hero's journey poetry

10 of the Best Poems about Heroes and Heroism

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Ever since Homer composed his epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey , poetry has been concerned with heroes and heroism. Sometimes it’s extolled the virtues of bravery and heroics, while at other times poets have held our ideas and ideals of ‘heroism’ and ‘heroes’ up for more critical scrutiny. Below is a selection of both kinds.

Sappho, ‘ He Is More Than a Hero ’.

Since we mentioned Homer’s ancient Greek epic poetry in our introduction, we may as well begin this selection of classic poems about heroes with a poem from a similar era, by the greatest female poet from that period.

Although it only briefly touches upon the theme of heroism, the poem suggests the importance of heroes to writers of Sappho’s time (c. 630-570 BCE), and is also an early example of a female poet writing to another woman about her desire for her.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, ‘ Ulysses ’.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

We could have chosen a number of other Tennyson poems here – ‘ The Charge of the Light Brigade ’ is one obvious alternative – but we’ve opted for ‘Ulysses’ because it’s about a hero of classical myth, Odysseus (or Ulysses to the Romans) and so follows Sappho’s poem nicely.

In this classic dramatic monologue, the ageing Ulysses prepares to leave his home of Ithaca and sail off into the sunset on one last adventure. Is he old and deluded, a man who cannot just accept he’s past it? Or is he a bold and hardy adventurer whose persistence we should admire as – well, as heroic ? Readers are often divided on that issue…

Rabindranath Tagore, ‘ The Hero ’.

The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was known as the Bard of Bengal and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, wrote this long poem about a child who imagines that he saves his mother from dacoits, or bandits. Tagore contrasts the exciting world of heroism in the imagination with the rather humdrum and uneventful daily reality of living.

Katharine Tynan, ‘ A Hero ’.

Ireland has its fair share of heroes, and here, Tynan pays tribute to one:

He was so foolish, the poor lad, He made superior people smile Who knew not of the wings he had Budding and growing all the while; Nor that the laurel wreath was made Already for his curly head.

Silly and childish in his ways; They said: ‘His future comes to naught.’ His future! In the dreadful days When in a toil his feet were caught He hacked his way to glory bright Before his day went down in night.

Follow the link above to read the full poem.

AE, ‘ The Last Hero ’.

We laid him to rest with tenderness; Homeward we turned in the twilight’s gold; We thought in ourselves with dumb distress— All the story of earth is told.

A beautiful word at the last was said: A great deep heart like the hearts of old Went forth; and the speaker had lost the thread, Or all the story of earth was told.

The dust hung over the pale dry ways Dizzily fired with the twilight’s gold, And a bitter remembrance blew in each face How all the story of earth was told.

AE, real name George William Russell (1867-1935), wrote this poem during the First World War, when the traditional idea of heroism was being sorely tested by machine warfare and mass industrial slaughter.

Amy Lowell, ‘ Hero-Worship ’.

Lowell became head of the imagists after Ezra Pound left the movement to help found Vorticism, although Lowell’s poetry is written in a variety of styles and bears the mark of numerous disparate influences. We include the full text of her hero-worship poem below:

A face seen passing in a crowded street, A voice heard singing music, large and free; And from that moment life is changed, and we Become of more heroic temper, meet To freely ask and give, a man complete Radiant because of faith, we dare to be What Nature meant us. Brave idolatry Which can conceive a hero! No deceit, No knowledge taught by unrelenting years, Can quench this fierce, untamable desire. We know that what we long for once achieved Will cease to satisfy. Be still our fears; If what we worship fail us, still the fire Burns on, and it is much to have believed.

Robert William Service, ‘ A Hero ’.

As a society we tend to celebrate heroes, and the bravery of those willing to fight and even die to protect us from those who would do us harm. But what psychological impact does being a killer, or potential killer, have on a soldier? What sort of psychological type does it take to make a good soldier? Here, Service speaks in the voice of a man haunted by his demons, and by the strong desire to kill.

Siegfried Sassoon, ‘ The Hero ’.

The First World War, as we remarked above, wasn’t the most heroic of wars: although many individual acts of bravery were witnessed, the new mechanised way of fighting with poison gas and shells meant that one could be ignominiously killed simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In this angry poem, Sassoon tells it how it is: Jack was just an ordinary young lad who tried his best to avoid being killed in the war, but back home, his grieving mother has to tell herself the lie that her boy was brave – was, indeed, a hero.

Dylan Thomas, ‘ My Hero Bares His Nerves ’.

Is this a poem about the visceral, powerful act of writing, or about having some, ahem, ‘time to oneself’ in the toilet? That all depends on how we interpret the ‘hero’ which Thomas holds in his hand – but by the final line, the latter interpretation seems far more likely (although the ‘cistern’ here should probably be read figuratively rather than literally). An unusual take on the idea of the ‘hero’, for sure…

Eavan Boland, ‘ Heroic ’.

Ireland has had its fair share of heroes in history and myth, and in this contemporary poem, the female Irish poet Eavan Boland muses upon how she fits in with Ireland’s heroic past.

Although, as Boland has said in an interview, no statue such as she describes in the poem actually exists, it neatly expresses the aspects of the hero which Boland associates with Irish culture and history. The poem is a sonnet – but note how each line ends with the same consonant, the ‘n’ sound.

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The Hero’s Journey

By Tony Hoagland

I remember the first time I looked at the spotless marble floor     of a giant hotel lobby         and understood that someone had waxed and polished it all night

and that someone else had pushed his cart of cleaning supplies     down the long air-conditioned corridors         of the Steinberg Building across the street

and emptied all two hundred and forty-three wastebaskets     stopping now and then to scrape up chewing gum         with a special flat-bladed tool                                                                        he keeps in his back pocket.

It tempered my enthusiasm for “The Collected Sonnets of Hugh      Pembley-Witherton”            and for Kurt von Heinzelman’s “Epic of the Seekers for the Grail,”

Chapter 5, “The Trial,” in which he describes how the     “tall and fair-complexioned” knight, Gawain,            makes camp one night beside a windblown cemetery

but cannot sleep for all the voices                                                   rising up from underground—

Let him stay out there a hundred nights, the little wonder boy,     with his thin blanket and his cold armor and his                                                                            useless sword, until he understands exactly how     the glory of the protagonist is always paid for                                                       by a lot of secondary characters.

In the morning he will wake and gallop back to safety;     he will hear his name embroidered into toasts and songs.

But now he knows there is a country he had not accounted for,     and that country has its citizens:

the one-armed baker sweeping out his shop at 4 A.M. ;

soldiers fitting every horse in Prague with diapers                                                             before the emperor’s arrival;

and that woman in the nursing home,     who has worked there for a thousand years,

taking away the bedpans,     lifting up and wiping off the soft heroic buttocks of Odysseus.

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By Casey Cep

By Isaac Chotiner

By Richard Brody

By Sinéad O’Sullivan

Poetic Alchemist

Poetry by Don Iannone

Category: Poem about the Hero’s Journey

Heroes in our own life stories.

