The Monomyth (mythological telling of a heroic journey) is a narrative structure which a work of Fantasy usually takes leading into the three main stages: Departure, Initiation and Return. Within those three main stages there are sub stages, which the heroic character follows more simply like a path. The Monomyth also known as the Hero’s Journey, which was created by Joseph Campbell. This essay explores on how The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien fits or how it may not fit the cliché points of The Hero’s Journey as explored in the paragraphs below:
1. Departure:
This is the first stage of the Monomyth, which deals with the hero’s “adventure” prior to the quest/ journey.
• The Call to Adventure: This is in which the hero is given notice that their
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Some examples of the archetypes portrayed in the Monomyth are explored in the paragraphs below:
Archetypes:
• Skin-changer/ Shape shifter: In The Hobbit, it is shown that Beorn is the shape shifter because of Gandalf’s acknowledgement of him being a shape shifter as he conversed with Bilbo. “If you must know more, his name is Beorn. He is very strong and he is a skin-changer.” (Tolkien, 135) as the shape shifter is introduced. This passage reveals to us more and more about Tolkien’s understanding of the Monomyth as he incorporates one of the many archetypes related to the Monomyth into the story. Then later on into that same page Gandalf describes the animal he changes into, “Sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard.” This passage finally reveals to us how Beorn shape shifts helping us have a deeper meaning of how he can be of help or nuisance to the journey. “He is very strong and he is a skin-changer.” (Tolkien, 135), this interprets Beorn as strong, which fits the description of this archetype, as the character usually related to this is strong. Also, there may be other possible shape shifters, for example,
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He usually takes the form of a shy hobbit (Baggins form) as explained in this quote, “With poor little Bilbo at the back” (Tolkien, 73) then he takes the form of true leader engrossed in the true prophecy of the quest (Took) as explained in this quote, “Now he had become the real leader in their adventure” (Tolkien,?). But at times fear could be a ‘trigger’ to Bilbo’s change in sides. This can be linked back to the Refusal of the Call, as the hero is driven by the fear of failure or death not to embark on the journey. Tolkien’s writing style can help us understand when the fear is taking over by using words like “little” or “poor” and his Took side can be shown through Tolkien’s writing style by using words like “brave” and “leader” in context of Bilbo. In order to be a leader or hero they have to be brave and courageous. But though is not a physical shape shifter or skin changer, more of like a “soul” shifter. This doesn’t really fit the archetype as said above but as Bilbo’s character develops (from shy hobbit to a brave leader) throughout the whole story as Tolkien’s use of plot twist to change the characters or reveal the truth in interesting
Joseph Campbell is an American writer and mythologist. According to his teachings, all mythologies adopt the same pattern, recognized as the heroic Monomyth. The monomyth can also be defined as a hero's journey. Tons of heroic characters reflect the monomyth, regardless of the era, culture and literature it was made in. The epic poem Beowlf executes the theory of a hero's journey thoroghly.
RS 1118 Film Response Questions Prof. Hanson Star Wars IV: A New Hope 1. How does the film follow Joseph Campbell’s pattern of myth? If you think the film does not follow one of the criteria below, please explain why. 1)
Throughout history, humans have crafted countless stories of heroes, from the ancient journeys of Beowulf and Odysseus, to the modern ones of Harry Potter and Meredith Grey. At first glance, these stories are diverse in the extreme, coming from all different cultures and about all manner of heroes. One might think such different tales have nothing in common, but upon a closer examination, one notices a single plot template that is featured in almost every good story ever written. This idea, that heroic stories usually follow the same sequence of action, was realized by a mythologist named Joseph Campbell. Campbell calls this template the ‘Hero’s Journey’ or ‘Monomyth’, which has three major parts: separation, initiation, and return.
Story is an element that persists through the ages and connects all of mankind. The common themes of struggle, triumph, and rebirth are emotional stages that everyone can relate and bond over. Joseph Campbell first coined the term “Hero’s Journey” in the 20th century, while he was studying myths and legends from around the world. Campbell discovered there was a pattern in all of the stories, similar journeys that transcended across cultures and time periods. Thus he created the term “Hero’s Journey” or monomyth to depict the common template used to convey a hero’s adventure.
Cover page Abstract Introduction "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" is a fantasy novel written by English author J.R.R. Tolkien. It tells about adventures of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who was introduced by wizard Gandalf to thirteen dwarves that will accompany him in the journey. The goal of their quest is to reclaim the Lonely Mountain - home of the dwarves - with its treasures in it, which is now guarded by a dragon Smaug.
