1. Literary Archetypes and the Hero’s Journey
What you never knew that you already knew!
Literary Archetypes and the Hero’s Journey

2. Bell Ringer #4 Question:
What characteristics do you think of when you think of:
A Hero?
A Villain?
A side Kick?
A damsel in distress?
Mentors?
What are three other characters in most of your favorite stories or movies?

3. Overview of the Journey in Modern Day
Overview of the stages
How we are all hero’s!
Thor's Version
REMEMBER…there is only ONE story!

4. Hero’s Journey - What makes a Hero? Where do they come from?

5. Bell Ringer Activity Look around the room in a not creepy way.
On a slip of paper, write the name of someone who you think would make the best:
Class Hero/Heroine

6. Why do we tell stories?
To help us escape reality by entering a world where the good guy wins, the forces of evil are defeated, and love conquers all.
^ Enduring themes!
To help define roles of “good” and “evil”; hero’s and villains so that we can better recognize those with similar morals and motives in our real lives.

7. Storytelling is essential for the survival of humanity and provides hope.
Stories connect us with our cultural and spiritual past. They help us understand many of our accepted traditions and rituals.
They allow us to tell our own stories to others and, using archetypes, help us better relate to the stories of others.

8. Situational Archetypes
Aka: We are gonna go do what?!
Let’s get out of here!
NO! No way!

9. The Quest
The Quest – This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader’s illness and disability.

10. The Task
The Task – This refers to a possibly superhuman feat that must be accomplished in order to fulfill the ultimate goal. ONLY the hero can perform the task.
Talking point: What is Frodo’s task? What can only he do? The quest is to destroy the ring, but only Frodo can bear it. Therefore, the task in LOTR is for Frodo to bear the ring of power.

11. The Initiation
The Initiation – This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological, in which an individual comes into maturity. Typically, a hero receives a calling, a message or signal that he or she must make sacrifices and become responsible for getting involved in the problem. Often a hero will deny and question the calling and ultimately, in the initiation, will accept responsibility.
Initiation and more helpers
That decisive moment when the hero says, “I’ll do it! I’ll perform the task”.
Talking point: What are some points of initiation in your favorite movies and stories?

12. The Fall
THE FALL. This archetype describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being. Usually due to a failure or death (physical or philological) along the road of trials. The lowest point for the hero and companions.

13. The Ritual
The Ritual – Not to be confused with the initiation, the ritual refers to an organized ceremony that involves honored members of a given community and an Initiate. This situation officially brings the young man or woman into the realm of the community’s adult world.
Aka: the “welcome home” party or ceremony.

14. Bell Ringer #5
Find an example for each other following situational archetypes:
The quest
The task
The initiation
The fall
The [return] ritual

15. What’s an archetype again?
archetype (ˈɑːkɪˌtaɪp) — n
1. a perfect or typical specimen …
4. a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, etc
An archetype is a term used to describe a universal symbols or stereotypes. In literature they are characters, images, and themes that embody universal meanings and basic human experiences. They keep the same characteristics regardless of plot (conflict) or time period (setting).
Talking point:
Of all the “typical” story and movie hero's
you know,what characteristics come to mind?
Tall and strong with soft and bouncy hair?
No matter the context, the archetype is there!

16. CHARACTER ARCHETYPES The Hero – In its simplest form,
this character is the one who will fulfill
a necessary task and who will restore fertility, harmony, and/or justice to a community. The hero character is the one who typically experiences an initiation, who goes the community’s ritual (s), et cetera. Often he or she will embody the beliefs of the origin culture.
sub-archetypes for the protagonist:
YOUNG PERSON FROM THE PROVINCES, INITIATE, INNATE WISDOM, PUPIL, and SON.

17. Anti-Hero-is generally considered to be a protagonist whose personality can be perceived as being villainous and heroic together, or doesn’t embody the more noble characteristics of an archetypal hero.

18. Young Person from the Provinces – This hero is taken away as an infant or youth and raised by strangers. He or she later returns home as a stranger and able to recognize new problems and new solutions.

19. Hunting Group of Companions
Hunting Group of Companions – These loyal companions are willing to face any number of perils in order to be together.

20. Loyal Retainers
These individuals are like the noble sidekicks to the hero. Their duty is to protect the hero. Often the retainer reflects the hero’s nobility.
Talking point: Who carries Frodo up the mountain? Who never gives up? What might this symbolize?