Heroes, all of us, in our own life stories Travelers, you and me A journey, each day to find ourselves A lifetime to discover what we’ve lost

Reluctant at times to accept the challenge– we are to ourselves or the challenge nonexistent places pose

Lost at times, all of us Both within and outside ourselves Adversity, around each corner Our biggest monsters always within

Romance, laced between footsteps Too often in love with ourselves, and forever in love with whatever we seek Wedded we are, to the myth bringing us here

Lost arks, holy grails, new lands discovered Apparent destinations, the journey’s end But even reaching the end–no end in sight Heroes we become, only when we go beyond

Eventually comes the morning, we awaken Like the sun, we shine, and finally see what we’ve lost Only then, can we go home

Inspired by Joseph Campbell , Carl Jung and my teacher Jonathan Young

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A Hero’s Journey

By jasmine l.

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I see a world through flimsy pages, It houses heroes and fantasy themes. Its arms welcome me there, When I yearn for home and belonging. I journey through woods in all the shades of green, Waving like snakes before a charmer, I explore moody mountains. Strong, tall, fierce mountains, High above the ground. When the sun falls to sleep By the windy hums and tunes Night awakes. Night a canvas, With sprinkled jewels. Boats that sail on mirrored waters embark on a journey. Jolly, wooden structures, Traveling to the west. With sails that flutter In the susurrating wind. I ride a sailing boat. In an adventure, Climbing waves, defying winds. I sail with a friend. My partner. My buddy. A friend that always will be with me; My notebook.

Image Credit: From the Metropolitan Museum of Art  , via Open Access

The Ramayana originated in north India as an oral epic poem, performed with musical accompaniment and dance. Written, illustrated manuscripts of the poem were later produced from Pakistan to Indonesia. This means that the Ramayana has expressions in oral performance, dance, music, literature, and illustration. Modern iterations of the tale extend to film, television, comic books, and animation.

The Hero's Journey: Ramayana

Interview with Robert Goldman

This interview with Robert Goldman analyzes the Ramayana through the lens of the Hero's Journey. 

Storyteller

How was the epic transmitted?

The Valmiki Ramayana is a monumental epic poem about the exemplary hero and divine incarnation, Lord Råmacandra, of the ancient North Indian kingdom of Kosala.  The way the poem came to be composed is itself an interesting story, which is told in the opening chapters of the epic itself.  One day the legendary sage Valmiki received a visit in his ashram (forest hermitage) from the divine seer Narada.  The sage asked his guest if there were any truly noble, heroic, and virtuous men in the world of their day.  Narada replied by narrating briefly the virtues and history of King Rama.  Upon the seer's departure, Valmiki walked to the banks of the nearby river to perform his obligatory ritual bath. There he became entranced by sight of pair of beautiful cranes mating.  As the enraptured sage watched the birds a tribal hunter, taking advantage of the couples’ absorption in one another, shot and killed the male bird.  Witnessing this terrible act and hearing the piteous cries of the bereaved hen crane, Valmiki spontaneously cursed the hunter.  To his astonishment, the curse emerged from his mouth as a perfectly formed metrical verse, suitable for recitation to the accompaniment of musical instruments.

Valmiki returned to his ashram, pondering this strange event. Suddenly his musings were interrupted by the arrival of the great creator divinity, Lord Brahma.  The god informed the sage that it was he himself who had inspired him to create a new medium of verbal expression that had enable him to transform the powerful emotion of grief (shoka) into poetry (shloka). Brahma further informed Valmiki that the purpose of this divine inspiration was to enable the sage to render the highly edifying tale of Lord Rama that he had been told by Narada into a great epic poem that would be both morally uplifting and aesthetically pleasing. Valmiki with the benefit of the divine insight granted him by the god, then composed the Ramayana, a massive epic in seven books (kandas) containing some 50,000 lines of Sanskrit verse.

Valmiki then taught his orally composed poem, which was designed for public musical performance, to his disciples.  The most apt and talented of these are a pair of twin boys named Lava and Kusha.  We learn in the course of the epic, that the two are actually the sons of Rama, who is, however, unaware of their existence.  The two young bards take their show on the road, as it were, and perform the epic in the towns and villages of Kosala.  After some time, King Rama, who is ruling in the capital city of Ayodhya, hears of these two brilliant singers of tales and summons them to a command performance at the royal court.  There the twins perform the epic for its hero. 

From this charming story, which serves as the prologue to the Valmiki Ramayana, we learn that the epic was orally produced, performed, and transmitted in the early years of its existence.  Although this oral transmission was long ago supplanted by manuscript transmission, as the principal means of handing the epic down from one generation to another, many traditions and types of Ramayana performance- including recitation, folk and ritual drama, stage play, songs, puppet theater, and video and cinema-have continued to keep the epic tale with its heroes, heroines, and villains alive for Indian and Southeast Asian audiences down to the present day.

How is the hero's pedigree mythically established?

The society depicted in the Sanskrit epics was divided into four great social/functional classes known as varnas.  These classes, which were thought to derive originally from the parts of the body of a primal sacrificial human, were the brahman or priestly class, the kshatriya or ruling class, the vaishya or mercantile/agricultural class, and the shudra or servile class. The varnas were ranked in a strict hierarchical order of prestige, purity, and authority from the brahman to the shudra and were considered to impermeable categories, from which an individual could not escape during the course of a single lifetime.  Of the four classes only the three highest are fully admitted into the socio-religious fold of brahmanical society through their eligibility for participation in the vedic rituals and rites of passage.  For the purposes of the Sanskrit epics, however, only the brahmans and the noble kshatriyas are worthy of the poets notice.

Of the various royal kshatryia lineages known to the ancient Indian texts, two stand out above the rest for their antiquity, nobility, pedigree, and near divinity.  These are the dynasties that trace their pedigree all the way back to the sun and the moon respectively.  The ruling family of Kosola into which the epic's hero, Råma, is born, is the great solar dynasty [suryavamsa] also known as the Raghu and Ikshvaku dynasty after two of its most celebrated dynasts.  Thus, the epic assures us that the hero of the noblest possible pedigree.

Although birth in the Raghu dynasty is considered among the noblest possible, Rama's birth is more noble still because of a set of divine circumstances that set him apart even from his noble forebears.  At the time of Rama's birth, the epic tells us the universe itself was in a state of acute crisis. The Hindu gods had been defeated in battle by a terrible and monstrous demon enemy, the great ten-headed rakshasa tyrant Ravana.   Through severe austerities, this demon had secured a boon from Lord Brahma, which granted him invulnerability to the gods and all other supernatural beings.  In his arrogance, however, Ravana had neglected to ask for immunity at the hands of lowly humans.

Oppressed by Ravana's tyranny and distressed at his disruption of the vedic sacrificial religion, the gods sought refuge at the feet of the great lord Vishnu.  In his compassion for the suffering of the gods and brahmans and in his desire to restore the rule of dharma or righteousness, Vishnu agrees to take birth as a kind of god-man who will thus be able to circumvent the terms of Brahma's boon and destroy Ravana.  Seeking a lofty enough lineage in which to take on human form, he selects the noble House of the Raghus.

