the odyssey hero's journey summary

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Odysseus Hero's Journey in Homer's Odyssey

In this activity, activity overview, template and class instructions, more storyboard that activities, this activity is part of many teacher guides.

Related to both plot diagram and types of literary conflict, the "Hero’s Journey" is a recurring pattern of stages that the hero encounters over the course of their stories. Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, articulated this cycle after researching and reviewing numerous myths and stories from a variety of time periods and regions of the world. He found that they all share fundamental principles. This spawned the Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. The most fundamental version has 12 steps that the hero faces, while more detailed versions can have up to 17.

Teachers may wish for students to collaborate on this activity which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature. This can help cut down on the time it takes to complete the entire storyboard while also helping students to develop communication, self-management and leadership skills. Teachers can enable collaboration for the assignment and students can either choose their partner(s) or have one chosen for them. It is suggested that since the Hero's Journey storyboard is 12 cells, it is best if completed by students in groups of 2, 3 or 4.

Odysseus Hero's Journey Example

Hero’s journey project examples and more ideas for the odyssey.

Creating a storyboard that illustrates each of Odysseus’ hero’s journey steps is engaging and creative. However, there are lots of other ways for students to show what they have learned about Odysseus’ monomyth! Check out some of our ideas below:

• Using the timeline layout, make a timeline of Odysseus’ epic journey. You don’t need to include the 12 stages of the hero’s journey for this activity, but be sure to include events in chronological order.
• Create a the hero’s journey chart for another character in literature that you have read and compare that journey to Odysseus' journey. Use our blank template as the hero’s journey graphic organizer to help you plan.
• Make a map of Odysseus’ journey.
• Using one of Storyboard That’s board game templates , create a game based on Odysseus’ hero’s journey for your classmates to play! Think about the setting of the story and use that as the theme of your game.
• Using one of Storyboard That’s biography poster templates, create a poster about the story’s hero, Odysseus.

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Use the story of The Odyssey and map it to the narrative structure of the Hero's Journey. This can be done in place of The Odyssey plot diagram.

• Depict and describe how the chosen character's story fits (or does not fit ) into each of the stages of the Hero's Journey.
• Finalize images, edit, and proofread your work.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-10

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: The Hero's Journey

• [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
• [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/5] Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise
• [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/6] Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric .)

How To Encourage Collaboration in Activities

Establish specific goals and objectives, make diverse teams, organize brainstorming sessions, set roles and responsibilities, offer rewards and incentives, reflect and learn, frequently asked questions about odysseus hero's journey, what is the call to adventure in the odyssey .

In The Odyssey , Odysseus’ call to adventure is that he is called to fight the Trojans by King Menelaus.

How does The Odyssey follow the hero’s journey?

The Odyssey hero’s journey follows the 12 steps perfectly. Odysseus is called to adventure, causing him to leave his hometown, and must conquer many challenges and obstacles during his epic journey. Eventually, he makes his journey home after his supreme ordeal.

What is the hero’s journey in The Odyssey ?

Odysseus’ journey begins when he is called to fight in the Trojan War. He goes through all 12 stages of the hero’s journey during Homer’s incredible tale of adventure.

How does Odysseus escape the cyclops cave?

This was one of the many obstacles that Odysseus’ faced, because the blind Polyphemus felt the backs of all the sheep when they left the cave to make sure the men were not riding on them. To escape and continue his journey back, Odysseus and his men tied themselves underneath the sheep to hide from the cyclops.

Odyssey, The

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The Odyssey Summary and Analysis

Home » Literature Explained – Literary Synopses and Book Summaries » The Odyssey » The Odyssey Summary and Analysis

The Odyssey Summary – Introduction

The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the celebrated Greek poet in approximately 700 B.C. The companion poem to The Odyssey is The Iliad which was published around 750 B.C. This work follows the brave and famed hero, Odysseus, who is trapped far away from his family with the nymph Calypso.

Held hostage out of obsessive love, Odysseus is unable to return home to his family in Ithaca. In his absence, a team of suitors take up residence at his palace and attempt to court his wife and murder his son, usurping Odysseus’s rulership. However, the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus intervene on his behalf and after a series of trials and grand adventures, he is able to return home and restore order.

Literary Elements

Type of Work: Poem

Genres: Epic  

Published Date: Unknown, but estimated to be written around the year 700 B.C.  

Setting: Greece during what is known as the Bronze Age, twelfth/thirteenth century B.C.  

Main Characters: Odysseus, Telemachus, Athena, Penelope

Protagonist/Hero: Odysseus

Antagonist: Many monsters and evil forces threaten Odysseus’s journey back home. A mob of evil suitors waits for him at home, pillaging his palace and trying to court his wife and murder his son.  

Major Thematic Elements: The power of the mind over physical strengths; the dangers of temptation; the dangers of isolation; how maturity comes from trials and triumphs  

Motifs: Characters in disguise; storytelling traditions; temptress characters

Exposition: It has been 10 years since the fall of Troy and the people of Ithaca are still awaiting the return of their hero, Odysseus. A mob of suitors have overrun his palace and are courting his wife, Penelope. However, she does everything she can to remain faithful to her husband, believing he will return, despite their plots to take control of Odysseus’s kingdom by any means necessary.

Conflict: Odysseus has to get home to get rid of the suitors who are trying to win over his wife and take control of his kingdom. His son, Telemachus, is faced with the need to mature early to protect his family’s honor and to secure his place as ruler of Ithaca should his father not return home.

Plot: Chronological, jumping between Odysseus’s current location and his home in Ithaca

Major Symbols: Food and feasts; Odysseus’s bow; characterizations of temptation

Climax: The beggar in the palace reveals his identity as Odysseus in Book 22.

Literary Significance of The Odyssey

Furthermore, audiences of all ages throughout the millennia have enjoyed stories in which brave heroes face insurmountable challenges and then preserve. The thematic elements of The Odyssey speak to the triumph of good over evil and that even a human man can withstand temptations and persevere until he is reunited with what is important to him. This speaks to the boldness of the human spirit, which is always a winning idea in literature. Historically speaking, the poem also conveys a nice peak at the values that were important to ancient Greeks.

Homer’s Odyssey Summary

However, Odysseus is still alive and is being kept from returning home by the nymph Calypso. She has fallen into an obsessive love for the brave hero and is keeping him captive on her island, Ogygia. Although he wants to return home to his family, he has no way to take on the journey, being utterly alone and without a crew to help him sail.

While Odysseus is held captive, the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus are debating his fate. His strongest supporter in Mount Olympus is the goddess Athena. She decides she will take the charge to protect his son, Telemachus. She arrives to Odysseus’s palace disguised as a friend of Telemachus’ grandfather, Laertes. She convinces Telemachus to call an assembly during which he will condemn the mob of suitors. Afterwards, he is convinced to embark on a journey to appeal to some powerful friends of Odysseus, the kings Pylos and Menelaus, of Pylos and Sparta. Through his travels, he learns that Odysseus is alive and well, but trapped on Ogygia. While Telemachus returns home, Antinous and the other suitors are preparing to ambush and kill him as he returns to port in Ithaca.

He spends the night telling them of his travels and all the interesting creatures and foes he met along the way. When he finishes, they make good on their promise and deliver him safely home. For safety, Athena has disguised him as a lowly beggar upon his arrival. His old friend Eumaeus receives him warmly, unaware of his true identity. Before long, he encounters his son and reveals his true identity to him. Telemachus was able to survive the ambush of the suitors and the two work together to plan a massacre of the suitors and regain control of the palace.

The next day, Odysseus shows up at the palace, still disguised as the beggar. Although he is mocked and abused by most of the people present in the palace, his wife, Penelope, takes interest in him and suspects he may be more than what he seems. Picking up on the fact that this beggar may be her husband in disguise, she decides to organize an archery contest the following day. She promises to marry any man who is able to string Odysseus’s bow and accurately shoot an arrow through a row of twelve axes. During the contest, none of the suitors are able to make this happen. Odysseus takes up the task, still under disguise. He turns his bow on the suitors and Telemachus leaps into action and together they kill each suitor.

After this is accomplished, Odysseus reveals his identity to who is left at the palace. He is able to reunite with his wife, and then he visits his father, Laertes. The family members come to attack them, consumed with thoughts of vengeance. Laertes, however, is so overjoyed at his son’s return that he musters the energy to fend off the attackers. Once again, Athena arrives to restore peace after these long trials. Finally, Odysseus is able to control full power of his kingdom once more and to be peacefully reunited with his family.

The Odyssey

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The Hero's Journey in The Odyssey: How Odysseus Transforms the Mythical Landscape

05.14.2023 // By Tome Tailor

The Odyssey, an epic poem by the ancient Greek poet Homer, tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his long and perilous journey home after the fall of Troy. This classic work is a masterpiece of world literature and one of the earliest examples of the hero’s journey archetype. In The Odyssey, Homer not only portrays Odysseus as a heroic, courageous figure, but also as a symbol of resilience and transformation. In this blog post, we will explore how The Odyssey is a prime example of the hero’s journey in literature, and how Odysseus’ character enriches the mythical landscape of the classical Greek world.

The Hero’s Journey in The Odyssey

According to schorlar Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey is a narrative pattern present in many myths and stories from various cultures around the world. It consists of twelve stages that the hero goes through in their quest for transformation or knowledge. In The Odyssey, Odysseus undertakes this journey, and his experiences transform not only himself but also the mythical world in which he lives.

