World literature
the archetypal quest
joseph campbell was one of the first people to notice that the stories and mythologies of cultures separated by time and
space had some common elements. in his book, the hero with a thousand faces, he explores these common elements of
what he termed the “monomyth,” one story framework with only minor variations. christopher vogler, a script
consultant for many of hollywood’s major studios, adapted the campbell framework and uses it to produce quality
movies. in his book, the writer’s journey, he presents his version. a combination of these two sources reveals a
complete picture of the archetypal quest.
1. the ordinary world—since most stories take a hero out of his or her normal environment, it is necessary to first
show it before he or she leaves it. it is a before picture of the hero. on the traditional plot structure graph, we would
call this the exposition stage where background information is given. next comes …
2. the call to adventure—the hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure to undertake. the call to
adventure establishes the stakes of the game and makes clear the hero’s goal.
3. refusal of the call—often the task set before the hero is so daunting that he or she hesitates to undertake it. he or
she needs some other influence to change his or her mind.
4. meeting with the mentor—a mentor is a wiser person than ourselves who guides us on our way through life, and
that is why “wise old man” is synonymous for mentor in archetypal terminology. this parent, teacher, doctor, etc. is
an archetypal character who aids the hero in his quest. he prepares the hero to face the unknown and sends him on
his way.
5. crossing the first threshold—the hero leaves the ordinary world and enters the special world, committed to the
journey to come.
6. tests, allies, and enemies—in this stage, the hero is tested with some minor challenges and makes friends and
enemies. here we see the hero under some stress, testing his mettle, as they say.
7. the approach to the inmost cave—the hero comes to the edge of a dangerous place, the enemy’s headquarters for
example. it is the most dangerous spot in the special world, and the hero often pauses on the edge to plan and
prepare.
8. the supreme ordeal—this is a “black moment” for the hero because he hits rock bottom in a direct confrontation
with his greatest fear. the enemy brings with him the possibility of death, physical or emotional. the hero’s chances
look bleak. it sounds as if it would be the climax of the story, but it’s not.
9. reward—the hero, having survived the supreme ordeal, grabs the treasure. this treasure is seldom what you might
think of first: it is often simply knowledge or experience. in early tales it might be a magic sword or elixir (healing
potion).
10. the road back—this sounds like the end, but it is the beginning of the third and final act. the hero is pursued by
whatever foes he did not vanquish earlier as he leaves the special world and tries to return to the ordinary world.
11. resurrection—the hero must be purified for return to the ordinary world by surviving one last ordeal of death.
heroes transform or change as a consequence of their adventures.
12. return with the elixir—the hero returns to the ordinary world a changed person with something beneficial. the
elixir with its power to heal is seldom an actual potion. a lesson learned about life if often what the hero brings back
from his adventure.
for each stage of the archetypal journey, find an example from the either sundiata or ramayana. include page numbers with your explanations.
stage of the journey story example page #
ordinary world
call to adventure
refusal
mentor
1st threshold
tests, enemies, allies
supreme ordeal