At this very moment, the childless King Dasharatha, the reigning solar dynast, is performing a sacrifice, the purpose of which is to produce for him a son and heir.  Suddenly a divine being emerges from the sacrificial fire bearing a great golden vessel containing milk-pudding [payasa], infused with the essence of Lord Vishnu.  Dasharatha feeds the payasa in varying portions to his three queens, Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, who conceive and give birth four sons.  These are Rama, Bharata, and the twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

In this way we see that the pedigree of Rama is, in fact, over-determined as the purest possible for an earthly king.

What calls the hero to take action?

In consequence of the political intrigue at the Kosalan capital, Rama along with his faithful wife Sita and devoted younger brother Lakshmana is forced into exile as a forest hermit for fourteen years on the very eve of his consecration as king.  During his exile, he approached by groups of forest ascetics and sacrificers who complain of their continual harassment at the hands of the impious and bloodthirsty rakshasas. As a representative of royal authority it is Rama's obligation to protect the virtuous brahmans and he vows to do so.

In the meanwhile, he is accosted in his own sylvan retreat by the lustful sister of the demon king Ravana.  This creature, called Shurpanakha, proposes that Rama abandon his wife, in favor of her.  Rama teases her for awhile, but when she turns to attack Sita, he has Lakshmana disfigure her and drive her away.  She runs to her powerful brothers, the rakshasas Khara and Dushana, who lead a huge punitive expedition against the royal brothers.  Rama, however, exterminates virtually all of his rakshasa enemies.  At length Shurapanakha throws herself before her eldest brother Ravana, bewailing her brutal treatment at Rama's hands.  Lustful Ravana, however, is more interested in his sister's description of the beautiful Sita than in her own tale of woe.  He then sets in motion a plan whereby he can abduct and possess this exquisite woman thus avenging himself on her husband.

Ravana compels one of his subordinates to take on the form of a irresistibly beautiful deer, which will captivate Sita who will then send Rama and ultimately Lakshmana in pursuit of it. Ravana then takes on the form of a kindly forest hermit to approach Sita.  Taking on his terrible native form, Ravana seizes Sita and carries her off to his island fortress of Lanka.

The abduction of his beautiful and beloved wife is, of course, the ultimate provocation to Rama, who sets out in pursuit of her and to avenge himself on her abductor.

What are the qualities of a hero revealed during the tests?

Rama faces several severe tests during the course of the epic. The first comes when he participates in a contest of strength and military skill at the court of King Janaka of Mithila.  Janaka has vowed that no man shall merit the hand of his exquisite daughter Sita if he cannot prove his manhood by lifting the immensely heavy bow of Lord Shiva that is in his possession.  Although the mightiest kings of India have failed at this test, Rama though still a mere boy easily lifts and breaks the great bow. In so doing he reveals the qualities of strenght, courage, confidence, and fortitude, as well as the superhuman power that is inherent in him as an earthly manifestation of the great Lord Vishnu.

Rama's second great test comes when he is abruptly informed by his stepmother Kaikeyi on the very eve of his consecration as king that he must immediately abandon his wealth, power, and possessions, and dwell a homeless and penniless wanderer in the wilderness for fourteen years.  In his response to this dramatic reversal of fortune, Rama reveals what are among his most noteworthy qualities, including stoicism, self-sacrifice, equanimity, and above deference to the wishes of his elders.

Rama again is tested by the abduction of his beloved wife, Sita.  Although his immediate reaction to this calamity is one of almost unbounded rage and grief, the hero is able to compose himself and marshal his resources sufficiently to recruit a vast army of monkeys, build a great causeway across the ocean, lay siege to the impregnable fortress of Lanka, and in the end slay the immensely powerful Ravana in single combat.  In so doing he reveals his qualities of self-control, leadership, courage, strength, and martial skill.

Rama's final test is perhaps the strangest and most controversial of all. Once he has returned victorious from war and exile and has at last been consecrated with his beloved queen in Ayodhya, he learns through his spies some disturbing news.  He hears that people of the city gossiping about the king's having taken back into his household a woman who has lived in the house of another man.  Although Rama loves Sita deeply and is fully confident of her absolute faithfulness he takes the deeply disturbing and controversial step of having her banished from the kingdom.  In this distressing episode reveals the qualities of idealized Indian monarch, who places what he sees as the public good and the people's confidence in the integrity of their ruler above the personal and emotional.

Helpers & Tools

Where does the hero's power come from?

In the course of his quest to recover his abducted wife, Rama encounters many helpers.  The vulture king Jatayu confronts Ravana as he is abducting Sita, and dies in the attempt to stop him.  Before his death, however, the mortally wounded bird is able to inform Rama that Ravana has carried his wife away.

Rama then forms an alliance with the king of the monkeys, Sugriva, who places his vast armies at Rama's disposal.  Many of these monkeys offer signal service to Rama in his campaign but none is so important or helpful as the mighty son of the wind god, the monkey Hanuman.   Hanuman leaps over the ocean to discover Sita in her captivity, reassures the despairing princess, lays waste to the city of Lanka, slaying many of its warriors, and confronting Ravana himself.  Later in the epic, when Rama and his brother have been struck down by the poisonous weapons of the rakshasas Hanuman flies to the Himalayas and carries back a mountain, on which the herbs needed for their recovery are growing.

Rama is also powerfully aided by Ravana's brother Vibhishana, who reveals to Rama many of the military secrets of the rakshasas.

Finally and most significantly Rama is everywhere aided and protected by his loyal younger brother Lakshmana whom the poet describes as Rama's virtual second self.

Råma's principal tool in accomplishing his quest is his great bow, which he wields with unparalleled skill and effectiveness.

Return & Elixer-prize

What does the hero accomplish?

Rama's accomplishment of his quest and his mission is complete.  As a warrior hero he has managed to traverse the ocean, defeat a powerful enemy and recover his abducted wife.  As an exemplar of idealized Indian social conduct he unflinchingly obeys the reluctant command of his father, lives out his appointed years of exile, and returns triumphant to rule his ancestral kingdom and inaugurate a new golden age of justice and righteousness.  Finally an incarnation or avatar of Lord Vishnu, he destroys the demonic forces of unrighteousness and restore the rule of dharma and the sovereignty of the gods.

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Ramayana through Dance

Ramayana navarasa.

Modern digital versions  of maps depicting the route of the Ramayana augment older images.

Perform a Ramayana Shadow Play in Class!

Ramayana Resources

Read summaries of the narrative, including one illustrated with art from different regions. See a beautiful digitized version of the tale. Watch a controversial modern film based on the epic.

Hero’s Journey® Foundation 

The man watching, – rilke (trans. robert bly).

I can tell by the way the trees beat, after so many dull days, on my worried windowpanes that a storm is coming, and I hear the far-off fields say things I can’t bear without a friend, I can’t love without a sister.

The storm, the shifter of shapes, drives on across the woods and across time, and the world looks as if it had no age: the landscape, like a line in the psalm book, is seriousness and weight and eternity.

What we choose to fight is so tiny! What fights with us is so great. If only we would let ourselves be dominated as things do by some immense storm, we would become strong too, and not need names.

