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The archetypal hero journey, Joseph Campbell states, is a typical series of heroic actions. Four stages form the hero journey: departure, trials, epiphany, and return (the stages do not necessarily occur consecutive with the listing). Death and resurrection of lifestyle and beliefs, spiritual journey, and finally rebirth form hero journey’s motif. An archetypal hero pattern is the transformation of the character’s conscience through trials and revelations. Lust, fear, and social duties tend to be the main trials heroes face. Campbell defines a hero as a character who overcomes his trials and gives his life to something superior to himself--committed extraordinary deeds. There are two types of heroes. The physical hero …show more content…

Becket is pressured to make a fate-determining decision. After contemplating several tempters’ propositions, Becket realizes his way is apparent. Ultimately, Becket passively protests and is murdered for his beliefs. Job and Thomas Becket follow the archetypal hero journey; but the paths the characters follow are not always comparable.
Job’s departure is a lifestyle departure. Living his life splendidly fulfilled, Job’s life is suddenly a desolate, horrid mortality. First, savage thieves take Job’s livestock and servants, a fire claims his children, and finally his health deteriorates. “Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes.'; (Job 3:25-26) This dismal new condition leaves Job frustrated and confused, but he maintains his faith.
Thomas Becket has two departures. The first is a physical departure--Becket physically leaves the stage during a period of deep introspection following the four tempters’ propositions. After physically exiting, Becket actually acquires his second, spiritual departure. The spiritual departure Becket undergoes is not stated directly, but occurs while Becket is off stage. Becket’s spiritual departure occurs when he separates material, worldly values from

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