Here are the twelve stages of the hero’s journey as they appear in The Odyssey:

The Ordinary World : Before his journey, Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and a brave, respected warrior. However, he is also proud and arrogant, traits that lead to the beginning of his troubles on his journey home from Troy.

The Call to Adventure : Odysseus receives the call to adventure when he sets sail to fight in the Trojan War. This act marks the beginning of his journey, thrusting him into a realm of danger and uncertainty.

Refusal of the Call : Unlike many other heroes, Odysseus does not refuse the call to adventure. Instead, his hubris and arrogance lead him to believe he can outsmart the gods and make his journey home without their help or interference.

Meeting with the Mentor : Though Odysseus does not have a singular mentor figure, he encounters various characters throughout his journey who provide him with guidance and assistance, such as the god Hermes, the enchantress Circe, and the blind prophet Tiresias.

Crossing the Threshold : Odysseus crosses the threshold into a new and unknown world when he and his crew become lost at sea and are destined to wander for a decade before returning home.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies : Throughout his journey, Odysseus faces various tests and trials. Some of these include battling the Cyclops Polyphemus, resisting the enchanting Sirens, and escaping the clutches of the sea monster Scylla.

Approach to the Inmost Cave : The inmost cave can be seen as the island of the goddess Calypso, where Odysseus is held captive for seven years. Here, he is forced to confront his deepest fears and desires, ultimately realizing the importance of returning home to his family.

The Ordeal : Odysseus’ ordeal is likely his journey to the Underworld to consult the prophet Tiresias. In this dark, terrifying place, he gains crucial insights about himself and his journey’s purpose.

Reward : After his ordeal, Odysseus receives help from the gods to make his way home. They assist him in overcoming the final challenges that stand in his way, such as Poseidon’s wrath and the suitors who have taken over his palace.

The Road Back : The road back is marked by Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, where he must reclaim his throne and restore order to his kingdom.

The Resurrection : Odysseus is ultimately transformed by his journey, having learned humility, patience, and wisdom. With the help of Athena, he defeats the suitors and reclaims his throne, symbolizing his rebirth as a just and rightful ruler.

Return with the Elixir : As king, Odysseus uses the lessons he has learned on his journey to create a more balanced, harmonious kingdom. He has not only transformed himself but has also altered the mythical landscape of Ithaca.

In The Odyssey, Homer masterfully tells the story of a hero’s journey that transcends time and culture. Through his transformation, Odysseus becomes a symbol of resilience and change. His journey home can serve as an inspiration for readers today, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, we too can overcome challenges and grow as individuals.

If you haven’t yet read The Odyssey, consider picking up a copy to experience Odysseus’ transformative journey for yourself. Several translations are available, including the celebrated translations by Robert Fagles View on Amazon and Emily Wilson View on Amazon .

To explore similar works of classical literature, consider checking out the Iliad View on Amazon , also by Homer, which tells the story of the Trojan War and is deeply intertwined with the events of The Odyssey.

If you’re interested in learning more about the hero’s journey, consider reading Joseph Campbell’s seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces View on Amazon , which analyzes the patterns and archetypes found in myths and stories from around the world.

Lastly, if you’re ready to dive into the world of Odysseus, purchase The Odyssey View on Amazon and experience this epic journey for yourself.

Recommended Articles:

• Discover the Epic Tales: In-Depth Guide to The Odyssey by Homer
• 5 Essential Themes in The Odyssey: Uncover the Depth of Homer’s Epic
• Understanding Greek Mythology: The Gods and Heroes of The Odyssey
• 5 Books Like The Odyssey: Epic Stories of Adventure and Self-Discovery
• Women in The Odyssey: The Roles and Influence of Female Characters

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Home — Guides — The Odyssey — Journey of the Odyssey: review and analysis of the plot

Plot summary

• Introduction
• All Plot summary
• Full Summary
• By Sections
• All Characters
• Hospitality
• Pride and Temptation
• Fate and Free Will
• All Literary Devices
• By Character
• All Infographics
• Character Map
• Odysseus Strengths and Weaknesses
• Hero’s Journey
• Biography of author

The Odyssey: Plot Summary

Table of contents, full book summary, plot summary by chapters.

The Odyssey tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.

The poem begins with Odysseus’ son Telemachus, who is living on the island of Ithaca with his mother Penelope and a host of unwelcome suitors who are vying for her hand in marriage. Telemachus is distraught over his father’s absence, and he sets out on a journey to find him. Meanwhile, Odysseus is stranded on the island of Ogygia, where he has been held captive by the nymph Calypso for seven years.

With the help of the goddess Athena, Telemachus travels to Pylos and Sparta, where he seeks advice from the wise king Nestor and the beautiful queen Helen, respectively. Meanwhile, Odysseus is finally released from Calypso’s grasp and begins his journey home. However, he faces many obstacles along the way, including the wrath of Poseidon, who is angry with him for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus.

Odysseus and his men are also confronted by the sorceress Circe, who turns some of them into pigs, and by the Sirens, whose enchanting songs lure sailors to their deaths. They narrowly avoid disaster when they pass through the narrow straits of Scylla and Charybdis, and they land on the island of Thrinacia, where they are warned not to harm the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios.

However, Odysseus’ men ignore the warning and slaughter the cattle, incurring the wrath of the gods. As punishment, they are shipwrecked and all but Odysseus are killed. He washes up on the island of the nymph Calypso, where he is held captive for seven years.

Eventually, the gods intervene and Hermes is sent to order Calypso to release Odysseus. With the help of the sea god Poseidon, Odysseus builds a raft and sets out to sea. He is shipwrecked again, this time on the island of the Phaeacians, where he is welcomed by the king and queen and tells them his story. They are so moved by his tale that they offer to help him return to Ithaca.

The Phaeacians provide Odysseus with a ship and a crew, and they set sail for Ithaca. However, when they arrive, Odysseus is still disguised as a beggar, and he must devise a plan to defeat the suitors and regain his throne. With the help of his son Telemachus, the goddess Athena, and his loyal swineherd Eumaeus, Odysseus is able to defeat the suitors and reclaim his kingdom.

The Odyssey: Book 1 Summary

Book 1 of The Odyssey opens with the Greek gods in council on Mount Olympus. The goddess Athena, a fierce champion of Odysseus, pleads with Zeus to intervene and free the hero from Calypso’s island. Zeus agrees and sends the messenger god Hermes to order Calypso to release Odysseus. Meanwhile, Odysseus has been stranded on the island for seven years, longing to return to his wife Penelope and their home in Ithaca. The book also introduces Odysseus’ son Telemachus, who is struggling to maintain control of their home while fending off the suitors who are courting his mother. Athena disguises herself as a family friend and visits Telemachus, urging him to find out what happened to his father and to confront the suitors. The book ends with Telemachus setting sail for Pylos to seek information about his father’s fate.

The Odyssey: Book 2 Summary

Book 2 of The Odyssey begins with Telemachus arriving in Pylos and being welcomed by King Nestor. Nestor tells Telemachus of his own experiences in the Trojan War and of the bravery of Odysseus. However, Nestor is unable to offer any information about Odysseus’ whereabouts, and Telemachus sets out for Sparta to visit King Menelaus, another veteran of the Trojan War. Menelaus and his wife Helen give Telemachus a warm welcome and tell him more tales of Odysseus’ bravery. Menelaus also reveals that he has recently seen the prophet Proteus, who informed him that Odysseus is still alive and being held captive by the goddess Calypso. Telemachus is heartened by this news and returns to Ithaca with a renewed sense of purpose. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, the suitors plot against Telemachus, believing that he is a threat to their plans to win Penelope’s hand in marriage.

The Odyssey: Book 3 Summary

Book 3 of The Odyssey sees Telemachus arriving in Pylos and being welcomed by King Nestor. Nestor tells Telemachus of his own experiences in the Trojan War and of the bravery of Odysseus. However, Nestor is unable to offer any information about Odysseus’ whereabouts, and Telemachus sets out for Sparta to visit King Menelaus, another veteran of the Trojan War. Menelaus and his wife Helen give Telemachus a warm welcome and tell him more tales of Odysseus’ bravery. Menelaus also reveals that he has recently seen the prophet Proteus, who informed him that Odysseus is still alive and being held captive by the goddess Calypso. Telemachus is heartened by this news and returns to Ithaca with a renewed sense of purpose. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, the suitors plot against Telemachus, believing that he is a threat to their plans to win Penelope’s hand in marriage.

The Odyssey: Book 4 Summary

Book 4 of The Odyssey begins with Telemachus returning to Ithaca and seeking out the help of his father’s loyal friend, the swineherd Eumaeus. Together, they hatch a plan to confront the suitors and restore order to their home. Meanwhile, Athena travels to Sparta to persuade Telemachus to return home. She disguises herself as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus, and gives Telemachus a warning about the suitors’ plans to ambush him upon his return. She then urges him to return home and take action against the suitors. Telemachus agrees and sets sail for Ithaca. Upon his arrival, he is greeted by Eumaeus, who brings him to the palace to confront the suitors. The book ends with Telemachus meeting with Penelope and reassuring her that he will protect their home and honor his father’s legacy. Meanwhile, Odysseus remains trapped on Calypso’s island, longing to return home to his wife and son.