When we win it’s with small things, and the triumph itself makes us small. What is extraordinary and eternal does not want to be bent by us. I mean the Angel who appeared to the wrestlers of the Old Testament: when the wrestlers’ sinews grew long like metal strings, he felt them under his fingers like chords of deep music.

Whoever was beaten by this Angel (who often simply declined the fight) went away proud and strengthened and great from that harsh hand, that kneaded him as if to change his shape. Winning does not tempt that man. This is how he grows: by being defeated, decisively, by constantly greater beings.

                –Translated by Robert Bly

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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Tweetspeak Poetry

Writer’s Workshop: The Hero’s Journey for Storytellers

By T.S. Poetry 8 Comments

The Hero’s Journey for Storytellers Workshop, September 8-November 30

Sign up by Sep 4!

For storytellers, the word, ‘hero’, is like the word ‘home’ —powerful indeed. To be a hero is to be at home in our own lives. It’s to decrease our emphasis on the warrior archetype and begin to live in the transformative and miraculous power of the magician archetype.

How can we create powerful stories and courageous heroes that inspire transformation?

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey is about finding the hero in the stories that are our lives and giving the hero expression. It’s saying yes to the hero when the hero shows up. We face down our demons and transform our fears into places of magical and miraculous potential. When we’re able to do that, we’re empowered from the deepest places inside ourselves.

Chris Vogler notes in  The Writer’s Journey …

The Hero’s Journey is not an invention, but an observation. It is a recognition of a beautiful design, a set of principles that govern the conduct of life and the world of storytelling the way physics and chemistry govern the physical world…The Hero’s Journey is a pattern that seems to extend in many dimensions, describing more than one reality. It accurately describes, among other things, the process of making a journey, the necessary working parts of a story, the joys and despairs of being a writer, and the passage of a soul through life.

This workshop will help you identify the journey you want to write about, decide whether you want to approach your hero’s journey through fiction or nonfiction, and then find the courage to say yes to the “call to adventure” and move into the world of The Hero’s Journey.

8-Week Course Includes

1. What the Hero’s Journey is and how it informs your life; how you can become the hero of your own life through writing your stories; the potential to move from deep-seated perception of the self as victim and start thinking of the self as hero

2. Touching your passion for the story idea you’ve chosen; becoming clear about the archetypes in your idea; identifying the stages of the journey and organizing story events into a form

3. Hooking the reader; introducing the hero and his psychic wound; establishing your hero’s background; creating an initial mood, image or metaphor; asking the sacred question; positioning the inciting incident; moving behind the Herald’s mask

4. The hero’s avoidance of the call; creative excuses for his resistance; the challenge of the Threshold Guardians; the appearance of the Mentor; the many masks of the Mentor

5. Approaching the threshold and encountering the Threshold Guardians; crossing the threshold; contrasting the ordinary world and the special world; testing the Hero; discerning who are allies and who are enemies; new rules of the special world

6. Deciding on the Hero’s approach to his adventure; encountering the obstacles; creative appeals to the Threshold Guardians; complications and higher stakes; stepping back to reorganize; breakthrough; no exit; death and rebirth; crisis; facing the Shadow; taste of death and cheating death; crisis of the heart; facing the greatest fear; death of the ego

7. Celebrating the victory; campfire and/or love scenes; taking possession of the external or internal goal; facing death; rededication to the call; renewed motivation in the face of retaliation from the enemy; chase scenes; final setback

8. Cleansing from the smell of death and an emerging new self: showdown and the highest stake yet; climax and catharsis;  understanding the character arc; the hero’s sacrifice; denouement; the circular story form vs. the open-ended story form; surprise; reward and punishment; identifying the Elixir

12-Week Course Also Includes

1. Exploring the Anti-Hero; the difference between the hero and the anti-hero; the anti-hero’s journey; getting real with your anti-hero—his vulnerabilities and unleashed demons; the Shadow’s influence; the anti-hero’s character arc

2. Exploring the Tragic Hero; the appeal of the Tragic Hero; the pitfalls of the Tragic Hero; the redemption of the Tragic Hero

3. A look at your theme, structure, voice, style, and tone

4. Marketing your story to the right audience; learning to use your Hero’s Journey in an ongoing way as a metaphor for your life; final charge to the confirmed Hero’s Journey storyteller

Basic Approach

Weekly materials provided in a private online group setting. Attend at your convenience (asynchronous setup). Experienced workshop leader will respond to your writing weekly to help you get to the next level, regardless of your current expertise. If you produce something that is publishable at Tweetspeak Poetry and are recommended by your workshop leader, we might publish your work (with your permission, of course).

Private online group setting and all class materials are included in the price.

Your Hero’s Journey Workshop Leader

Gloria Kempton  has over 25 years of writing and publishing experience. Author of eleven books and hundreds of published stories, she has taught, coached, and mentored more than 10, 000 writers through online entities such as  Writers Digest  and in person at conferences. Also an experienced editor, Kempton knows how to guide you into writing that editors are seeking and that readers want to read.

What Our Workshop Participants Have Said

Participant from The Writing Life: One of the best investments I’ve ever made, anywhere.

Participant from The Writing Life: Beyond excellent. Ann and Charity were professional, empathetic, and insightful as readers, group leaders, and teachers. They brought a terrific mix of professionalism, wisdom, and FUN to the workshop!

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Lexanne Leonard: The most important step I’ve taken is to join Tweetspeak’s Poetry Workshop with Anne Doe Overstreet. I cannot begin to thank Tweetspeak, Anne, and my fellow students for this journey.

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Barbara McDowell Whitt says

August 4, 2014 at 10:09 pm

“The Hero’s Journey,” of course, informs the memoir form of writing, but to think of it as a groundwork for poetry is fascinating.

L. L. Barkat says

August 5, 2014 at 9:35 am

What an intriguing thought, Barbara. I wonder how that plays out, or could. Is each person either the victim or the hero of his/her own poem?

August 5, 2014 at 10:40 am

L.L. (Laura) Barkat, I guess I was thinking of a poet creating a hero’s journey within a poem. I recently read somewhere online about a victor/victim concept.

SimplyDarlene says

August 5, 2014 at 11:20 am

Will those two linked books be the basis of the class? And, is there a Gloria fan club discount?

August 6, 2014 at 2:43 pm

I will ask Gloria about the books question. As for the fan club, well, that makes me smile 🙂

August 9, 2014 at 1:11 pm

This sounds so exciting to do from home. I’m hoping to find some classes here at Vol State in Gallatin, TN where they will give senior discounts and maybe some for the disabled. I’ve been on disability for over ten years now and sometimes they work with you on the cost. Walking can be the most painful thing you’ve ever done. Went to Target and got so tried, was in the back of the store, cried all the way to the front. I haven’t been back since.

Elizabeth W. Marshall says

August 22, 2014 at 1:12 pm

Some of those phrases ^^^ and lines could be or may be attributed to me about a workshop I participated in last year. I am predisposed to being a fan of any and all workshops which come out of this place. But this…. this sounds like pure delight. I am thrilled at the prospects and am now pondering the timing of a committment to this adventure. My writing needs this. My heart and so need this. ( need being used loosely here and sounding like a first world problem. But alas, you know what I mean.) So intrigued. So tempted. pondering….pondering 🙂

August 22, 2014 at 1:49 pm

We are certainly here to help you ponder 😉

Come, sit a while with sweet tea. Let’s rock on the porch. And consider the possibilities of the hero’s journey.

