What is the Hero's Journey?

The Hero's Journey is a narrative pattern that describes the stages a hero goes through in a story, including a call to adventure, trials, and transformation.

Who identified the Hero's Journey?

Joseph Campbell identified the Hero's Journey and wrote about it in his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces."

Can you give examples of characters that follow the Hero's Journey?

Examples include Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo Baggins.

What are the key stages of the Hero's Journey?

Key stages include the call to adventure, assistance, departure, trials, crisis, treasure, return, and resolution.

How does the Hero's Journey relate to real life?

The Hero's Journey reflects personal challenges and transformations that individuals face in their own lives.

What does Joseph Campbell say about fear?

Joseph Campbell said, "In the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek."

How can I recognize the Hero's Journey in stories?

Look for the pattern of the hero's call to adventure, challenges faced, and eventual transformation.

What should I do when I hear my call to adventure?

Accept the challenge, conquer your fear, and claim the treasure you seek.

What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler

00:04:34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Summary

TLDRThe video explores the Hero's Journey, a narrative framework identified by Joseph Campbell, which outlines the stages heroes undergo in stories. It begins with the hero's ordinary world, followed by a call to adventure, assistance from mentors, departure into a special world, trials, a crisis, and ultimately a return to the ordinary world transformed. Using examples from popular culture, the video illustrates how these stages are present in characters like Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen. It encourages viewers to recognize this journey in their own lives and to embrace personal challenges as part of their own heroic narratives.

Takeaways

🦸‍♂️ The Hero's Journey is a universal narrative pattern.
📚 Joseph Campbell studied myths worldwide.
🚀 Key stages include call to adventure and trials.
🧙‍♂️ Characters like Harry Potter embody this journey.
🌍 The journey reflects personal challenges in life.
💪 Embrace your fears to find your treasure.
🎭 Recognize the Hero's Journey in stories you enjoy.
🔄 Life is a cycle of challenges and transformations.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:04:34
The video discusses the concept of the Hero's Journey, a narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell in his book 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces.' It outlines the stages of the journey, which begins in the hero's ordinary world and transitions to a special world filled with challenges. Key stages include the Call to Adventure, Assistance, Departure, Trials, Approach, Crisis, Treasure, Result, Return, New Life, and Resolution. The video uses examples from popular stories like 'Harry Potter,' 'The Hunger Games,' and others to illustrate how these narratives follow the Hero's Journey template, emphasizing that this myth exists across all human cultures and reflects our own life experiences. It encourages viewers to recognize their own calls to adventure and to confront their fears in pursuit of personal growth.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What is the Hero's Journey?
The Hero's Journey is a narrative pattern that describes the stages a hero goes through in a story, including a call to adventure, trials, and transformation.
Who identified the Hero's Journey?
Joseph Campbell identified the Hero's Journey and wrote about it in his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces."
Can you give examples of characters that follow the Hero's Journey?
Examples include Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo Baggins.
What are the key stages of the Hero's Journey?
Key stages include the call to adventure, assistance, departure, trials, crisis, treasure, return, and resolution.
How does the Hero's Journey relate to real life?
The Hero's Journey reflects personal challenges and transformations that individuals face in their own lives.
What does Joseph Campbell say about fear?
Joseph Campbell said, "In the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek."
How can I recognize the Hero's Journey in stories?
Look for the pattern of the hero's call to adventure, challenges faced, and eventual transformation.
What should I do when I hear my call to adventure?
Accept the challenge, conquer your fear, and claim the treasure you seek.

View more video summaries

Get instant access to free YouTube video summaries powered by AI!