The Odyssey: Book 5 Summary

Book 5 of The Odyssey begins with Zeus ordering the release of Odysseus from Calypso’s island. The goddess reluctantly agrees and provides Odysseus with the tools and materials he needs to build a raft to escape. As he sets sail, Poseidon, the god of the sea, unleashes a storm that destroys Odysseus’ raft and nearly drowns him. However, the goddess Ino appears to him and gives him a magical veil that will keep him safe in the water. Odysseus manages to swim to the island of the Phaeacians, where he is rescued by the princess Nausicaa and brought to her father’s court. There, he is welcomed and treated as a guest, and he begins to tell the story of his adventures to his hosts.

The Odyssey: Book 6 Summary

Book 6 of The Odyssey continues with Odysseus telling his story to the Phaeacians. He describes his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus, who nearly kills him and his men before they manage to blind him and escape. He then tells of his encounter with the sorceress Circe, who turns his men into pigs but is ultimately convinced by Odysseus to release them. He also tells of his journey to the underworld, where he speaks with the spirit of the prophet Tiresias and learns of the obstacles he will face on his journey home. The Phaeacians are fascinated by Odysseus’ tales and offer him gifts before sending him on his way. As he sets sail, he is once again guided by the goddess Ino, who helps him safely reach the island of Ithaca. There, he disguises himself as a beggar and seeks out the loyal swineherd Eumaeus, with whom he forms a plan to take on the suitors and reclaim his home.

The Odyssey: Book 7 Summary

Book 7 of The Odyssey begins with Odysseus being welcomed as a guest by the Phaeacians. The king, Alcinous, arranges for a feast and entertainment to honor his guest, including a performance by the blind bard Demodocus. As Odysseus listens to Demodocus’ song, he becomes emotional and reveals his true identity to the Phaeacians, recounting his many adventures and struggles on his journey home. The Phaeacians are moved by Odysseus’ story and offer to help him return home, providing him with a ship and supplies for his journey.

The Odyssey: Book 8 Summary

Book 8 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus departing from the land of the Phaeacians and making his way towards Ithaca. Along the way, he encounters the god Poseidon, who is still angry about Odysseus’ blinding of his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. However, the goddess Athena intervenes and guides Odysseus safely to Ithaca, where he disguises himself as a beggar and seeks out his loyal swineherd Eumaeus. Meanwhile, the suitors continue to plague Penelope and her household, and they plot to ambush and kill Telemachus upon his return to Ithaca. However, the goddess Athena intervenes and sends a sign to Penelope, reassuring her that her son will return safely. The book ends with Odysseus and Eumaeus devising a plan to take on the suitors and reclaim their home.

The Odyssey: Book 9 Summary

Book 9 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus and his men continuing their journey, facing new challenges and obstacles along the way. They land on the island of the Cyclops, where they encounter the giant Polyphemus. Despite Odysseus’ attempts to negotiate with Polyphemus, the Cyclops eats several of his men and traps the rest in his cave. Odysseus devises a plan to blind Polyphemus and escape, which he successfully carries out. However, as they sail away from the island, Odysseus taunts Polyphemus, revealing his true identity and earning the wrath of the Cyclops, who calls upon his father Poseidon to seek revenge.

The Odyssey: Book 10 Summary

Book 10 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus and his men facing new challenges and dangers as they continue their journey. They land on the island of Aeolus, who gives Odysseus a bag of winds to help him sail home. However, his men open the bag, releasing the winds and blowing them off course. They next land on the island of Circe, who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs. With the help of the god Hermes, Odysseus is able to resist Circe’s magic and convince her to release his men. They stay on the island for a year before Circe advises Odysseus to visit the underworld and seek guidance from the prophet Tiresias. There, he speaks with the spirits of several famous figures from Greek mythology, including his mother and Achilles. Tiresias warns him of the dangers he will face on his journey home and advises him to appease the gods with sacrifices upon his return. Odysseus and his men then make their way back to Circe’s island, where they stay for another year before finally setting sail once again.

The Odyssey: Book 11 Summary

Book 11 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus continuing his journey through the underworld, speaking with the spirits of famous figures from Greek mythology. He speaks with the prophet Tiresias, who warns him of the dangers he will face on his journey home and advises him to make sacrifices to the gods upon his return. He also speaks with the spirits of his mother, other famous heroes, and the shade of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who curses him. After leaving the underworld, Odysseus and his crew return to Circe’s island, where they stay for another year. She advises Odysseus to continue his journey, warning him of the dangers ahead. They then make their way to the island of the Sirens, who lure sailors to their deaths with their enchanting songs. Odysseus orders his crew to plug their ears with wax and ties himself to the mast so he can hear the Sirens’ song without being drawn to his death.

The Odyssey: Book 12 Summary

Book 12 of The Odyssey sees Odysseus facing new challenges and obstacles as he continues his journey home. They pass through the strait of Scylla and Charybdis, two dangerous sea monsters that threaten to capsize their ship. Odysseus loses several of his men to Scylla’s six heads, but they manage to escape and continue their journey. They then land on the island of Helios, where Odysseus’ men disobey his orders and kill the sacred cattle of the sun god. This angers Helios, who demands that Zeus punish Odysseus and his men. As they sail away from the island, Zeus sends a thunderbolt to destroy their ship, killing all of Odysseus’ men except for him. He washes up on the island of Calypso, where he is held captive for several years until the goddess Athena intervenes and convinces Zeus to allow him to return home. Hermes delivers the message to Calypso, who reluctantly agrees to release Odysseus and provide him with the materials to build a raft and sail back to Ithaca. The book ends with Odysseus setting sail and facing new challenges and dangers on his journey home.

The Odyssey: Book 13 Summary

Book 13 of The Odyssey begins with Odysseus finally making it back to Ithaca after his long journey. However, he does not reveal his identity to anyone and instead seeks the counsel of the swineherd Eumaeus, who offers him hospitality. Eumaeus tells Odysseus about the suitors who have taken over his palace and are courting his wife Penelope. Meanwhile, Athena disguises herself as a young man and visits Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, in Sparta to encourage him to return home and stand up to the suitors. Telemachus sets sail for Ithaca, and Athena guides him to the swineherd’s hut where he is reunited with his father. Odysseus reveals his true identity to his son, and they begin to plan their revenge against the suitors.

The Odyssey: Book 14 Summary

In Book 14 of The Odyssey, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and makes his way into his own palace to assess the situation with the suitors. He is mistreated by the suitors and ignored by his own servants, but his old nurse Eurycleia recognizes him by a scar on his leg. Odysseus threatens her with death if she reveals his identity, and she agrees to keep his secret. He also speaks briefly with Penelope, who is cautious but welcoming to the beggar. The suitors continue their feasting and revelry, and Odysseus begins to plot his revenge with Telemachus. Athena appears to Odysseus in the guise of a servant and urges him to take action against the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus plan to use the weapons in the storeroom to attack the suitors and regain control of the palace. The book ends with the arrival of a new suitor, who is treated poorly by the others and is insulted by the disguised Odysseus. The stage is set for the confrontation between Odysseus and the suitors.

The Odyssey: Book 15 Summary

In Book 15 of The Odyssey, Athena intervenes to encourage Telemachus to visit the swineherd’s hut and return home to confront the suitors. Telemachus takes Athena’s advice and visits the hut, where he meets his father Odysseus. They discuss their plan to take on the suitors and reclaim the palace. Odysseus reveals his true identity to Eumaeus, who is overjoyed to see his master returned after so many years. The next day, Odysseus and Telemachus travel to the palace and are met by the abusive suitors. They endure insults and violence, but they bide their time, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

The Odyssey: Book 16 Summary

In Book 16 of The Odyssey, Odysseus meets with his loyal swineherd Eumaeus and sends him back to the palace with a message for Penelope. Meanwhile, Telemachus returns to the palace and is greeted warmly by his mother. The suitors are angry that Telemachus has returned, but he stands his ground and warns them to leave his home. Athena appears to Penelope in a dream and encourages her to talk to the beggar in the palace, who is actually Odysseus in disguise. Penelope is hesitant, but she eventually talks to the beggar and is moved by his story of his supposed travels and hardships. She tests the beggar by offering him a place to sleep, and he reveals his knowledge of the palace and the suitors. The next day, Odysseus and Telemachus reveal themselves to the loyal servants in the palace and begin to prepare for the final confrontation with the suitors. Odysseus makes one final journey to the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus to prepare for battle, and Athena once again appears to him, promising victory in the upcoming battle.

The Odyssey: Book 17 Summary

In Book 17 of The Odyssey, Telemachus arrives back at the palace and finds his father, disguised as a beggar, sitting outside. Odysseus reveals his true identity to Telemachus, and they plot together to take revenge on the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus hide the weapons in a storeroom and await the arrival of the suitors. One of the suitors, Antinous, discovers their plot and confronts them, but Odysseus manages to disarm him with his words. The rest of the suitors arrive and begin to feast, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a bard. Odysseus asks the bard to sing a song of the Trojan War, and the bard obliges, unaware of the underlying tensions in the room. Odysseus secretly signals to Telemachus, who retrieves the weapons from the storeroom. The book ends with the suitors completely unaware of the danger they are in, setting the stage for the upcoming battle.