Bilbo’s Transformation/Maturation Some people say that people never change, while others believe that if given the chance, they will. In this case, J.R.R. Tolkien gives the character Bilbo Baggins the chance to change dramatically in his book The Hobbit. Bilbo undergoes many significant changes in his personality as a result of engaging in Gandalf's journey with the dwarves. The most important transformations include Bilbo going from cowardly to brave, from being ridiculed to respected and from being helpless to resourceful.
Avery George Professor Baldwin Honors English 3 February 2023 An In-Depth Analysis of the Character Development of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit At the beginning of The Hobbit Bilbo was a non-adventurous character. Throughout the book we get to see him come out of his shell more and more, but why? There is no denying that almost every character contributed to the development of Bilbo, but some characters help more than others.
No Doubt That Harry Potter Can Slytherin to Campbell’s Journey of the Hero The professor, author, and mythologist known as Joseph Campbell is known for writing the famous book The Hero with a Thousand Faces which contains the ubiquitous storyline known as the monomyth or the Hero’s Journey. This journey is the basic format of almost all stories or myths and how they follow a similar pattern, no matter when or by whom it was written. According to Christopher Vogler, “the Hero’s Journey is infinitely flexible, capable of endless variation without sacrificing any of its magic, and it will outlive us all,” (20).
The basic structure of the myth he extrapolates from all these myths is the following: “The hero is the child of most distinguished parents; usually the son of a king. His origin is preceded by difficulties, such as continence, or prolonged barrenness, or secret intercourse of the parent, due to external prohibition or obstacles. During the pregnancy, or antedating the same, there is a prophecy, in form of a dream or oracle, cautioning against his birth, and usually threatening danger to the father, or his representative. As a rule, he is surrendered to the water, in a box. He is then saved by animals or by lowly people (shepherds) and is suckled by a female animal or a humble woman.
The company faces many challenges while Gandalf aids them. Eventually, Bilbo becomes forced to take charge and lead the company to the mountain. The experiences Bilbo encounters throughout his journey define and shape him into the hero he becomes. The Hobbit follows the story of Bilbo by mirroring the heroic journey, showing Bilbo’s dramatic change from the Hobbit he once was.
Bilbo is a hobbit which is small people with furry feet. He lives near the busting village of Hobbiton. When Gandalf arrived everything changed for Bilbo. He was sent on a quest with thirteen dwarves to get there treasure back. Bilbo’s role in this quest is the burglar.
Disney’s The Lion King is constructed on references to previous works, however, the strongest pattern that the story follows is that of the hero story, created by a person named Joseph Campbell. The prototypal hero journey, additionally called Campbell’s monomyth, could be a pattern supported human psyches and behaviors that's found in stories from round the world. The monomyth consists of many completely different stages that a “hero” should endure, contained in many basic parts of the journey: the departure, the initiation, and therefore the come. The first section of the hero’s journey is termed the departure that begins with a decision to journey.
A hero's journey by Joseph Campbell involves twelve steps. The hero's journey states that the hero must go through several stages in order to prepare themselves for heroism. These steps are, the ordinary world, the call to adventure, refusal to call , supernatural aid, crossing the threshold , entering the unknown, challenges and allies, approach, the supreme ordeal, reward, resurrection, and finally the return with elixir. In the Book A hero with a thousand faces A hero ventures forth from the world of the natural day into a region of supernatural wonders. Along the way enemies are there encountered and a major victory occurs .
In order to understand why the monomyth and the hero’s quest are both so pivotal to understanding the human condition you have to be able to understand what it is that causes humans to act the way that they do. You have to learn to understand that there is a journey that you have to complete no matter what the situation is. Joseph Campbell’s the theory of monomyth and the hero’s quest is important to understanding the human condition. Joseph Campbell author of The hero with a thousand faces believes that you can find a hero’s quest in almost all of the movies and books that have been published as well as in the real world. Campbell’s argument is, that his belief of a hero’s quest transfers over into everyday life regardless of the location of the story.
Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a very complex character. Throughout the story it is shown that a cowardly hobbit, slowly grows up and becomes the hero his friends need him to be. Bilbo Baggins is shown to be a hero, who is slowly being corrupted by the evil power of the ring. Throughout this novel it is because of the ring Bilbo is able to rise to the occasion and become the hero he was meant to be, but the power of the ring can corrupt even the purest of hearts.