Name: ________________________ Period: _________ Date: ________________________

A Hero’s Journey—Guided Notes

1. A Hero?
a. Identify three people (fictional or nonfictional) that you would consider heroic:
i. _____________________________________________________________________
ii. _____________________________________________________________________
iii. _____________________________________________________________________
b. Compare and contrast your trio of heroes to your table group’s heroes:

c. What was the most common attribute that you found between the heroes you compared?
Who was the most unique hero?

2. Same ol’ Story

a. Joseph Campbell (_______-_______)
i. Author of: _____________________________________________________
ii. Found the presence of a storytelling template or "___________________________."
3. The Call: _______ _________ to ______________
a. ___________ the hero's quest there is some event or action that beckons the hero.
b. In this is a revelation to the hero that his destiny lies in the quest he will take.
c. Often there is a ___________ /___________ calling or ______________ that the hero
feels.
i. Character sightings:
- Hero/Heroine:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
- Herald:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. Refusal: _______ of _________ ______________

a. This refusal often displays a lack of _______ or __________.

5. Help!: __________________________ ________________

a. The Hero meets a person with great ______________and ____________.

b. This person (perhaps the _______) becomes vital to the success of the Hero's

journey.

c. The mentor gives the Hero needed wisdom, training, and/or ___________.

d. The Hero may also reach ___________ ___________ instead of receiving

this from the Mentor.
i. Character sightings:
- Mentor:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Adventure!: _______________ of the _________
_____________
a. At this point, the Hero leaves his _________ _________ and leave to an
unknown world to complete his journey.
i. Character sightings:
- Threshold Guardian:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
- Shadow:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

7. Trials: __________, ___________, and _____________

a. Belly of the Whale:
i. The last point at which the Hero leaves his known world.
ii. The hero is swallowed by the threshold, looking like he may have died.
b. The Road of Trials:
i. The hero is presented with great trials.
ii. Usually in groups of three, these trials help to transform the hero (through success or
failure) helping him come out stronger, smarter, and prepared for his journey.
iii. Character sightings:
- Loyal Retainers:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
- Friendly Beast:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
- Shapeshifter:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. Love: _______________ with the ___________________
a. At this point, the Hero experiences love. Not just any love, but an all-powerful and

_________ love.
b. This love _________ _________ have to be represented by a
_________ and can happen strictly within the hero.
i. Character sightings:
- Damsel in Distress:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
ii. Thought Provoking Question:
- Think of modern films or stories that you know of, are there ever men in the roles
of the "Damsel in Distress?" What about in older films or stories?
Write down some reasons that you may think this was the case.
- __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
iii. Though there are ancient stories of powerful women, even Heroines, Damsels in
Distress are usually women.
What values does this suggest those older societies had toward women?
- __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

9. Forgive Me!: _________________ with the ______________

a. The Hero must confront whoever has the power of life and death over them.
In many myths, this is the _______________, or a similar figure.
All of the trials and events in the Hero's Journey has lead to this point and everything
 after will move from it. This figure does not have to be a male entity, but simply an all-
powerful one.

10. Apotheosis:
a. The Hero is now elevated to a higher status. Those of a higher power have recognized his
deeds and duly rewarded him for his service.
b. In some stories, usually myths, the Hero is literally made into a __________, but that is
not always the case.
c. This stage is usually where the Hero has received some divine or greater knowledge now
that the journey is coming to an end.
d. It can also simply be a period of rest and peace.

11. Reward!: The ________________ _______________

a. This is the reason that the Hero went on the journey/adventure for.
They have completed what they were called to do and now receive the reward in which
they sought. This could be the ___________ of an ___________ or perhaps something
monetary.

12. Return: _________________ to _______________

a. Now that the Hero has completed his journey, he faces another dilemma; going back to
the normal life he once had.
b. The difficulty in returning after an adventure may not be because of the glory:
i. e.g. Frodo wanted to give up and die after he destroyed Sauron.
c. But often, it is because the Hero's former life is nothing compared to the journey they
went on:
i. e.g. each of the children staying in Narnia and forgetting about their former lives in
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.