The Myth, the Hero, and
the Epic
Mr. Hill
Pre-AP English I
The Myth
Abstract reality
Religious communication of pagan
history
Specific accounts of gods and
heroes
Falsehood or fable
Mythology
The study of myth and/or
forsaken mythos
Mythos
A belief system (usually one still
practiced)
Mythos
Two broad approaches to the
study of Myth:
– Comparative: the comparison of
similarities and differences between
or among belief systems
– Particularist: breaking down
individual myth systems and
analyzing them
Functions of Myth
Instills a sense of awe and/or
mystery
Explains the world
Maintains a culture‟s social
order/identity
Categories of Myth
Pure Myth:
– A form of primitive science that uses
religious stories or explain
phenomenon and nature as/well/as
demonstrates man‟s relationship to
God or the gods. Often it answers
the big “why” questions.
Categories of Myth
Heroic Myth
– Involve primitive forms of history;
the most important function of
heroic myth is the establishment of
a glorious past for a people and to
set forth the near-perfect example
of how they should live (teaches
values)
Archetype & the
Collective Unconscious
Brought into literary criticism by Carl
Jung (Swiss Psychologist)
– Holds that, behind each individual‟s
„unconscious‟ (the blocked-off residue of
the past) lies the „collective unconscious‟
of the human race (the blocked-off
memory of our racial past, even of our
pre-human experience.
Archetype & the
Collective Unconscious
This unconscious racial memory makes
powerfully effective for us a group of
„primordial images‟ shaped by the
repeated experience of our ancestors
and expressed in myths, religion,
dreams, fantasies, and literature.
Archetype
So therefore, a reader would use the
term archetype for any image or
pattern or character type that occurs
frequently in literature, myth, religion,
folklore. It would evoke a strong
response in us.
Archetype
Examples: the cruel stepmother; the
half human, half animal creature; the
beautiful garden; the hero; the beast
who yearns for the love a a beauty;
the fall from innocence and initiation
into life.
Character Archetypes
Hero: Embodies the values of a
society and gives an example for
proper behavior
Hero: the Primitive Hero
Usually a slayer of monsters or
other ghastly menaces
Hero: the Primitive Hero
Examples: Beowulf, Conan, Ripley
from Alien
Hero: the Warrior Hero
Fights for personal glory and/or a
dying or doomed culture or cause
– Has no fear of death
– Lives by a rigid code of conduct
– Seeks to create or revive a society
Hero: the Warrior Hero
Examples:
– Achilles
– Rambo
– King Arthur
– Hercules
– William Wallace?
Hero: the Metaphysical
Hero
On a quest for enlightenment or
an unusual, very spiritual journey.
The conflict is against himself as
he conquers selfish urges and
undergoes great temptation.
Hero: the Metaphysical
Hero
Examples from fiction?
Examples from history?
Common Hero Patterns
Born under unusual circumstances
Son/daughter of a great king or deity
Marked for greatness by prophesy or
physical trait
While young-exiled or placed in harm‟s
way in an attempt to be killed
Common Hero Patterns
Must prove his “royal” claim by test or
trial
Accomplishes great deeds for his
people
Mysterious or ambiguous death
A suggestion or promise that the hero
will someday return to reward or
rescue
Other Archetypes
Helpers
– The hero‟s “sidekick;” usually has
his own abilities but somehow lacks
the necessary traits of being a hero
himself.
Other Archetypes
Mentor
–“wise old man”; gives the hero
wisdom and often has trained
for helped the hero develop his
abilities
Other Archetypes
Good (or Earth) Mother
– Opposite the Femme Fatale; she
possess all the positive aspects of
life (protection, warmth, nurturing,
sustenance).
Other Archetypes
Femme Fatale
– “Deadly Lady”; a temptress who
seeks to destroy the Hero or keep
him from completing this mission
(often is truly attracted to the hero
and vice versa).
Other Archetypes
Father Figure
– Represents all that the hero is trying
to attain or find in his search
– Or
– Possess or is involved in a secret
that can change the hero‟s destiny
Other Archetypes
Trickster
– Many times a “helper” to the hero
– Although he/she may often cause
problems or “mess things up,”
he/she does not want to hurt the
hero.
Other Archetypes
Nemesis
– The hero‟s “sworn enemy” who
oftentimes is the reason for many of
the hero‟s trials, adventures, and
temptations.
– The nemesis is a perfect adversary
for the hero, usually evenly matched
in ability yet opposite in
temperament or values.
Other Archetypes
Nemesis
– He hero can never seem to destroy
his nemesis; he merely banishes or
imprisons him for a short time.
The Hero’s Journey
Three Stages (after separation)
– Departure
– Initiation
– Return
The Hero’s Journey
Departure
– The Call to Adventure
– Refusal of the Call
– Supernatural Aid
– Crossing the Threshold
– The Belly of the Whale
Departure
The Call to Adventure
– The hero‟s impulse to embark upon the
journey
– May reject the call
– Encounters a helper (who sometimes has
a magical charm, supernatural aid) to aid
in the quest
Departure
Crossing the Threshold
– Hero must pass from the safety of the
ordinary world into a hazardous realm of
the unknown, such as a desert, jungle, or
an alien land (the belly of the whale)
Departure
The Belly of the Whale
– A “shadow presence” guards the entrance
tot his dark realm.
– The hero can only cross the threshold by
defeating the shadow presence or by
confronting death in some way.
– The confrontation may take the form or a
real or symbolic dismemberment
– It always ends in either the hero‟s
transformation
The Hero’s Journey
Initiation
– Road of Trials
– Meeting with the Goddess
– Temptation
– Atonement with the Father Figure
– Reward
– The Ultimate Boon
Initiation
The Road of Trials
– Tests and ordeals
Meeting with goddess
Tempted by evil temptress
Passes the Supreme test
Initiation
Atonement with the Father Figure
– The hero reconciles/makes
amends/reunites with the father
figure
Initiation
Reward-A hero is rewarded with:
A marriage
Recognition by a deity
Transformation into a deity
(Apotheosis)
Attainment of a miraculous elixir
Initiation
The Ultimate Boon
– After receiving the reward, the hero
wins an important victory
The Hero’s Journey
The Return
– Refusal of the Return
– The Magical Flight
– Rescue from Without
– Crossing of the Threshold
– Master of Two Worlds
– Freedom to Live
The Epic
Long story told in elevated language
(usually poetry), which relates the
great deeds of a larger-than-life hero
who embodies the values of a
particular society.
– Most epics include elements of myth,
legend, folk tale, and history.
– Tone is serious and language is grand