The Odyssey: Book 18 Summary

In Book 18 of The Odyssey, Odysseus, disguised as the beggar, is insulted and abused by the suitors in the palace. He endures their taunts and violence, biding his time and waiting for the right moment to strike back. Penelope, meanwhile, is also feeling despair, and she prays to Athena for guidance. Athena answers her prayer and sends a divine sign, filling Penelope with renewed hope. The suitors continue their revelry, unaware of the danger that looms. One of the suitors, Irus, challenges Odysseus to a fight, but Odysseus easily overpowers him. The suitors are impressed by Odysseus’ fighting prowess and offer him food and drink, which he accepts. Later that night, the suitors retire to their beds, but Odysseus is unable to sleep, consumed with thoughts of the upcoming battle. Athena appears to him in a dream and reassures him, telling him that victory is certain. The book ends with Odysseus drifting off to sleep, ready to face the suitors and reclaim his home.

The Odyssey: Book 19 Summary

In Book 19 of The Odyssey, Odysseus and Telemachus devise a plan to defeat the suitors. Telemachus hides the weapons while Odysseus speaks with Penelope and the suitors. Penelope presents a challenge for the suitors: whoever can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-helve sockets will become her new husband. After the suitors fail to string the bow, Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, requests to try. He effortlessly strings the bow and shoots an arrow through the sockets. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and saves his home.

The Odyssey: Book 20 Summary

In Book 20 of The Odyssey, the servant Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus and helps him prepare for battle. She promises not to tell anyone that he has returned. Meanwhile, the suitors are angry that they cannot defeat the beggar who has just defeated them in the archery challenge. They plan to ambush him, but Penelope intervenes and tries to reason with them. They ignore her and continue their plan. However, they are no match for Odysseus, who easily defeats them with the help of Telemachus and a loyal servant.

The Odyssey: Book 21 Summary

In Book 21 of The Odyssey, Penelope announces that she will marry the man who can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe-helve sockets. She does not know that Odysseus has already done this and that he is in the room disguised as a beggar. After the suitors fail to string the bow, Odysseus requests to try. He effortlessly strings the bow and shoots an arrow through the sockets. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and saves his home.

The Odyssey: Book 22 Summary

In Book 22, the epic climax of The Odyssey takes place. After stringing his bow with ease and executing all the suitors, Odysseus reveals his identity to his loyal servants, Eumaeus and Philoetius, and orders them to lock the doors of the hall to prevent any of the suitors’ allies from aiding them. He then calls upon his son, Telemachus, to help him take revenge on the treacherous maidservants who had been aiding the suitors. After the massacre, Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors’ families, convincing them that the suitors were the ones who brought their own deaths upon themselves by their own wickedness.

The Odyssey: Book 23 Summary

In Book 23, the story of The Odyssey comes to a conclusion as Odysseus is finally reunited with his wife, Penelope. She is initially wary of him, fearing that he may not be who he claims to be, but he finally convinces her of his identity by revealing a secret detail about their bed. They embrace and recount their tales of the past 20 years. Athena then intervenes and makes peace between the families of the suitors and Odysseus, putting an end to the bloodshed that has plagued Ithaca for so long. Odysseus then sets sail once again, on a journey to make offerings to the gods and to seek further adventures.

The Odyssey: Book 24 Summary

In Book 24, the shades of the suitors visit Hades, where they are met by Achilles, who expresses his disdain for their cowardice and treachery. Meanwhile, on Ithaca, the parents of the suitors mourn for their lost children, while the families of Odysseus and his loyal servants rejoice in their victory. Hermes leads the spirits of the suitors to the Underworld, where they are tormented by the spirits of the dead. The shade of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and a former ally of Odysseus, offers a warning to the hero about the dangers of trusting women. Finally, Odysseus goes to visit his aged father, Laertes, who has been living in seclusion. After proving his identity to him, they embrace, and Odysseus mourns for all the men he has lost throughout his journey, including his comrades and the suitors.

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Joseph Campbell & The Hero’s Journey

In 1949, scholar  joseph campbell published his 1st book, the hero with a thousand faces. in this book, campbell introduced us to his theory that myths from around the globe share a fundamental structure, the monomyth ..

C ampbell formulated this theory over 5 years, spending 9 hours a day reading mythology from around the world. The Monomyth structure is divided into 3 events with additional stages in between. The stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Buddha, Moses, Jesus, and many other tales from history use this structure. It has inspired many artists and storytellers, such as, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Bob Dylan, creator of Star Wars George Lucas, Bob Weir, and Jerry Garcia of the band, The Grateful Dead. While countless stories follow this Monomyth structure, we will use the original Star Wars Trilogy as an example for exploring this process.

The Seventeen Stages of the Monomyth

The Cycle of Mythology

Stage 1: Separation

I n the first stage of the hero’s journey, we find our protangonist living life in a typically mundane situation. The  Star Wars , Luke Skywalker lives as a talented yet lowly and pretty damn whiny moisture farmer on Tatooine.

Until…

1. Call to Adventure – By some chance the hero will become aware of information or actions that call for them to go on a quest. The lovable and recently acquired droid R2-D2 plays a holographic message of Princess Leia pleading for Luke’s soon to be mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s assistance.

2. Refusal of the Call – Overwhelmed by the information, the hero refuses the call and makes excuses as to why they cannot answer it. Luke refuses Obi-Wan’s request to join him on his mission, stating that he has responsibilities at home.

Luke’s Supernatural Aid is in the form of a Lightsaber and newfound Knowledge of the Force

3. Supernatural Aid – Once a commitment to the quest is made by the hero, they are provided with a special weapon or power that will assist them along the way. Obi-Wan gifts Luke his fathers lightsaber and explains some Force 101.

4. Crossing the Threshold – The moment when the hero actually embarks upon the journey. After Luke discovers that his family has been murdered and that nothing is left for him at home, he decides to join Obi-Wan on the quest to save Princess Leia, cause that sounds way cooler than hanging at the farm where your entire family was just massacred.

5. Belly of the Whale – The final separation between the hero and their home. Luke and Kenobi bail out from Tatooine with their new bros Han Solo and Chewbacca.

Stage 2: Initiation

The Empire Strikes Back is nothing but a road of trials for our hero, Luke.

6. The Road of Trials – A series of usually 3 trials and tests, the hero often fails one or more of these test. In Luke’s journey the destruction of the Death Star is his first test and one that he passes. His second and third tests do not end so well. While training with Yoda on Dagobah, Luke fails in his truly mastering himself and the force. Thirdly, in the duel between himself and his newly revealed father, Darth Vader, he is defeated, injured, and almost killed.

7. The Meeting with the Goddess – Our hero experiences a love that has the power and significance to that of a mother. Luke begins to have strong feelings for Leia, his unbeknownst sister.

8. Woman as Temptress – The temptation to abandon the journey for material or other gain. Luke is close to being seduced to the dark side as the Emperor feeds his rage against his father and especially with the prospect that if he will not turn, perhaps his sister will.

9. Atonement with the Father – In this stage, the hero must confront and be initiated by whoever holds the ultimate power in their life. Luke battles Darth Vader and once again is on the losing side of the fight. Nearing death from the Emperor’s attacks, Luke begs his father to help save him from certain death.

Anakin & Luke Meet for the 1st Time

10. Apotheosis – The spiritual death and rebirth of the hero. Darth Vader hears his son’s cries for help and returns to the light, deciding to destroy the Emperor in a self sacrificial action. By bringing his father back to the light, Luke has finally become a true jedi.

11. The Ultimate Boon – The stage of achievement of the goal. Luke is a jedi, has defeated the Empire, the dark side, saved his father, and all his friends and family are safe.

12. Refusal of the Return – The hero basking in their newly found bliss, may not want to return to their previous life and share this bliss with his fellow man. Luke does the opposite of this, upon his reunification with his friends, he shares with Leia that they are siblings. He then goes on to train her and new jedi in the ways of the force.

Stage 3: Return

13. The Magic Flight – The daring escape made after obtaining the boon. Luke carries his fathers body onto a transport and flees the Death Star before its complete destruction.

The Millennium Falcon in Magical Flight

14. Rescue from Without – When powerful guides or mentors help bring the hero back to normal life. When Anniken, Obi-Wan, and Yoda appear from the ether to acknowledge Luke and his newfound jedi knighthood.

15. Crossing the Return Threshold – Retaining, integrating, and sharing wisdom learned on the quest. Luke shares his knowledge of the force with future jedi.

16. Master of Two Worlds – The hero has achieved a balance between the material and spiritual world. Luke has sorted all of his family issues, become a man and a jedi.

17. Freedom to Live – By becoming a master of the two worlds, the hero is free from regrets of the past and worries of the future, this leaves them to live in the moment. Luke has resolved all the  conflicts in his life, he is free to live at one with the force.

Each of Us are the Heroes in Our own Journey

The Monomyth is a method of story telling that is innate to humans. Cultures from around the world share it’s structure in their stories. Every human, whether they are aware of it or not, is on their own hero’s journey. By studying Joseph Campbell’s work we can better our own understanding of the tests, trials, and progress along our journey.

About Author

Tamlorn Chase

Tamlorn Chase hails from the coastal town of Santa Barbara, where he works as a wilderness guide, wildlife filmmaker, and environmental activist. Protecting the natural world is his profession and passion.

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Epic Explorations: Teaching the ‘Odyssey’ With The New York Times

By Ryan R. Goble and Elizabeth Wiersum

• March 21, 2019

Homer’s Muse still sings.