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The Hero’s Journey: Literature & Composition, 2nd Edition

The books in the Hero’s Journey: Literature & Composition, Second Edition, feature ordinary people who find themselves in circumstances that require extraordinary acts, and how these acts relate to the archetypal hero’s journey. Lessons provide historical background on the setting and author, and discussion points for exploring literary themes and issues with family and peers. Students develop a wide range of composition skills throughout the course, using techniques and formats such as comparative essays, first-person writing, figurative language, summarizing, poetry, persuasive writing, inferential reading and contextual clues, and observational writing.

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Megan Willome

The hero’s poetry journey, introduction.

January 6, 2023 By

or How memorizing poetry gave me everything I didn’t know I needed for my hero’s journey

A friend gifted me a poetry book for Christmas, handing it over with an apology: “I don’t really get poetry.”

Oh, friend. Whoever told you had to get it?

The book is “Call Us What We Carry” by Amanda Gorman, a Now-poet. The day I began reading it I also encountered a sonnet by a Then-poet, John Milton . Both had something to say to me, something beyond understanding.

Because I don’t read poetry to understand it. I read it to steal what I need.

When it comes to poetry, I am a Rainbow Crow , swiping every sparkly word, every bright line, every delicious stanza. Each month I take a poem to my secret stash-nest and cuddle. By the end of the month I’ve learned it by heart (usually). Then I release it back to the wild — here , there , and on Soundcloud .

When Tweetspeak Poetry suggested I begin a poetry memorization practice , I didn’t know how, lunar turn by lunar turn, I would be getting the gifts I need for my hero’s journey, poem by poem.

Poetry understands me. The poet may not know what stage of my never-ending story I am at today, but the poem knows. A Then-poem has traveled many journeys and knows mine is no different. A Now-poem knows mine is unique to this very moment. For a few minutes I steep in beauty, and all is well.

Would you like to join me? You can — for the next fourteen weeks.

The Hero’s Poetry Journey starts January 13!

I’ll share poems I’ve memorized that correspond to the stages of the hero’s journey. If you like one of the poems, consider memorizing it yourself. ( Here’s how! )  Or find your own poem, perhaps one that winks at you and begs you to zoom out of the clouds and snatch it.

Most days I don’t feel like a hero. I’d say, along with Emily Dickinson, “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” But I am on a journey. We all are. Who knows what poems might be made from our steps.

“Megan Willome has captured the essence of crow in this delightful children’s collection. Not only do the poems introduce the reader to the unusual habits and nature of this bird, but also different forms of poetry as well.”

—Michelle Ortega, poet and children’s speech pathologist

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Author of "Rainbow Crow" and "The Joy of Poetry," both from TS Poetry Press. Writer and editor here, there, and a bit of everywhere.

Teaching the Hero’s Journey

To introduce the Hero’s Journey, I first teach my students about the Hero’s Journey. Then, I show the Ted Ed video “What Makes a Hero?” by Matthew Winkler. This video is spectacular for a couple reasons. First, I love how it presents the Hero’s Journey in relation to a clock and a cycle. This visual sticks with the students. I also like how this video relates to the notion of the Hero’s Journey to students in their everyday lives.

Once we go over the video, we then read a short story and track the protagonist’s journey as a hero. Together, we identify each element of the Hero’s Journey cycle as outlined in the video and then discuss the qualities that make the character a hero. This helps me gauge whether or not my students are ready for the Hero’s Journey project. I have a graphic organizer in my Sticky Note Literary Analysis Unit.

The Hero’s Journey poster project is one of my favorite projects of the year. Students form groups of 2-3 and select a movie or book that they feel is a quintessential representation of the Hero’s Journey. Together, they discuss the movie and create a poster that represents all of the elements of the Hero’s Journey. I provide my students with a tabloid size piece of paper (affiliate link) for the project so they have more space to create.

To conclude the assignment, I have students present their findings to the class so that they can practice their presentation and public speaking skills.

I usually give my students 2-3 days of class time to work in their groups.

Teaching the Hero’s Journey: the 12 Stages

Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is a narrative structure that describes the typical stages that a hero undergoes in a story. Following along with the arch, these are the 12 stages of the hero’s journey.

• The Ordinary World: The hero begins in a normal, mundane world, often unaware of the adventure that awaits.
• The Call to Adventure: The hero receives a call to leave their ordinary world and embark on a journey.
• Refusal of the Call: The hero initially hesitates or refuses the call, often due to fear or a sense of inadequacy.
• Meeting the Mentor: The hero encounters a mentor or guide who provides guidance, advice, or tools for the journey.
• Crossing the First Threshold: The hero commits to the adventure and crosses into the unknown, leaving their ordinary world behind.
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero faces a series of challenges, makes new friends, and encounters adversaries on the journey.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave: The hero approaches a critical point in the journey, often facing their greatest fear or confronting a powerful enemy.
• Ordeal: The hero undergoes a significant trial or ordeal that tests their abilities and resolve.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword): After overcoming the ordeal, the hero earns a reward or gains a valuable insight that propels them forward.
• The Road Back: The hero begins the journey back to their ordinary world, often pursued by enemies or facing additional challenges.
• Resurrection: The hero faces a final, often life-threatening challenge that transforms them and solidifies their hero status.
• Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to their ordinary world with newfound knowledge, a treasure, or a boon that benefits themselves and others.

This is the first of two blog posts that outlines how I teach the Hero’s Journey. The next post will be about short stories and poems that you can use in your classroom when teaching the Hero’s Journey.

12 Comments

I love the idea of this project. Students are making connections between their favorite movies or tv shows and the concept they are learning. I want to revisit this blog post once I am a teacher and see if I can create something similar based on my curriculum.

Hi Angel, Thank you for reading.

Hi! This is great!

What were the texts (poems and short stories) that you would use to teach the hero's journey?

Hi Yinka, Thank you for reading. I will be publishing a blog post this weekend about the literature I use when teaching hero's journey.

I did a long unit with my high school students where we watched the cartoon mini Series Over the Garden Wall then plotted the moments of the Hero’s Journey together.

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I love this project. I would like to try it with my grade 11 ESL students.

I forget to ask: Which short story do you use with your graphic organizer?

One of my favorite stories to use is Contents of a Dead Man's Pockets.

I so love this project. Will the project guidelines and rubric be available for purchase on your TPT store? Thanks so much for sharing this great idea!

I don't have a rubric for this assignment right now. It is one that I give mostly full credit on as long as students mostly get the concept.

I have been tinkering with adjusting my units for next year so that there is a cohesive, year-long focus. I never thought about teaching The Hero's Journey first thing, but I like the sound of this! Coincidentally, my first short story is "Thank You, M'am" which you mentioned in the second post. Thanks yet again for making me a better teacher!