21. The Initiates – These are young heroes who, prior to the quest, must endure some training and ritual. They are usually innocent at this stage.
Mentors – These individuals serve as teachers or counselors to the initiates. Sometimes they work as role models and often serve asas father or mother figure. They teach by example the skills necessary to survive the journey and quest.

22. The Scapegoat – An animal or more usually a human whose death, often in a public ceremony, excuses some traitor sin that has been visited upon the community. This death often makes theme more powerful force to the hero.
The Outcast – This figure is banished from a community for some crime (real or imagined). The outcast is usually destined to become a wanderer.

23. The Devil Figure – This character represents evil incarnate
The Devil Figure – This character represents evil incarnate. He or she may offer worldly goods, fame, or knowledge to the protagonist in exchange for possession of the soul or integrity. This figure’s main aim is to oppose the hero
in his or her quest. The DF TEMPTS the hero
- (don’t get it twisted with the temptress)

24. Women (Other than Heroines, of course)
The Temptress – Characterized by sensuous beauty, she/he/it is one whose physical attraction may bring about the hero’s downfall.
The Damsel in Distress – This vulnerable woman must be rescued by the hero. She also may be used as a trap,by an evil figure, to ensnare the hero.

25. The Platonic Ideal – This source of inspiration often is a physical and spiritual ideal for whom the hero has an
intellectual rather than physical attraction.
The Earth Mother/tech mother – This character is symbolic of fulfillment, abundance, and fertility; offers spiritual and
emotional nourishment to those who she contacts; often depicted in earth colors.

26. Star-Crossed lovers
THE STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. A young man and woman enter an ill-fated love affair which ends tragically in the death of either or both of the lovers

27. Animals
Friendly Beast –These animals assist the hero and reflect that nature is on the hero’s side.
The Creature of Nightmare – This monster, physical or abstract, is summoned from the deepest, darkest parts
of the human psyche to threaten the lives of the hero/heroine. Often it is a perversion or desecration of the
human body.
The Evil Figure with the Ultimately Good Heart – This redeemable devil figure (or servant to the devil figure)
is saved by the hero’s nobility or good heart.

28. The issue of superpowers
Originally, superpowers were either of super strength or super smarts…now we find there are two kinds:
1. Superpowers that heal or accommodate for something that might be a “flaw”
Ex: Ms. Reynolds needs go-go-gadget legs!
2. Other powers enhance already existing supersuffs
Ex: perhaps you are an excellent singer (or at least ya like to karaoke) and you get a voice that has sonic BOOM abilities..

29. Why are Hero/heroines important? How are they a part of us?
The promise of a superhero
Why we need female hero's

30. Create! Exit Ticket #1 -A known character list with your group:
A hero or anti-hero
A devil figure
A loyal retainer
A friendly beast
A platonic ideal
A temptress/tempter
A dude or damsel in distress
Another archetypes of your choice.
#2- What would be your superhero promise?
#3- what would be your superpower and why?

31. Colors as Symbolic Archetypes
Black (darkness) – chaos, mystery, the unknown, before existence, death, the unconscious, evil
Red – blood, sacrifice, violent passion, disorder, sunrise, birth, fire, emotion, wounds, sentiment, mother, Mars, anger, excitement, heat
Green – hope, growth, envy, Earth, fertility, sensation, vegetation, nature, greed.
White (light) – purity, peace, innocence, goodness, Spirit, morality, creative force, the direction East, spiritual thought.

32. Orange – fire, pride, ambition, egoism, Venus
Blue – clear sky, the day, the sea, height, depth, heaven, religious feeling, devotion, innocence, truth, spirituality.
Violet – Royality, nostalgia, memory, advanced spirituality, Neptune.
Gold – Majesty, sun, wealth,

33. Meals together tend to be acts of communion/community or isolation.
Ghosts, vampires, monsters, and nasty people and sometimes simply the antagonists are not about supernatural brew-ha-ha; they tend to depict some sort of exploitation.
There’s only one story. Look for allusions and archetypes.
Weather matters.
Violence and be both literal and figurative.
Symbols can be objects, images, events, and actions.
Sometimes a story is meant to change us, the readers, and through us change society.
Flying tends to represent freedom. What do you think falling represents?
Geography tends to be a metaphor for the psyche. (deserts, cliffs, oceans, etc.)
Seasons tend to be traditional symbols.
Disabilities, Scars, and Deformities show character and theme.
Heart disease tends to represent problems with character and society. So do illness and disease.
Read with your imagination.
Irony trumps everything!