Subtitles

Auto Scroll:

00:00:00
Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar
00:00:13
What do Harry Potter,
00:00:15
Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo
00:00:17
all have in common with the heroes of ancient myths?
00:00:20
(Roar)
00:00:21
What if I told you they are all variants of the same hero?
00:00:25
Do you believe that?
00:00:27
Joseph Campbell did.
00:00:28
He studied myths from all over the world and published a book called
00:00:32
"The Hero with a Thousand Faces,"
00:00:34
retelling dozens of stories
00:00:36
and explaining how each represents the mono-myth,
00:00:39
or Hero's Journey.
00:00:42
So, what is the "hero's journey"?
00:00:44
Think of it as a cycle.
00:00:46
The journey begins and ends in a hero's ordinary world,
00:00:50
but the quest passes through an unfamiliar, special world.
00:00:55
Along the way, there are some key events.
00:00:57
Think about your favorite book or movie.
00:01:00
Does it follow this pattern?
00:01:03
Status quo, that's where we start.
00:01:07
1:00: Call to Adventure.
00:01:09
The hero receives a mysterious message.
00:01:12
An invitation, a challenge?
00:01:14
2:00: Assistance
00:01:16
The hero needs some help, probably from someone older, wiser.
00:01:21
3:00: Departure
00:01:22
The hero crosses the threshold from his normal, safe home,
00:01:26
and enters the special world and adventure.
00:01:29
We're not in Kansas anymore.
00:01:30
4:00: Trials
00:01:32
Being a hero is hard work:
00:01:34
our hero solves a riddle,
00:01:35
slays a monster,
00:01:36
escapes from a trap.
00:01:39
5:00: Approach
00:01:41
It's time to face the biggest ordeal, the hero's worst fear.
00:01:46
(Roar)
00:01:48
6:00: Crisis
00:01:50
This is the hero's darkest hour.
00:01:52
He faces death and possibly even dies,
00:01:55
only to be reborn.
00:01:58
7:00: Treasure
00:02:00
(Roar)
00:02:02
As a result, the hero claims some treasure,
00:02:05
special recognition, or power.
00:02:08
8:00: Result
00:02:09
This can vary between stories.
00:02:12
Do the monsters bow down before the hero,
00:02:14
or do they chase him as he flees from the special world?
00:02:18
9:00: Return
00:02:20
After all that adventure, the hero returns to his ordinary world.
00:02:25
10:00: New Life
00:02:27
This quest has changed the hero; he has outgrown his old life.
00:02:32
11:00: Resolution
00:02:34
All the tangled plot lines get straightened out.
00:02:38
12:00: Status Quo,
00:02:40
but upgraded to a new level.
00:02:42
Nothing is quite the same once you are a hero.
00:02:45
Many popular books and movies
00:02:47
follow this ancient formula pretty closely.
00:02:50
But let's see how well "The Hunger Games" fits the hero's journey template.
00:02:53
When does Katniss Everdeen hear her call to adventure
00:02:56
that gets the story moving?
00:02:57
When her sister's name is called from the lottery.
00:03:01
How about assistance?
00:03:03
Is anyone going to help her on her adventure?
00:03:05
Haymitch.
00:03:06
What about departure?
00:03:08
Does she leave her ordinary world?
00:03:10
She gets on a train to the capital.
00:03:12
OK, so you get the idea.
00:03:14
What do you have in common with Harry Potter,
00:03:16
Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo?
00:03:18
Well, you're human, just like them.
00:03:21
The Hero's Journey myth exists in all human cultures
00:03:24
and keeps getting updated,
00:03:26
because we humans reflect on our world
00:03:28
through symbolic stories of our own lives.
00:03:33
You leave your comfort zone,
00:03:35
have an experience that transforms you,
00:03:37
and then you recover and do it again.
00:03:40
You don't literally slay dragons or fight Voldemort,
00:03:43
but you face problems just as scary.
00:03:46
Joseph Campbell said,
00:03:47
"In the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek."
00:03:52
What is the symbolic cave you fear to enter?
00:03:55
Auditions for the school play?
00:03:57
Baseball tryouts?
00:03:59
Love?
00:04:00
Watch for this formula in books, movies, and TV shows you come across.
00:04:04
You will certainly see it again.
00:04:06
But also be sensitive to it in your own life.
00:04:09
Listen for your call to adventure.
00:04:12
Accept the challenge.
00:04:13
Conquer your fear and claim the treasure you seek.
00:04:17
And then,
00:04:18
do it all over again.