His epic tale follows the wily warrior Odysseus as he twists and turns his way back home to the shores of Ithaca after fighting a 10-year war at Troy. As readers everywhere know, the story’s themes of homecoming and hospitality, hubris and humility, suffering and survival continue to resonate across the centuries.

Three recent books show that much remains to be said and discovered about the epic and its relationship to our lives today. In 2017, the first English translation of the “Odyssey” by a woman, the British classicist Emily Wilson , was published to much acclaim , replacing older translations on some high school and college syllabuses. The same year, Daniel Mendelsohn’s memoir, “ An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and an Epic, ” recounted what happened when his 81-year old father decided to sit in on the author’s seminar on the “Odyssey” at Bard College. And in the spring of 2018, Madeline Miller released “ Circe, ” a novel written from the enchantress’s perspective that expands her story both before and after her affair with Odysseus.

Below, five lesson ideas that draw on Times resources to help students navigate the wine-dark seas and discover how the “Odyssey” might speak to their own lives and the world around them.

Five Teaching Ideas

1. The Hero’s Journey

Daniel Mendelsohn explains in his memoir that the word “odyssey” has three meanings: “voyage,” “journey,” and “travel.” As an epic poem, the ”Odyssey” further prepares us for a long narrative told on a grand scale of time and place, featuring a larger-than-life protagonist who is also Western civilization’s oldest hero. Odysseus, whose very name echoes “odyssey,” is often translated to mean “son of pain.” Taken together the man and his journey seem fated for hardship.

At a time when more than 65 million people around the world are officially displaced from their homes by conflict, violence and persecution — the highest figure recorded by the United Nations since World War II — The Times has chronicled many real-life odysseys in reports of those journeys. Invite students to read articles like “ What Refugees Face on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route ” and “ Desperate Crossin g” to learn more, and to find links to themes and ideas in the “Odyssey.” (For more on teaching with this material, you might also consider some of the questions and activities suggested in this Learning Network lesson plan .)

But epic journeys have also been fodder for comedy. Examples include the cartoonist Roz Chast’s take on the hero’s journey , Brian Gordon’s modern take on the Sirens , Lapham’s Quarterly Odyssey Game (tagline: “lose years, gain strength, return to wife”) and the doughnut-fueled “ Lemon of Troy” episode of “The Simpsons” (Season 6, Episode 24), featuring America’s favorite cartoon dad.

The archetypal hero’s journey takes many forms and is particularly accessible for students through film. Have them read Times reviews of a favorite superhero film, like “ Black Panther ,” “ Wonder Woman ” or “ Iron Man ,” then write their own review explaining how the hero develops. They can do this either using the stages of Joseph Campbell’s hero cycle , or compare the journeys of their chosen protagonist to Odysseus’ journey.

While any Marvel or DC Comics hero should suffice, students can also look to animated films such as “ The Incredibles ” and “ Wall-E ,” dramas like “ The Natural ,” “ Glory ,” “ A Better Life ,” or classic comedies like “ Coming to America ,” “ Goonies ,” “ Back to the Future ” or even “ Some Like It Hot .”

2. On Xenia

Xenia is the Greek concept of hospitality. In the “Odyssey,” it is both a civic responsibility — serving the weary traveler who landed on the shores of one’s front door — and a spiritual duty, for it would always be entirely possible that the weary traveler could end up being a god in disguise.

The Learning Network runs an annual Connections Contest , in which students are invited to link anything they’re studying in school with something in the news. This year, one of the winners , Alex Iyer, a student from San Antonio, linked Homer’s “Odyssey” with the Times piece, “ As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them ” and talked about the role of xenia in both. Here is his essay:

In literature, we learned that in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” Homer uses the tribulations of the hero Odysseus to illustrate the Ancient Grecian custom of xenia. This custom focused on extending hospitality to those who found themselves far from home. As Odysseus navigates the treacherous path back to his own home, he encounters both morally upstanding and malevolent individuals. They range from a charitable princess who offers food and clothing, to an evil Cyclops who attempts to murder the hero and his fellow men. In class, we agreed that Homer employs these contrasting characters to exemplify not only proper, but also poor forms of xenia. For the people of its time, the “Odyssey” cemented the idea that xenia was fundamental for good character; resulting in hospitality becoming engrained in the fabric of Ancient Grecian society. I saw a parallel to this in a New York Times article called “As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them” published on October 28, 2018. Similar to the prevalent custom of xenia in Ancient Greece, Uganda has made hosting refugees a national policy. The country is now occupied by up to 1.25 million refugees, many of whom are fleeing the violent unrest of South Sudan. The xenia of Homeric times implied a mutually beneficial relationship between host and guest. We see this in Uganda, where villagers share land with South Sudanese refugees. Grateful for this generosity, the refugees gladly help out with farming, carpentry, and even translation. Many Ugandans remember when they themselves had to look to Sudan for sanctuary. During the murderous rampages of Idi Amin and Joseph Kony, the Sudanese provided critical support to Ugandan refugees. These memories are motivating modern-day Ugandans to assist refugees, bringing the world a little closer to what xenia strived for over 2,000 years ago. Uganda and South Sudan are by no means wealthy utopias. However, xenia was never about the rich blindly giving to the poor. It aspired to foster symbiotic relationships of openness and inclusivity that would endure through time. It’s interesting that a quaint Greek ideal from thousands of years ago would find a practical application in Uganda. When Amos Chandiga was asked why he lent two acres of his own land to refugees, he simply responded “They asked me, and I gave it to them.” He then patted his chest and said “It comes from here, in my heart.” Perhaps this can serve as a lesson to Americans, as we grapple with modernizing our own asylum policies. Teaching us that, whether rich or poor, open borders give way to open hearts.

You might challenge students to find more articles in The Times that relate to xenia, the spirit behind welcoming the stranger — pieces like “ Refugees Encounter a Foreign Word: Welcome ,” “ Love Thy Stranger As Thyself, ” “ A Lesson on Immigration From Pablo Neruda ,” “ Texas Pulls Up the Welcome Mat ” and “ Where Companies Welcome Refugees .”

And since school functions as students’ September-through-June “home,” they might then work with their counselors and student government to develop a welcoming committee, mission statement, and a set of resources that would have them sharing their hospitality to all those who make their way to the shores of the school, whether incoming freshmen, transfer students, parents at an open house, or athletes visiting the school for a sporting event or competition. They may also work to propose programs and extracurricular activities to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds have a welcome place at the school.

3. Epic Music Playlists

The British author and screenwriter Nick Hornby explained the art of the mixtape his 1995 novel "High Fidelity,” which was later adapted into film . His protagonist, Rob Flemings, explains:

To me, making a tape is like writing a letter — there’s a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. You’ve got to kick off with a corker, to hold the attention … and then you’ve got to up it a notch, or cool it a notch … and you can’t have two tracks by the same artist side by side, unless you’ve done the whole thing in pairs and … oh, there are loads of rules.

In the digital age, we still use the analog concept of a “mixtape" to talk about digital playlists or a compilation of related songs. (For example, consider the “ Hamilton Mixtape .”) Many of the playlists streamed on Pandora, Spotify and Apple Music are curated by algorithms based on listener data . That said, these services and others like Mixcloud and SoundCloud also celebrate human curation.

The Times has covered many notable playlists. A Vows column explored how songs texted between a Hollywood couple became the Spotify “mixtape” for their Palm Springs wedding; the Food section wrote about a musician who curated a soundscape for a restaurant ; Politics covered a presidential playlist ; and the Arts section featured the playlist one nonfiction writer created to accompany his book on hip-hop. (Meanwhile, this piece in The Guardian covers the playlists that fiction writers like Stephen King create that are inspired by their books’ characters or themes.)

The New York Times Music section shares weekly playlists of notable new music and videos, and they maintain a Spotify profile with playlists related to their criticism and reporting. The Learning Network has even asked students to share their favorite playlists in the past.

Inspired by these, we created a playlist for the “Odyssey,” which focuses on allusions or retellings of Homer’s epic poem.

See what you think, then tell us: What playlist might you make? Your tracks can be informed by a character’s point of view: How would Telemachus’ playlist differ from Athena’s? Would Calypso’s playlist sound anything like Penelope’s? Students might also create a playlist that addresses a theme like courage or deception, or design one that mirrors the plot in some way, as does a movie soundtrack. Whatever songs you think will capture a unique musical point-of-view of Homer’s epic tale, we invite you to share them as a comment on this lesson, or by tagging us on Twitter @NYTimesLearning .

Finally, you might check out the Learning Network lesson plan “ Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing ” to find even more ideas for creating playlists related to topics you are studying in class.

4. Here Be Monsters

Monsters are here, there and everywhere in film and literature. Many Times articles have explored monsters as metaphor. Film Critics have written about what movie monsters teach us about our cultures , childhoods or, most recently, how racism ise the monster in director Jordan Peele’s award-winning film “Get Out .”

Literary and historical monsters are also rich sources for discussion. During Odysseus’ journey he encounters a wide range of supernatural creatures, including the Sirens, Cyclops and the Lotus Eaters. He is caught between the famous Scylla and Charybdis and, at Circe’s behest, visits the Underworld. Many of these places and characters can be read as metaphors for large challenges we face in life.

