‘An effective story grabs your gut, tightens your throat, makes your heart race and your lungs pump, brings tears to your eyes or an explosion of laughter to your lips.’
‘Guided by the simple idea that all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairytales, dreams and movies – known collectively as the Hero’s Journey.’ -Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces
The Image below summarises the journey which the hero has to take, also showing their inner and outer problems, using Star Wars as an example….
The chapters I received dealt from Stage 8 (The Ordeal) to stage 12 (The Return with the Elixir.)
I also received the Epilogue containing examples of movies compared with the steps of the Hero’s Journey… (Titanic, Lion King, Pulp Fiction and the Full Monty.) Titanic proving to be the most helpful example applying the steps to a number of characters.
Stage 8- The Ordeal.
This is a drastic change, a symbolic death will occur causing the hero to experience death and re-birth, they themselves will change, a new person continuing the journey but smarter and stronger now. The Ordeal is not the climax (course of the story will be altered) and due to the fact the main problem is yet to be solved.
Stage 9 – Reward.
Relief! Hero has survived and overcome the ordeal, they must now face the consequences of surviving ‘death’ – they will recognised as special/different. They will be rewarded through celebration, reflection, romance and/or new knowledge – now wiser. After experiencing their reward they must now return their attention to the quest.
Stage 10 – The Road back
once the reward of the great ordeal has been celebrated the hero’s now face the question of returning home from the special world, they now know/have something that could be of great use in the ordinary world and must get back to share it.
Stare 11 – The Resurrection
The climax, the last and most dangerous meeting with death, the hero must under go a final plunge before re-entering the ordinary world. Experiencing the resurrection will cause the hero to become enlightened due to their experience, they have changed.
Stage 12 – Return with the Elixir
The Hero returns to their starting place, they always proceed with a sense they are commencing a new life, forever different due to the experiences of their travels. The elixir, something they can share with others.. physical treasure of something of knowledge.
Epilogue: will complete the story
HannahLoughridge 