The Odyssey And Joseph Campbell's Monomyth

Words: 566

Pages: 3

In around 750 BCE, Homer created one of the greatest works of all time; the Odyssey. Not only did this epic poem set the standard for modern day poets, but also generated a guideline for movies. Joseph Campbell analysed the structure of the Odyssey, and created a monomyth; that consists of 12 stages and 7 archetypes. In most of the popular films, there has been an obvious correlation between their plots and Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, such as in the movie Despicable me. One part of the movie that strongly relates to the monomyth is the ”Mentor.” According to the monomyth, the mentor provides guidance for the hero. In the movie Despicable Me, the main character Gru starts out as a notorious villain. A new criminal, Vector, steals a pyramid,

Show More

The Role Of The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

is so interesting about a hero going on a journey that has captured people's interest for a millennium? For example, In the book The Odyssey written by Homer millennium, ago follows a rule that many of the modern books follow today. The Odyssey and so many other books follow a principal created by Joseph Campbell called a monomyth or the hero's journey. The Odyssey was about how a war hero named Odysseus takes ten years to get home and while he is on his way home he is faced with many great challenges…

Words 649 - Pages 3

Archetypes In Homer's The Odyssey

universal patterns of human nature” – literary devices The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem, sequel to the Iliad, written in the 8th century BCE by Homer. The Odyssey is based on the epic hero ‘Odysseus’, who has a ten-year journey to Ithaca as he struggles to return home following the Trojan War. Throughout Odysseus’ journey, we are shown various archetypes. Archetypes focus on recurring myths and beliefs that are portrayed in a text. The Odyssey contains various types of archetypal characters, Odysseus…

Words 1418 - Pages 6

A Melodious Journey In The Film 'O Brother Where Art Thou'

A Melodious Journey O Brother, Where Art Thou is a film directed by Ethan and Joel Coen and is based on the Odyssey. The film follows Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, especially the stages of departure, initiation and return. These stages are demonstrated by the main characters, Ulysses, Pete and Delmar. The film uses music to develop the stages and guides the journey. The journey begins with the group escaping a chain gang and unknowingly recording a song, and throughout their journey they cause plenty…

Words 633 - Pages 3

The Hero's Journey of the Odyssey Essay

burdensome. Heroes come and go too quickly for people to look into their journeys and learn from them. And that is a reason why monomyths, or the hero’s journey exists. These myths are recorded, so these heroes will stay put, allowing the readers or the listeners to get an insight on heroes. Heroes exist in different times and spaces, but they are similar in many ways. Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, is an expert in this field and has analyzed thousands of heroic stories. From him the definition…

Words 1570 - Pages 7

The Hero With A Thousand Faces Analysis

American scholar Joseph Campbell, a mythologist, lecturer and writer, had introduced the concepts of the Hero’s Journey. Joseph Campbell studied myth and made claims that in nearly all myths, the hero's’ adventures are identical in their format. The different stages of adventure turned out to be called the “Hero’s Journey”. According to Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey forms the basic template for all great stories. These stories are somehow important to readers since they are always huge inspirations…

Words 1106 - Pages 5

Odyssey Hero's Journey

While the famous stories of Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, and Luke Skywalker appear to be vastly different, they are actually the same storylines substituted with different characters. Each film follows Joseph Campbell’s guidelines of a monomyth, which describes the hero’s journey in all successful plots. According to Campbell, a hero must first receive a call to adventure, refuse it initially, and then cross a threshold from his or her ordinary world into the special realm. There the protagonist…

Words 1542 - Pages 7