The New York-based nonprofit organization Artolution recently asked students, “What would creatures in a world without violence look like?” Their short film shows elementary students imagining and creating peaceful creatures. We’d like to suggest a Homeric riff on this idea. Ask students, “What type of monsters would a school-aged Odysseus encounter if he were to spend three years in your middle school or four years in your high school?” Students can draw or use a free monster-making app like this one to create their creatures. You might also share Andrew Bell’s ‘Creatures in My Head ’ website for inspiration. Artwork should be accompanied by a creative narrative or poem about their monster and how it was inspired by “The Odyssey.”

5. Lasting Legacies

It is a minor character in the “Odyssey” who develops one of its most vital themes — the importance of one’s legacy.

Elpenor, one of Odysseus’ men, suffers an unremarkable death, meeting his demise when he falls from a rooftop in a drunken stupor. His story becomes poignant when he meets his leader in the Underworld, and begs to be properly buried and remembered. He pleads:

Don’t sail off and desert me, left behind unwept … No, burn me in full armor, all my harness, heap my mound by churning gray surf — a man whose luck ran out — so even men to come will learn my story (11.79 - 85).

Elpenor’s desire for his story to outlive him highlights the human desire to achieve some mark of the immortality reserved for the gods. At The Times, a team of obituary writers does the important work of summing up those legacies, both for the famous and for those less well-known whose lives nonetheless “ put a wrinkle in the social fabric .” The 2016 documentary “ Obit ” follows that team, as you can see in the film’s trailer , embedded above. In it, Margalit Fox, one of the team, suggests that “obits have next to nothing to do with death and in fact absolutely everything to do with the life.”

While Benjamin Franklin and others did write their own epitaphs, students need not imagine their own deaths in order to ponder the legacy they would like to leave behind. Students can read a selection of Times tributes that commemorate those who have made a lasting impression on the world. Recent tributes include reflections on Aretha Franklin , John McCain , Stan Mikita , and Mac Miller , as well as a collection of tributes The Times put together called “ Overlooked ” that celebrate remarkable people, mostly women, who did not receive a Times obituary when they died.

Students can jigsaw those we suggested or choose someone who interests them . In groups, students might then use these learning experience organizers to think about what makes a life well lived. (Organizers for “cartoonist,” “framer” or “lawyer” work nicely here.) After this process students can brainstorm their life goals for school using the WOOP (Wish-Outcome-Obstacle-Plan) goal-writing method . The “Hidden Brain” podcast and related book explain the science behind the method.

Have students imagine that, 25 years after their graduation, they have been chosen to receive the distinguished alumnus or alumna award for their class. What will the nominating committee say about them? How will they describe what they have achieved and the legacy it will leave for their chosen field? Or, if students would rather write about someone else, have them reflect on the legacy of someone they know personally, such as a friend, parent or mentor.

Let students have fun and focus on making meaning of a life well lived for whatever legacy they choose to write. If they would like to muse about their own lives, invite them to contribute comments to a recent Learning Network Student Opinion question, What Legacy Do You Want to Leave Behind? They could also consider making a mixed media collage about their own or someone else’s legacy, as suggested in this lesson plan by the artist and teacher Clara Lieu.

Selected Additional Resources

From Around the Web:

• To give your students a useful summary before reading scenes and excerpts from Homer’s poem, try this resource from The Conversation that describes the story and its themes, as well as its links to films like “ O Brother Where Art Thou? ” and, more loosely, “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ” and “ Paris, Texas .”

• Creative visual retellings include Gareth Hinds’s graphic novel “ The Odyssey ,” Marvel’s comic series from 2008-2009 and the Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Eric Shanower’s multivolume Trojan War series, “ Age of Bronze .” Readers of all ages will benefit from Marcia William’s beautiful and succinct picture book retelling of the “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” And here is a rubric designed by the instructional coach Nessa Slowinski and the English teacher Lauren Schewe, our colleagues at Glenbard West High School , to help students do comic annotations of the “Odyssey,” as modeled by Nick Sousanis ’s comics studies class at San Francisco State University.

• Brandon Bourgeois has been working on a hip-hop version of the “Odyssey” since he was a graduate student in classics, while students at the University of Michigan have made modern interpretations of Homer’s work the subject of “ The Translation Game .” An anthropomorphic take can be found in Gwen Cooper’s “ Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat .”

• If you are teaching the “Odyssey” as part of a humanities course you might explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Resource for Educators: Greek Art from Prehistoric to Classical and the Art Institute of Chicago’s resource packet that puts the African-American experience in dialogue with Homer through the Harlem Renaissance artist Romare Bearden’s collage “The Return of Odysseus (Homage to Pintoricchio and Benin).”

• Poems that consider the “Odyssey” from different angles abound. Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “ Ulysses ” imagines Odysseus years after his return to Ithaca, bored and longing again for adventure. Margaret Atwood’s much-anthologized “ Siren Song ” transfers attention to the half-female half-bird mythical creatures. And Louise Glück ’s 1996 collection, “Meadowlands,” is a poetic exploration of the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope. Teachers might also join a Twitter discussion about poems to teach with the “Odyssey.”

From The New York Times:

1997 Arts Article: All-Nighter With the ‘Odyssey’ Two Stamford High School English teachers gave their freshmen students a challenge: How about spending 17 hours overnight at the school to study nearly 500 pages of Homer’s “Odyssey,” hearing it aloud as the epic poet might have offered the adventures of Odysseus to his hungry listeners 2,700 years ago?

1998 Op-Ed: An Odyssey The children who sit before me saw in Homer’s hero that one person can be both powerful and foolish, equally full of influence and errors. When my students learn to see this in themselves, they will become — at last — good leaders.

2007 Op-Ed: The Odyssey Years There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood.

2008 Science Article: Homecoming of Odysseus May Have Been in Eclipse Two scientists have concluded that the homecoming of Odysseus possibly coincided with a solar eclipse in 1178 B.C.

2008 Book Review: A Long, Strange Trip A British classics professor traces the lengthy shadow Homer’s “Odyssey” casts across Western culture.

2009 Op-Ed: Back From War, but Not Really Home A sense of dislocation has been shared by veterans returning from war since Homer conjured Odysseus’ inauspicious return some 2,800 years ago. ( Related Learning Network lesson plan )

2010 T Magazine Article: Speak Easy | Laura Marling An interview with a musician inspired by The “Odyssey.”

2011 Travel Article: Lost in the Odyssey Inspired by Odysseus, who took 10 years to get to Ithaca from the coast of Turkey, an 11-day journey of epic beauty, hospitality and frustrating ferry schedules.

2011 Video and Article: Odysseus in Socrates Sculpture Park and Odysseus Is Parading Into Queens Using puppets and much imagination, two artists are bringing “The Odyssey” to a riverfront park in Long Island City.

2015 Theater Review: ‘The Odyssey’ Takes a Populist Turn as a Musical Professional actors like Brandon Victor Dixon and amateur entertainers combine to turn this adaptation of Homer’s poem into a vibrant tapestry.

2016 Book Review: ‘Why Homer Matters,’ by Adam Nicolson For the voyager Adam Nicolson, Homer is impossible to understand while sitting behind a desk.

2017 Magazine Article: The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ Into English The classicist Emily Wilson has given Homer’s epic a radically contemporary voice.

2017 Science Article: A Grecian Artifact Evokes Tales From the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ An engraved stone with a finely detailed battle scene was found in the grave of a warrior buried about 1450 B.C.

2017: Book Review: A Version of Homer That Dares to Match Him Line for Line Emily Wilson’s landmark translation of the “Odyssey” matches the original’s line count while drawing on a spare, simple and direct idiom.

2018 Book Review: Turning Circe Into a Good Witch In Madeline Miller’s latest adaptation of Greek myth, “Circe,” we encounter a thoughtful and compassionate woman who learns to love unselfishly.

Ryan R. Goble is the Teaching & Learning Coordinator at Glenbard Township High School District 87 Public Schools in Glen Ellyn, IL. and the co-author of Making Curriculum Pop: Developing Literacies across Content Areas .

Elizabeth Wiersum teaches English at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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• Greek Mythology

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The hero's journey: a story structure as old as time, the hero's journey offers a powerful framework for creating quest-based stories emphasizing self-transformation..

Table of Contents

Holding out for a hero to take your story to the next level? 

The Hero’s Journey might be just what you’ve been looking for. Created by Joseph Campbell, this narrative framework packs mythic storytelling into a series of steps across three acts, each representing a crucial phase in a character's transformative journey.

Challenge . Growth . Triumph .

Whether you're penning a novel, screenplay, or video game, The Hero’s Journey is a tried-and-tested blueprint for crafting epic stories that transcend time and culture. Let’s explore the steps together and kickstart your next masterpiece.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is a famous template for storytelling, mapping a hero's adventurous quest through trials and tribulations to ultimate transformation. 

What are the Origins of the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey was invented by Campbell in his seminal 1949 work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces , where he introduces the concept of the "monomyth."

A comparative mythologist by trade, Campbell studied myths from cultures around the world and identified a common pattern in their narratives. He proposed that all mythic narratives are variations of a single, universal story, structured around a hero's adventure, trials, and eventual triumph.

His work unveiled the archetypal hero’s path as a mirror to humanity’s commonly shared experiences and aspirations. It was subsequently named one of the All-Time 100 Nonfiction Books by TIME in 2011.

How are the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys Different? 

While both the Hero's and Heroine's Journeys share the theme of transformation, they diverge in their focus and execution.