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Last updated on Aug 10, 2023

The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

FREE RESOURCE

Hero's Journey Template

Plot your character's journey with our step-by-step template.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development : as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

• The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
• Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
• Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
• Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
• Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
• The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
• Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
• Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero! ). Let's dive into it.

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

• Decide to go forth of their own volition;
• Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
• Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
• Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
• Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
• Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
• Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
• Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

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5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

• Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
• Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs .
• Made headway into your character development? If not, this character profile template may be useful:

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

• In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
• In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
• Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

• Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
• Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

• Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
• Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
• Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
• Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
• Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
• The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
• Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
• Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s self-published bestseller (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

• The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
• Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
• Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
• Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
• Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
• The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
• Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
• Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

• The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
• Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
• Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
• Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
• Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
• Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
• The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
• Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
• Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go this way to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle and three more prevalent structures .

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

Need more help developing your book? Try this template on for size:

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

Which story structure is right for you?

Take this quiz and we'll match your story to a structure in minutes!

Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

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The Hero’s Journey Alex Harper

The lime-pit stomach, sick, and birds I cannot name shooting up and circling black against the sky, hot rain in the wrong season, blank snow, from nowhere, and the quest I’m given is finding what was buried long ago in distant ground with one compass true and six set wrong and I don’t know which is which.

I make no progress, find no bones or ghosts or gold. Ill and still bird-mad and battered by the weather all that I remember now is the rolling fog in the wise man’s reassuring room until I can hardly see him as he wisely nods, or shouts, or fails to understand when I walk into the winter night and quit.

Alex Harper has poems published or forthcoming in The Interpreter’s House, Mirror Dance, and Not One of Us . He lives in south-east England and can be found online at alexharperwriting.wordpress.com .

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31 Best Hero’s Journey Books to Add to Your Reading List

Interested in learning more about the hero’s journey stories? Discover the best hero’s journey books to begin your reading adventure!

Writers and readers love hero’s journey stories . From the origin stories of cultures to the twelfth-century poems that make up The Mabinogion (themselves derived from earlier oral traditions) to today’s blockbuster SF-laden movies, the monomyth is a part of our collective, subconscious experience.

These stories feature certain archetypes and follow a set pattern. The hero sets off on a quest from his/her ordinary world (The Departure), subsequently learns a lesson or obtains new knowledge, and uses this to triumph over something, someone, or a set of circumstances (The Initiation).

The hero then returns to his/her own world, transformed or with the tools needed to enact positive change (The Return). Below, we take a look at the 31 best books to add to your reading list if you’re a fan of the genre. This list pairs nicely with our roundup of movies that follow the hero’s journey .

Here Are The Best Hero’s Journey Books

1. the hobbit by jrr tolkien, 2. the odyssey by homer, 3. harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone by jk rowling, 4. the alchemist by paulo coelho, 5. the inferno by dante alighieri, 6. the goose girl by shannon hale, 7. the wizard of oz by l frank baum, 8. the hunger games by suzanne collins, 9. to kill a mockingbird by harper lee, 10. where the mountain meets the moon by grace lin, 11. don quixote by miguel de cervantes, 12. the 5th wave by rick yancey, 13. beowulf, 14. siddhartha: an indian novel by hermann hesse, 15. a separate reality by carlos castaneda, 16. across the universe by beth revis, 17. american gods by neil gaiman, 18. little briar rose (sleeping beauty) by the brothers grimm, 19. jane eyre by charlotte bronte, 20. the pilgrim’s progress by john bunyan, 21. the hound of the baskervilles by arthur conan doyle, 22. treasure island by robert louis stevenson, 23. argonautica by apollonius, 24. the fault in our stars by john green, 25. holes by louis sachar, 26. interstellar by greg keyes, 27. divergent by veronica roth, 28. the buried giant by kazuo ishiguro, 29. alice in wonderland by lewis carroll, 30. the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by c.s. lewis, 31. fight club by chuck palahniuk.

This classic book by J.R.R. Tolkien has featured regularly on best-seller lists since its first publication in 1937 and is widely cited as one of the twentieth century’s most beloved and influential novels. It’s a classic hero’s journey genre tale, too – featuring an unlikely hero in the form of Bilbo Baggins.

This unassuming hobbit is swept off on an adventure when Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves appear on his doorstep. He finds himself part of a mission to reclaim a fabulous horde of treasure from under the very nose of the fearsome dragon Smaug the Magnificent. For more, check out our guide to the best fantasy authors. You can also check out our guide on hero’s journey archetypes .

“This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.” JRR Tolkien

• Tolkien, J.R.R. (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 320 Pages - 08/15/2002 (Publication Date) - Clarion Books (Publisher)

Homer’s story of Odysseus is one of the oldest surviving works of literature that’s still being read by audiences today. This epic story tells the tale of the wandering king, trying to get home to his wife Penelope following the end of the Trojan War . The tale features all the tropes of a hero’s journey story, from its opening.

Odysseus is portrayed in his ordinary life, through to the Crossing the Threshold section, where the Gods become enraged with the hero and his company, summoning a storm to throw their boat off course, to The Return, whereby after completing a final challenge, Odysseus is returned to his royal life with Penelope.

“A man who has been through bitter experiences and traveled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time.” Homer

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JK Rowling’s worldwide best-seller Harry Potter is a prime example of the hero’s journey tale. The book starts with Harry in the ordinary world before moving through all of the typical hero’s journey stages, as detailed by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Harry receives the invitation letter to Hogwarts (The Call to Adventure), struggles to accept this sudden turn of events (Refusal of the Call), and Meets the Mentor – in the first book, this is Hagrid.

The Crossing the Threshold stage is his literal passing through the wall to access Platform 9 3/4 at the station. The Ordeal is represented by the various challenges the young wizard encounters at his new school, culminating in his temporary triumph over Voldemort. At the end of the book, he returns to the world of the muggles for the summer vacation, happy that he’ll be returning to Hogwarts soon (The Return).

“A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under an inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen.” JK Rowling

The hero’s journey takes many different forms: it’s not always about defeating villains or finding lost treasure. The genre can also be powerfully deployed in the service of a spiritual quest tale, as in this novel. While the young protagonist, who is a perfect example of the Innocent/Orphan hero archetype, might start his journey looking for real-world riches, what unfolds is a beautiful story of self-discovery. Ultimately, the book is about the importance of heeding our hearts and the transformative power of dreams.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” Paulo Coelho

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• Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery,
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The first volume of The Divine Comedy is considered a literary masterpiece, following the hero’s journey on a quest through the various Circles of Hell. After meeting Virgil (the Mentor), our narrator progresses, facing numerous trials and tests, always seeking his beloved Beatrice. Although he sometimes has ‘weapons’ with which to face his adversaries, his most potent weapon is his faith in his journey, which is a blend of both a spiritual and a physical mission.

“Soon you will be where your own eyes will see the source and cause and give you their own answer to the mystery.” Dante Alighieri

• Alighieri, Dante (Author)
• 108 Pages - 05/30/2013 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale has written a book that, although aimed at middle-schoolers, has become much loved by kids and adults alike. Drawing on the tradition of folktales, it’s a heroine’s journey story, recounting the tale of Ani, who’s uncomfortable around people but able to communicate easily with animals. She leaves her world behind. However, when she’s sent away to marry. Despite disaster striking, she finds herself in a job where she can use her unique talents and give voice to her inner self.

