Elements Of The Hero's Journey In The Princess Bride

In the late 1940’s a man named Joseph Campbell shared his Mythic principal with the world. He explains that there is a three-stage formula that he calls a Hero Journey which is the structure of every story. Though most stories are completely different on the outside, the stories are almost structured around these three stages. Stage 1 is the hero leaves the everyday world and enters another world. While Stage 2 the hero is challenged by opposing forces and must pass a series a test throughout the movie. That will then determine who will be victorious, either the hero or the opposing forces. Stage 3 is tied into Stage 2 because if the hero is victorious, they will return to the ordinary world with a gift for the world.

The Hero’s Journey is a situational archetype of every story made, whether it’s a poem, narrative or film they all tell this Journey.

Taking the time to pick apart the hero’s actions and thoughts can make the journey much more interesting and easier to understand. By understanding the basic characteristics and the stages of the hero’s journey we can not only understand the story more but we can also understand ourselves more. We can learn new ways to relate to heroes and our peers we did not know of before. In conclusion, the hero’s journey is a great way to learn a new lesson or two, learn more about yourself, and be entertained at the same

A hero’s journey is described as a person who goes through a spiritual or physical change which allows him to become a better self. Throughout this journey there are many steps which include the call to adventure, a supernatural aide or mentor, initiation by trials and adventures, victory, and return. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck goes through his journey and understands the need for a change, so he can become a better person for the rest of his life. In Huck’s journey he hits certain points such as the call to adventure, his transformation, and his return.

The “hero’s journey”, coined by Joseph Campbell, is a pattern in the plot structure of literature, myths, and oral tradition in which the hero is consistently faced with similar obstacles and achieves many of the same goals. The first part of the hero’s journey is “The Call.” The hero is usually living a very comfortable and easy life, unaware of the journey ahead. The hero is then faced with a situation or dilemma which eventually causes them to seek change. The hero, at this point, tends to refuse the call to adventure in fear of the unknown. Once the hero has been given the strength to push past the unknown, they have entered the threshold. The hero will experience many challenges and temptations where the hero is tested, eventually reaching “The Abyss,” the most difficult challenge. The hero is then transformed by these trials and returns home to every-day life and begins to contribute to their society. The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist, Janie, experiences the hero’s journey first-hand through overcoming obstacles and transforming herself. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the heroine Janie overcomes many obstacles and is therefore transformed into a self reliant woman.

The definition of a journey is: “A traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time.” (dictionary.com). However, most modern novels have characters that go through emotional or mental journeys that serve as the main plot for their story, thus contradicting the meaning of the word “journey”. In older works of literature such as The Odyssey by Homer and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, it is more common for the protagonists to step into physical journeys that are often made to signify an important lesson or meaning by the end of the novel. Factors such as symbols, themes, and character change plays a role in helping the characters along on their adventures and adds to the connotation of the whole story.

Do you ever wonder if your favorite movie follows the hero's journey? You might ask yourself what even is the hero’s journey. Well the Hero’s journey was made by Joseph Campbell. Joseph Campbell was born March 26 1904 and died October 30 1987. There’s 12 stages for the hero’s journey,which does not mean that all movies follow them,but most do. For example, one movie that follows the hero’s journey is Maleficent. In the movie maleficent, Maleficent displays the hero’s journey when Stefan cuts her wings, then later on she meets Diaval, and a few years later she gets to know Aurora and got to see her more than a monster.

Leaving the everyday world, the hero follows a path filled with challenges and adventures, perhaps involving magic or the supernatural. A hero may even enter the underworldand confront death itself. Heroes must use strength, wits, or both to defeat enemies, although some are aided by luck or by a protective deity or magician. Sometimes heroes have to give up something precious to move forward in the quest. In the end the hero returns home enriched with powers, wisdom, treasure, or perhaps a mate won in the course of the quest.

A hero is often thought as someone who saves lives and does admirable acts. This is not always the case as we see in The Count of Monte Cristo, where Edmond Dantes is wrongly accused of a crime and sent to imprisonment for life. He is stripped of his freedom and all he owns and rises to the top with only a goal in mind that he keeps dear to his heart. In The Alchemist, Santiago seeks to find treasure and on his journey, he finds his true love. This is very similar to The Odyssey when Odysseus is on the desperate search for treasure and finds that what he really wants is his wife and his home life. As the reader travels with these heroes through their personal journeys, the reader can start to notice

The Hero’s journey, or in its more correct terminology the Monomyth is an object from the area of comparative mythology. Its definition in the most basic of forms, it is a pattern or outline that is used in storytelling, usually the myth. This pattern is found in many famous pieces from all around the world. In the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces from 1949 by author Joseph Campbell, this pattern is described in detail. Campbell describes that numerous myths from different times and areas of the world seem to share an identical structure in their storytelling. He summarized this with a well-known quote found at the intro of his book:

The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there is something lacking in the normal experience available or permitted to the members of society. The person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life.

hero's journey is not solely “applicable to fiction but also to the journeys that everyone goes

Many amazing movies uses a journey to show that a character is a hero. In Shrek, Shrek goes through many obstacles to saveand saves Princess Fiona from the castle. By using the birth of a hero, a call to adventure, refusal to call, supernatural aid, the belly of a whale, the cross of the threshold, trials, goddesses, atonement, an ultimate boon, a “magic” flight, and the crossing of the return threshold, the writer of Shrek creates the idea of a hero’s journey occurring within the film.

Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the

Heroes are brave, determined, courageous, and selfless people whop embark on a journey in order to fulfill a goal for the better good, every heroes journey is different. Some heroes fight dragons to save the castle and some like Westley steal the princess in order to protect her, Westley goes on a long journey where he faces many enemies and challenges but, he continues his journey to rescue his one true love. In The Princess Bride a novel by William Goldman, the character Westley is a hero because, he experiences all 6 stages of the heroic archetype structure including being called to action, crossing threshold, the road of tests, meeting the helpers, trip to the underworld, and the quest.