The Hero’s Journey, as outlined by Campbell, emphasizes external challenges and a quest for physical or metaphorical treasures. In contrast, Murdock's Heroine’s Journey, explores internal landscapes, focusing on personal reconciliation, emotional growth, and the path to self-actualization.

In short, heroes seek to conquer the world, while heroines seek to transform their own lives; but…

Twelve Steps of the Hero’s Journey

So influential was Campbell’s monomyth theory that it's been used as the basis for some of the largest franchises of our generation: The Lord of the Rings , Harry Potter ...and George Lucas even cited it as a direct influence on Star Wars .

There are, in fact, several variations of the Hero's Journey, which we discuss further below. But for this breakdown, we'll use the twelve-step version outlined by Christopher Vogler in his book, The Writer's Journey (seemingly now out of print, unfortunately).

You probably already know the above stories pretty well so we’ll unpack the twelve steps of the Hero's Journey using Ben Gates’ journey in National Treasure as a case study—because what is more heroic than saving the Declaration of Independence from a bunch of goons?

Ye be warned: Spoilers ahead!

Act One: Departure

Step 1. the ordinary world.

The journey begins with the status quo—business as usual. We meet the hero and are introduced to the Known World they live in. In other words, this is your exposition, the starting stuff that establishes the story to come.

National Treasure begins in media res (preceded only by a short prologue), where we are given key information that introduces us to Ben Gates' world, who he is (a historian from a notorious family), what he does (treasure hunts), and why he's doing it (restoring his family's name).

With the help of his main ally, Riley, and a crew of other treasure hunters backed by a wealthy patron, he finds an 18th-century American ship in the Canadian Arctic, the Charlotte . Here, they find a ship-shaped pipe that presents a new riddle and later doubles as a key—for now, it's just another clue in the search for the lost treasure of the Templars, one that leads them to the Declaration of Independence.

Step 2. The Call to Adventure

The inciting incident takes place and the hero is called to act upon it. While they're still firmly in the Known World, the story kicks off and leaves the hero feeling out of balance. In other words, they are placed at a crossroads.

Ian (the wealthy patron of the Charlotte operation) steals the pipe from Ben and Riley and leaves them stranded. This is a key moment: Ian becomes the villain, Ben has now sufficiently lost his funding for this expedition, and if he decides to pursue the chase, he'll be up against extreme odds.

Step 3. Refusal of the Call

The hero hesitates and instead refuses their call to action. Following the call would mean making a conscious decision to break away from the status quo. Ahead lies danger, risk, and the unknown; but here and now, the hero is still in the safety and comfort of what they know.

Ben debates continuing the hunt for the Templar treasure. Before taking any action, he decides to try and warn the authorities: the FBI, Homeland Security, and the staff of the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence is housed and monitored. Nobody will listen to him, and his family's notoriety doesn't help matters.

Step 4. Meeting the Mentor

The protagonist receives knowledge or motivation from a powerful or influential figure. This is a tactical move on the hero's part—remember that it was only the previous step in which they debated whether or not to jump headfirst into the unknown. By Meeting the Mentor, they can gain new information or insight, and better equip themselves for the journey they might to embark on.

Abigail, an archivist at the National Archives, brushes Ben and Riley off as being crazy, but Ben uses the interaction to his advantage in other ways—to seek out information about how the Declaration of Independence is stored and cared for, as well as what (and more importantly, who) else he might be up against in his own attempt to steal it.

In a key scene, we see him contemplate the entire operation while standing over the glass-encased Declaration of Independence. Finally, he firmly decides to pursue the treasure and stop Ian, uttering the famous line, "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence."

Act Two: Initiation

Step 5. crossing the threshold.

The hero leaves the Known World to face the Unknown World. They are fully committed to the journey, with no way to turn back now. There may be a confrontation of some sort, and the stakes will be raised.

Ben and Riley infiltrate the National Archives during a gala and successfully steal the Declaration of Independence. But wait—it's not so easy. While stealing the Declaration of Independence, Abigail suspects something is up and Ben faces off against Ian.

Then, when trying to escape the building, Ben exits through the gift shop, where an attendant spots the document peeking out of his jacket. He is forced to pay for it, feigning that it's a replica—and because he doesn't have enough cash, he has to use his credit card, so there goes keeping his identity anonymous.

The game is afoot.

Step 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

The hero explores the Unknown World. Now that they have firmly crossed the threshold from the Known World, the hero will face new challenges and possibly meet new enemies. They'll have to call upon their allies, new and old, in order to keep moving forward.

Abigail reluctantly joins the team under the agreement that she'll help handle the Declaration of Independence, given her background in document archiving and restoration. Ben and co. seek the aid of Ben's father, Patrick Gates, whom Ben has a strained relationship with thanks to years of failed treasure hunting that has created a rift between grandfather, father, and son. Finally, they travel around Philadelphia deciphering clues while avoiding both Ian and the FBI.

Step 7. Approach the Innermost Cave

The hero nears the goal of their quest, the reason they crossed the threshold in the first place. Here, they could be making plans, having new revelations, or gaining new skills. To put it in other familiar terms, this step would mark the moment just before the story's climax.

Ben uncovers a pivotal clue—or rather, he finds an essential item—a pair of bifocals with interchangeable lenses made by Benjamin Franklin. It is revealed that by switching through the various lenses, different messages will be revealed on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He's forced to split from Abigail and Riley, but Ben has never been closer to the treasure.

Step 8. The Ordeal

The hero faces a dire situation that changes how they view the world. All threads of the story come together at this pinnacle, the central crisis from which the hero will emerge unscathed or otherwise. The stakes will be at their absolute highest here.

Vogler details that in this stage, the hero will experience a "death," though it need not be literal. In your story, this could signify the end of something and the beginning of another, which could itself be figurative or literal. For example, a certain relationship could come to an end, or it could mean someone "stuck in their ways" opens up to a new perspective.

In National Treasure , The FBI captures Ben and Ian makes off with the Declaration of Independence—all hope feels lost. To add to it, Ian reveals that he's kidnapped Ben's father and threatens to take further action if Ben doesn't help solve the final clues and lead Ian to the treasure.

Ben escapes the FBI with Ian's help, reunites with Abigail and Riley, and leads everyone to an underground structure built below Trinity Church in New York City. Here, they manage to split from Ian once more, sending him on a goose chase to Boston with a false clue, and proceed further into the underground structure.

Though they haven't found the treasure just yet, being this far into the hunt proves to Ben's father, Patrick, that it's real enough. The two men share an emotional moment that validates what their family has been trying to do for generations.

Step 9. Reward

This is it, the moment the hero has been waiting for. They've survived "death," weathered the crisis of The Ordeal, and earned the Reward for which they went on this journey.

Now, free of Ian's clutches and with some light clue-solving, Ben, Abigail, Riley, and Patrick keep progressing through the underground structure and eventually find the Templar's treasure—it's real and more massive than they could have imagined. Everyone revels in their discovery while simultaneously looking for a way back out.

Act Three: Return

Step 10. the road back.

It's time for the journey to head towards its conclusion. The hero begins their return to the Known World and may face unexpected challenges. Whatever happens, the "why" remains paramount here (i.e. why the hero ultimately chose to embark on their journey).

This step marks a final turning point where they'll have to take action or make a decision to keep moving forward and be "reborn" back into the Known World.

Act Three of National Treasure is admittedly quite short. After finding the treasure, Ben and co. emerge from underground to face the FBI once more. Not much of a road to travel back here so much as a tunnel to scale in a crypt.

Step 11. Resurrection

The hero faces their ultimate challenge and emerges victorious, but forever changed. This step often requires a sacrifice of some sort, and having stepped into the role of The Hero™, they must answer to this.

Ben is given an ultimatum— somebody has to go to jail (on account of the whole stealing-the-Declaration-of-Independence thing). But, Ben also found a treasure worth millions of dollars and that has great value to several nations around the world, so that counts for something.

Ultimately, Ben sells Ian out, makes a deal to exonerate his friends and family, and willingly hands the treasure over to the authorities. Remember: he wanted to find the treasure, but his "why" was to restore the Gates family name, so he won regardless.

Step 12. Return With the Elixir

Finally, the hero returns home as a new version of themself, the elixir is shared amongst the people, and the journey is completed full circle.

The elixir, like many other elements of the hero's journey, can be literal or figurative. It can be a tangible thing, such as an actual elixir meant for some specific purpose, or it could be represented by an abstract concept such as hope, wisdom, or love.

Vogler notes that if the Hero's Journey results in a tragedy, the elixir can instead have an effect external to the story—meaning that it could be something meant to affect the audience and/or increase their awareness of the world.

In the final scene of National Treasure , we see Ben and Abigail walking the grounds of a massive estate. Riley pulls up in a fancy sports car and comments on how they could have gotten more money. They all chat about attending a museum exhibit in Cairo (Egypt).

In one scene, we're given a lot of closure: Ben and co. received a hefty payout for finding the treasure, Ben and Abigail are a couple now, and the treasure was rightfully spread to those it benefitted most—in this case, countries who were able to reunite with significant pieces of their history. Everyone's happy, none of them went to jail despite the serious crimes committed, and they're all a whole lot wealthier. Oh, Hollywood.

Variations of the Hero's Journey

Plot structure is important, but you don't need to follow it exactly; and, in fact, your story probably won't. Your version of the Hero's Journey might require more or fewer steps, or you might simply go off the beaten path for a few steps—and that's okay!

