel (a slave girl) goes to the town’s pump to get her water, Grandfather says to Isabel, “A scar is a sign of strength... Look hard for your river Jordan, my child. You’ll find it.” Grandfather shows his wisdom by encouraging Isabel to search for her own freedom beyond the River Jordan, which, in this case, symbolizes the final obstacle she must face before reaching liberty. In the first part of the quote, Grandfather implies that Isabel will encounter a huge obstacle that might hinder her way to freedom, but he says that she must use her perseverance in order to endure it. Similarly, in The Hobbit, Gandalf frequently gives advice to, and encourages, the easily depressed Bilbo in order to persist even though he (Bilbo) may run into dangers along the journey. While both Gandalf and Grandfather are wise, they differ in many ways, including the aspect that Gandalf possesses powerful abilities that make him as near as invincible. When Gandalf uses undefeatable powers to rescue Bilbo and the dwarves from a goblin stronghold, the narrator of the story describes, “Just at that moment all the lights in the cavern went out, and the great fire went off poof! into a tower of blue glowing smoke, right up to the roof, that scattered piercing white sparks all among the goblins.” In fact, Gandalf proves to be so powerful that he even has the capacity to electrocute hundreds of goblins in a matter of seconds. On the other hand, Grandfather, a helpless slave, does not possess any of the apparent physical capabilities that Gandalf possesses; Grandfather’s…
The hero’s journey that Campbell said in The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a basic pattern and found in many narratives around the world. The standard pattern of the adventure of the hero is represented in the sequences: Departure-Initiation-Return. This sequences also known as the heroic Monomyth. In the movie, The hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Campbell’s Monymyth is represented by the main character. The story unfolds according to each step of Monomyth.…
Bilbo was a quiet, simple hobbit. He always wanted to stay in his little hobbit hole, until one day. Throughout his journey, bilbo loses this idea more and more. He instead starts to enjoy the life of adventure, and he develops as a character. Bilbo is forever changed by his journey.…
Bilbo was one you would never expect to do anything unexpected. He was well respected and renowned in the land of the Shire, being one who scoffed and crinkled his nose at the thought of adventure. But once tangled into the fate of a wizard, one named Gandalf the Grey, and a company of dwarves, Bilbo’s opinion changed within the span of a single night. But he does more than that, he transforms into a hero.…
The qualities that make an epic hero are strength, courage a strong mentality, and the aspiration to achieve heroic acts. Many heroes are considered role models as they make brave decisions attempting to do something extraordinary. Heroes often fight against the causes of evil as they try to make the environment a better place. Hercules (son of Zeus) is one of the many known Gods to Greek mythology. He is supernatural and immortal. The hero has extraordinary strength, being the strongest man on earth he is sometimes he is unaware of the power he posses, Hercules is invulnerable. Although worshiped as a God, he was properly a hero.…
Often epic tales feature a story with a miraculous hero who dies in battle or when treasure is attained, but in Bilbo’s case I wouldn’t say he became a hero. Although he was faced with many dangers and is forced to go outside of his comfort zone and build up the confidence to save him comrades, he still returns to Rivendell an untried hero as he was when he left for his adventure. In contradiction, at the beginning of the book, Bilbo lives in his own little world in the Shire with his small hobbit home. But by the end of the book, he has gained an understanding of the world around him, and a sense of adventure, along with courage, bravery, and loyalty. Although he didn’t end the story as a hero, he gained several personal values along the way.…
A Hero’s Quest (Hercules) Mary Beasley Kari Fernandes Christofer Price Stephanie Williams Michelle Wynn Hum/105 World Mythology Professor Megge Fitz-Randolph September 15, 2014 Agenda • • • • • Introduction of Hercules Introduction of Villain(s) The research of mythological and culture origins Analyzing the symbolisms, metaphors, and attributes Explaining conflicts personal desires and community responsibility • Identifying the four stages within the quest The Hero Hercules • Most popular and famous of Greek • • • • • hero 's. Often called defender of earth.…
There is a light at the end of the tunnel What is a hero? People believe it to be some godly person that can do no harm, a person so highly respected and admired. In every story the hero always saves the day, he always comes to rescue of the damsel in distress. A hero can be whatever a person sees and perceives whichever meaning they would associate to the word ̈Hero ̈. However, Joseph Campbell an American mythologist and writer of ̈The Power Of Myths ̈ breaks it down in three stages, ̈Departure, ̈ ̈Initiation, ̈ and ̈Return ̈. It focuses on the many archetype of a heros , and the different characteristics they have. ̈ A hero is someone who has given his or her life for something bigger than oneself ̈ (151) would be the perfect example of archetype..…
The legend of King Arthur can be traced as far back as the fourth and fifth centuries. But the earliest tales of Arthur were almost nothing like they are today. There were no wandering minstrels, or ladies–in–waiting, or knights in shining armor taking on bold quests to defend their ladies. Instead, there were tales of giants, and magic cups, and invaders from a foreign land. In some ancient versions of the legend, Arthur is a hero whose deeds are comparable to those of Hercules. In more modern versions, he is merely a king whose knights are the real heroes of the story. The earliest tales of Arthur were spread largely by word of mouth, and very few written accounts survive. Of the ones that do, we do not have the original documents, only copies…
What is a hero? Many people have different definitions of what a hero can be for example Beowulf. In the story Beowulf, Beowulf the hero is described as a great fighter and a man of tremendous strength. In my opinion a hero is not what the story describes a hero as. my definition of a hero is a good person who does something nice or saves somebody. A hero can also be someone you look up too. The Hollywood's definition of a hero is way different than my definition of a hero their definition of a hero is somebody who saves lives, has supernatural powers and are always protagonist in the stories. Some traits a hero has to make him a hero are they are nice, brave, have powers, caring and are patient. My definition and Hollywood's definition of…
Although separated by the wide gulf of time and culture, myths involving supernatural characters and gods exist in almost every society throughout the world. While this commonality may not be spectacular by itself, a detailed comparative study of the myths reveals a more striking similarity. Even in cultures as different and antagonistic as those of the Ancient Greeks and the Sumerians, predecessors of the Persians, there exists a startling parallelism in imagery and themes of the myths of the respective peoples. The epics of Heracles and Gilgamesh are an exceptionally good example of these similarities.…
Although most people find the film “Shrek” to be just a comical film, it actually fulfills the requirements needed to prove that Shrek is indeed an epic hero. “Shrek” is a 2001 computer-animated fantasy-comedy film based on William Steig’s fairytale picture book, “Shrek!” He has all the characteristics of an epic hero archetype, regardless of his hideous and vulgar appearance as an ogre. Shrek is brave, loyal, and lives up to the standards our society expects and appreciates. Shrek presents himself as evil and mean but on the inside he is actually compassionate and gentle. Campbell’s Monomyth and the process for an epic hero that includes the departure, the initiation, and the return are all present in Shrek’s journey making him an epic hero.…