If we don’t tell strange stories, when something strange happens we won’t believe it.” Shannon Hale

• Hardcover Book
• Shannon Hale (Author)
• 400 Pages - 05/14/2024 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury Childrens Books (Publisher)

A key element of the heroine’s journey is, while it maintains recognizable archetype qualities, there is an overcoming or subversion of society’s expectations regarding women. Rather than staying at home in Kanas, Dorothy has the adventure she longs for.

While the hero’s journey stories tend to move from the inner world to the outer (from the darkness to the light), the heroine’s journey is usually the inverse of this, with characters moving from the outer world to a deeper communion with their inner selves and desires.

“The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’“ L Frank Baum

• Baum, L. Frank (Author)
• 160 Pages - 12/01/2016 (Publication Date) - Sweet Cherry Publishing (Publisher)

Envisioning a dystopian new world in which each District is compelled to send two children between the ages of twelve and sixteen to compete in the annual Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins’ novels are widely cited as examples of the hero’s journey genre. Now a Hollywood blockbuster series of movies, the story demonstrates how the tropes inherent in Homer’s tale of Odysseus, written nearly 3,000 years ago, are still alive and kicking today. For more, check out our guide to the best books for teenagers .

“I’m more than just a piece in their Games.” Suzanne Collins

Set in 1930s Alabama, Atticus Finch is a lawyer attempting to defend and prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Atticus’s hero’s journey is largely a psychological one, in which he faces his own innermost beliefs, and is forced to confront morality and prejudice in the south of the US, how this manifests, and its impact on the individual and society – as well as the delivery of justice.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Harper Lee

Another bestselling novel adored by adults and children alike, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon chronicles Minli’s quest as she journies to find the Old Man on the Moon. Drawing on Chinese folktales, this rich fantasy, accompanied by the author’s beautiful illustrations, follows Minli as she encounters a range of otherworldly characters in her quest to find the answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

“If you make happy those that are near, those that are far will come.” Grace Lin

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The Spanish masterpiece, first published in 1605, begins in the ordinary world of Alonso Quijano, a middle-aged man who loves nothing more than reading stories about knights and their adventures. Deciding to leave behind his own life to become a knight errant himself, Alonso changes his name to Don Quixote and sets off on a series of heroic deeds – some more successful than others!

“It is by rugged paths like these they go that scale the heights of immortality, unreached by those that falter here below.” Miguel de Cervantes

• Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra (Author)
• English (Subtitle)
• 800 Pages - 09/04/1997 (Publication Date) - Wordsworth Editions Ltd (Publisher)

This Amazon bestseller by Rick Yancey received the Goodreads Choice award. The Fifth Wave focuses on Cassie and Evan, two of the last human survivors on Earth following an alien invasion, dreading the imminent fourth wave. As a hero’s journey tale, Cassie must tackle both a physical, dangerous quest and attempt to understand the truth of the terrifying new world she’s inhabiting.

“Some things you don’t have to promise, you just do.” Rick Yancey

The hero in this Old English epic poem from an unknown author follows precisely the steps outlined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. From the Call to Adventure and the Refusal of the Call and all the way through to The Return – otherwise known as The Elixir- in which the hero brings something back from his adventure to benefit society. In the case of Beowulf, it’s the insight he has gained, which will keep his people safe going forward, and his blessing of peace,

“In the time I was given I lived in my own land, ruling my people well, never turning to treachery, or swearing to oaths contrary to right.” Beowulf

• Unknown (Author)
• 142 Pages - 11/20/2020 (Publication Date) - East India Publishing Company (Publisher)

A much-loved novel published in 1951 that follows the classic hero’s journey template, Siddhartha concerns the titular character on his quest for self-discovery. Deciding to leave his home in the ancient Nepalese kingdom of Kapilavastu, Siddhartha sets out as a wandering beggar seeking spiritual enlightenment. Through his journeying, the hero learns the importance of loving the world in its entirety and that a single, fixed belief does not constitute truth.

“Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.” Hermann Hesse

• Hesse, Hermann (Author)
• 224 Pages - 09/19/2023 (Publication Date) - Wellfleet Press (Publisher)

With its mind-bending perspectives and mythic structure, it’s unclear how much of this book is fictional and how much is based on reality. With its clear mentor character (the Yaqui Indian shaman, Don Juan) and the dangerous journey at its heart that the protagonist is compelled to undertake, it’s a clear example of the hero’s journey story – though possibly one that pushes the boundaries of the genre more than any you’ve come across!

“We are men and our lot in life is to learn and be hurled into inconceivable new worlds.” Carols Castaneda

• Carlos Castaneda (Author)
• 263 Pages - 10/01/1972 (Publication Date) - Pocket Books (Publisher)

Awakening fifty years too soon from cryosleep, Amy finds herself aboard the spaceship Godspeed and in a terrifying situation. Realizing that her awakening didn’t happen by accident (The Call to Action), Amy has to accept the truth that someone else on board wants her dead – and that her parents, still in cryosleep, could be the next victims if she doesn’t figure out what’s going on. But meeting Eldest, the future leader of the ship, changes everything.

“Even when you are silent, even when you block out all noise, your body is still a cacophony of life.” Beth Revis

• Beth Revis (Author)
• 416 Pages - 02/02/2011 (Publication Date) - New York: Razor Bill (Publisher)

Blending fantasy and world mythology (both old and new), this novel widely divides its audience: it falls into the love it or loathe it category. But whatever your views on the plot and the writing, it’s an innovative take on the hero’s journey trope that reimagines the genre. Even its archetype, Shadow, is a vivid and disturbing (yet recognizable) hero figure – although, in typical Neil Gaiman style, the name ‘Shadow’ is also one of the character archetypes set out by Christopher Vogler’s author of the influential book, The Writer’s Journey.

“Even nothing cannot last forever.” Nail Gaiman

Fairy tales are great places to look for the hero’s journey stories being themselves, born from ancient folktales, legends, and myths. There are many versions of this tale, many of which feature very dark and disturbing themes, but the Grimms’ version is relatively tame. While reading, consider the extent to which the story is a hero’s or a heroine’s journey tale – thinking about the journey from outer to inner (and vice versa) and how this relates to the narrative of both the prince and Briar Rose herself.

“The pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country; the flies on the wall crept again; the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat; the joint began to turn and fizzle again.” Brothers Grimm

• Brothers Grimm (Author)
• 05/14/2024 (Publication Date) - HarperCollins Publishers (Publisher)

In his writings, the renowned psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung outlined his ideas about archetypes, including archetypal journies, contending that humans’ unconscious minds are remarkably similar. This is why the hero’s journey stories have always permeated literature and art and continue to do so.

At its heart, the journey of Jane Eyre is the same as that taken by Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, despite the time and genre divide between the two. Just as Luke’s quest is about discovering truth and recognizing potential, so Jane’s journey is concerned with growth and independence – and there’s a disturbing truth in the attic to confront along the way, too.