What follows are three additional versions of the Hero's Journey, which you may be more familiar with than Vogler's version presented above.

Dan Harmon's Story Circle (or, The Eight-Step Hero's Journey)

Screenwriter Dan Harmon has riffed on the Hero's Journey by creating a more compact version, the Story Circle —and it works especially well for shorter-format stories such as television episodes, which happens to be what Harmon writes.

The Story Circle comprises eight simple steps with a heavy emphasis on the hero's character arc:

• The hero is in a zone of comfort...
• But they want something.
• They enter an unfamiliar situation...
• And adapt to it by facing trials.
• They get what they want...
• But they pay a heavy price for it.
• They return to their familiar situation...
• Having changed.

You may have noticed, but there is a sort of rhythm here. The eight steps work well in four pairs, simplifying the core of the Hero's Journey even further:

• The hero is in a zone of comfort, but they want something.
• They enter an unfamiliar situation and have to adapt via new trials.
• They get what they want, but they pay a price for it.
• They return to their zone of comfort, forever changed.

If you're writing shorter fiction, such as a short story or novella, definitely check out the Story Circle. It's the Hero's Journey minus all the extraneous bells & whistles.

Ten-Step Hero's Journey

The ten-step Hero's Journey is similar to the twelve-step version we presented above. It includes most of the same steps except for Refusal of the Call and Meeting the Mentor, arguing that these steps aren't as essential to include; and, it moves Crossing the Threshold to the end of Act One and Reward to the end of Act Two.

• The Ordinary World
• The Call to Adventure
• Crossing the Threshold
• Tests, Allies, Enemies
• Approach the Innermost Cave
• The Road Back
• Resurrection
• Return with Elixir

We've previously written about the ten-step hero's journey in a series of essays separated by act: Act One (with a prologue), Act Two , and Act Three .

Twelve-Step Hero's Journey: Version Two

Again, the second version of the twelve-step hero's journey is very similar to the one above, save for a few changes, including in which story act certain steps appear.

This version skips The Ordinary World exposition and starts right at The Call to Adventure; then, the story ends with two new steps in place of Return With Elixir: The Return and The Freedom to Live.

• The Refusal of the Call
• Meeting the Mentor
• Test, Allies, Enemies
• Approaching the Innermost Cave
• The Resurrection
• The Return*
• The Freedom to Live*

In the final act of this version, there is more of a focus on an internal transformation for the hero. They experience a metamorphosis on their journey back to the Known World, return home changed, and go on to live a new life, uninhibited.

Seventeen-Step Hero's Journey

Finally, the granddaddy of heroic journeys: the seventeen-step Hero's Journey. This version includes a slew of extra steps your hero might face out in the expanse.

• Refusal of the Call
• Supernatural Aid (aka Meeting the Mentor)
• Belly of the Whale*: This added stage marks the hero's immediate descent into danger once they've crossed the threshold.
• Road of Trials (...with Allies, Tests, and Enemies)
• Meeting with the Goddess/God*: In this stage, the hero meets with a new advisor or powerful figure, who equips them with the knowledge or insight needed to keep progressing forward.
• Woman as Temptress (or simply, Temptation)*: Here, the hero is tempted, against their better judgment, to question themselves and their reason for being on the journey. They may feel insecure about something specific or have an exposed weakness that momentarily holds them back.
• Atonement with the Father (or, Catharthis)*: The hero faces their Temptation and moves beyond it, shedding free from all that holds them back.
• Apotheosis (aka The Ordeal)
• The Ultimate Boon (aka the Reward)
• Refusal of the Return*: The hero wonders if they even want to go back to their old life now that they've been forever changed.
• The Magic Flight*: Having decided to return to the Known World, the hero needs to actually find a way back.
• Rescue From Without*: Allies may come to the hero's rescue, helping them escape this bold, new world and return home.
• Crossing of the Return Threshold (aka The Return)
• Master of Two Worlds*: Very closely resembling The Resurrection stage in other variations, this stage signifies that the hero is quite literally a master of two worlds—The Known World and the Unknown World—having conquered each.
• Freedom to Live

Again, we skip the Ordinary World opening here. Additionally, Acts Two and Three look pretty different from what we've seen so far, although, the bones of the Hero's Journey structure remain.

The Eight Hero’s Journey Archetypes

The Hero is, understandably, the cornerstone of the Hero’s Journey, but they’re just one of eight key archetypes that make up this narrative framework.

In The Writer's Journey , Vogler outlined seven of these archetypes, only excluding the Ally, which we've included below. Here’s a breakdown of all eight with examples: 

1. The Hero

As outlined, the Hero is the protagonist who embarks on a transformative quest or journey. The challenges they overcome represent universal human struggles and triumphs. 

Vogler assigned a "primary function" to each archetype—helpful for establishing their role in a story. The Hero's primary function is "to service and sacrifice."

Example: Neo from The Matrix , who evolves from a regular individual into the prophesied savior of humanity.

2. The Mentor

A wise guide offering knowledge, tools, and advice, Mentors help the Hero navigate the journey and discover their potential. Their primary function is "to guide."

Example: Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid imparts not only martial arts skills but invaluable life lessons to Daniel.

3. The Ally

Companions who support the Hero, Allies provide assistance, friendship, and moral support throughout the journey. They may also become a friends-to-lovers romantic partner. 

Not included in Vogler's list is the Ally, though we'd argue they are essential nonetheless. Let's say their primary function is "to aid and support."

Example: Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings , a loyal friend and steadfast supporter of Frodo.

4. The Herald

The Herald acts as a catalyst to initiate the Hero's Journey, often presenting a challenge or calling the hero to adventure. Their primary function is "to warn or challenge."

Example: Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games , whose selection at the Reaping sets Katniss’s journey into motion.

5. The Trickster

A character who brings humor and unpredictability, challenges conventions, and offers alternative perspectives or solutions. Their primary function is "to disrupt."

Example: Loki from Norse mythology exemplifies the trickster, with his cunning and chaotic influence.

6. The Shapeshifter

Ambiguous figures whose allegiance and intentions are uncertain. They may be a friend one moment and a foe the next. Their primary function is "to question and deceive."

Example: Catwoman from the Batman universe often blurs the line between ally and adversary, slinking between both roles with glee.

7. The Guardian

Protectors of important thresholds, Guardians challenge or test the Hero, serving as obstacles to overcome or lessons to be learned. Their primary function is "to test."

Example: The Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail literally bellows “None shall pass!”—a quintessential ( but not very effective ) Guardian.

8. The Shadow

Represents the Hero's inner conflict or an antagonist, often embodying the darker aspects of the hero or their opposition. Their primary function is "to destroy."

Example: Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender; initially an adversary, his journey parallels the Hero’s path of transformation.

While your story does not have to use all of the archetypes, they can help you develop your characters and visualize how they interact with one another—especially the Hero.

For example, take your hero and place them in the center of a blank worksheet, then write down your other major characters in a circle around them and determine who best fits into which archetype. Who challenges your hero? Who tricks them? Who guides them? And so on...

Stories that Use the Hero’s Journey

Not a fan of saving the Declaration of Independence? Check out these alternative examples of the Hero’s Journey to get inspired: 

• Epic of Gilgamesh : An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem thought to be one of the earliest examples of the Hero’s Journey (and one of the oldest recorded stories).
• The Lion King (1994): Simba's exile and return depict a tale of growth, responsibility, and reclaiming his rightful place as king.
• The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo: Santiago's quest for treasure transforms into a journey of self-discovery and personal enlightenment.
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman: A young girl's adventure in a parallel world teaches her about courage, family, and appreciating her own reality.
• Kung Fu Panda (2008): Po's transformation from a clumsy panda to a skilled warrior perfectly exemplifies the Hero's Journey. Skadoosh!

The Hero's Journey is so generalized that it's ubiquitous. You can plop the plot of just about any quest-style narrative into its framework and say that the story follows the Hero's Journey. Try it out for yourself as an exercise in getting familiar with the method.

Will the Hero's Journey Work For You?

As renowned as it is, the Hero's Journey works best for the kinds of tales that inspired it: mythic stories.

Writers of speculative fiction may gravitate towards this method over others, especially those writing epic fantasy and science fiction (big, bold fantasy quests and grand space operas come to mind).

The stories we tell today are vast and varied, and they stretch far beyond the dealings of deities, saving kingdoms, or acquiring some fabled "elixir." While that may have worked for Gilgamesh a few thousand years ago, it's not always representative of our lived experiences here and now.

If you decide to give the Hero's Journey a go, we encourage you to make it your own! The pieces of your plot don't have to neatly fit into the structure, but you can certainly make a strong start on mapping out your story.

Hero's Journey Campfire Template

The Timeline Module in Campfire offers a versatile canvas to plot out each basic component of your story while featuring nested "notebooks."

Simply double-click on each event card in your timeline to open up a canvas specific to that card. This allows you to look at your plot at the highest level, while also adding as much detail for each plot element as needed!

If you're just hearing about Campfire for the first time, it's free to sign up—forever! Let's plot the most epic of hero's journeys 👇

Lessons From the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey offers a powerful framework for creating stories centered around growth, adventure, and transformation.

If you want to develop compelling characters, spin out engaging plots, and write books that express themes of valor and courage, consider The Hero’s Journey your blueprint. So stop holding out for a hero, and start writing!

Does your story mirror the Hero's Journey? Let us know in the comments below.