Just as with Skywalker, Jane emerges at the end of the tale as a strong, loyal, passionate character who has faced a devastating reality and emerged from the ordeal with even greater reserves of tenacity than before. For more, check out our guide to the best British authors .

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” Charlotte Bronte

• Bronte, Charlotte (Author)
• 400 Pages - 06/01/2015 (Publication Date) - Digireads.com (Publisher)

A classic hero’s journey tale and the, at times, the most widely read book in the world, second only to The Bible, Bunyan’s book is concerned with the importance of learning and reading and the innate value of community. The hero, Christian, leaves his home and must face a series of trials – key to the genre. However, each tribulation or challenge must be thoroughly understood if a pilgrim is to progress. There’s even a final trial – a test of faith – which Christians must pass to access the Celestial City.

“The road of denial leads to the precipice of destruction.” John Bunyan

• Bunyan, John (Author)
• 400 Pages - 12/18/2003 (Publication Date) - Oxford University Press (Publisher)

The greatest literary detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes, is a hero archetype: The Researcher (the character of Indiana Jones also falls within this hero category). The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most well-known stories featuring Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson. This is a great book for those interested in the hero’s journey genre, as the stages are so clearly delineated, from the Call to Action (Holmes’ enlistment to the case) through to The Return, whereby Watson files the case closed.

“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.” Arthur Conan Doyle

• Arthur Conan Doyle (Author)
• 174 Pages - 07/02/2007 (Publication Date) - Penguin Books (Publisher)

In this classic by a 19th century author , we meet Jim going about his daily life in the inn that his family owns. Following the Call to Action, where the boy becomes fascinated with the ‘black spot’ presented to the old captain, Billy Bones, who’s staying at the inn, Jim becomes embroiled in an epic adventure on the high seas in search of buried treasure.

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” Robert Louis Stevenson

• Robert Louis Stevenson (author) (Author)
• 336 Pages - 09/14/2018 (Publication Date) - Wordsworth Editions Ltd (Publisher)

Testament to the power of myth is the enduring popularity of this story, which recounts the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts as they quest for the golden fleece. The epic, written – incredibly – in the third century BC, remains so widely read that there are not only multiple versions available on amazon, but you can listen to it as an audiobook, too! It features all the archetypal stages of the genre, including the Refusal of the Call, whereby Jason initially urges the heroes to elect another leader for the voyage. Once chosen, though, Heracles insists that Jason can take up the mantle, confident he can lead the band to victory.

“But friendly Juno shrouds/Her favorite heroes in a veil of clouds.” Apollonius

• Rhodius, Apollonius (Author)
• 129 Pages - 11/11/2022 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)

A bestseller that was also received extremely well by critics, this novel is a hero’s journey tale with a difference. Hazel, our protagonist, is sixteen years old and suffering from thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Her parents insist she attends a support group (Crossing the Threshold) where she meets Augustus Walters, a seventeen-year-old osteosarcoma survivor. It’s now a Hollywood blockbuster movie that captures Amy’s journey into love.

“My name is Hazel. Augustus Waters was the great star-crossed love of my life.” John Green

When fourteen-year-old Stanley is wrongly convicted of stealing, he’s sent to a correctional camp where the inmates are forced by the warden to dig holes, seemingly at random. The story is comprised of three individual but interconnected tales. It makes for a fascinating take on the hero’s journey genre, the pattern of which can be seen both in the three stand-alone stories and in the overarching triptych.

“You’re responsible for yourself. You messed up your life, and it’s up to you to fix it.” Louis Sachar

• Sachar, Louis (Author)
• 240 Pages - 05/14/2024 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury (Publisher)

This novelization of the Hollywood movie is an exciting account of a team of interstellar explorers sent through a newly-discovered wormhole – and what the ramifications of this mean for humanity. Despite being written thousands of years after Argonautica, the story shares a remarkably similar bone structure, as our hero literally navigates new worlds in a quest to return with the solution that will save the human race from extinction.

“We’ve always defined ourself by our ability to overcome the impossible.” Jonathan Nolan

• Keyes, Greg (Author)
• 288 Pages - 11/11/2014 (Publication Date) - Titan Books (Publisher)

Divergent by Veronica Roth offers a dystopian version of a future in which society is divided into five factions, each representing a certain virtue. Beatrice has been assigned the Abnegation faction but feels a Call to Action: in her heart, she knows she belongs to Dauntless. While set in a distant future, the tale follows the traditional archetypal hero’s journey; after the Call, Beatrice (now Tris) must resist several temptations, cross a threshold, and must survive a final ordeal to emerge at the novel’s finale, transformed and triumphant.

“I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent.” Veronica Roth

Beautiful and strange, this novel uses the mythic structure as both framework and plot. We follow a couple across a mystical, fiction, post-Arthurian landscape that is as shrouded in mist as their fast-disappearing memories. Both are convinced that they once had a son and so set out on a quest to find him. The author wrote the book as a meditation on collective memory, making it both an example and an interrogation of the hero’s journey tale.

“I’m wondering if without our memories, there’s nothing for it but for our love to fade and die.” Kazuo Ishiguro

• Ishiguro, Kazuo (Author)
• 384 Pages - 01/28/2016 (Publication Date) - Faber & Faber (Publisher)

Literally Crossing the Threshold via a fall down a rabbit hole, Alice arrives in Wonderland, where nothing is as it seems, and both adventure and danger lurk around every corner. But is the Caterpillar, The White Rabbit, or The Mad Hatter the Mentor? Just as with everything else in the story, it’s a riddle. But what’s for sure is that the story follows the classic monomyth template as set out by Joseph Campbell.

“‘I could tell you my adventures – beginning from this morning,’ said Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’” Lewis Carroll

• Carroll, Lewis (Author)
• 101 Pages - 05/06/2021 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)

In some hero’s journey books, the stages are subtle – you can find them, but you may need to look closely. As in Alice in Wonderland, the phases are made obvious in this novel: the kids literally step over the threshold of the magical wardrobe and into the enchanted world of Narnia. The Refusal of the Call comes when the children initially turn back, fearful of their ability to navigate their way home. They return and take on the challenges set for them by one of literature’s ultimate Mentor figures, Aslan.

“All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.” C.S. Lewis

• C.S. Lewis (Author)
• 171 Pages - 01/01/2009 (Publication Date) - HarperCollins Children's Books (Publisher)

Just because the hero’s journey genre is as old as time doesn’t mean it’s not subject to continual innovation – as in this novel, where the hero’s Mentor and biggest challenge to overcome is…literally himself. Fight Club is a cult phenomenon that’s made the leap to mainstream hit, helped along by the success of the great screenwriting featured in the Hollywood movie version of the book. Visionary, satirical, and a personal enlightenment journey like no other, Fight Club gleefully reimagines the hero’s journey genre to spectacular effect.

“If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?” Chuck Palahniuk

• Palahniuk, Chuck (Author)
• 208 Pages - 10/02/1997 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)

Melanie Smith is a freelance content and creative writer from Gloucestershire, UK, where she lives with her daughter, long-suffering partner, and cat, The Magical Mr. Bobo. Her blog posts and articles feature regularly in magazines and websites around the world.

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