The Monomyth Theory: The Hero's Journey

Joseph Campbell’s monomyth theory, also known as the hero’s journey, is a universal pattern found in many myths and stories across different cultures. It consists of three main stages: departure, invitation, and return. The hero leaves their original world, faces challenges and trails, and ultimately returns transformed with newfound knowledge or a boon to share with their community. The Legend of Perseus is a classic example of the monomyth, where the hero goes through a series of stages, including the call to adventure, crossing the threshold, facing challenges, and ultimately achieving a goal. The theory behind why the monomyth works is that it reflects universal human experiences and desires, making it a powerful storytelling tool. Myths

By examining the stories that a culture tells, we can learn about their heroes, their goals, their fears, and their aspirations. Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth structure can be used to analyze The Legend of Perseus by examining the character of Perseus as he moves through Departure, Trials and Victories, and The Return; the following sub steps will be used to examine how Perseus moves through The Monomyth: The Extraordinary Beginning, The Call to Adventure, The Wise One, The Road of Trials, The Apotheosis, and Freedom to Live.

The Departure in Joseph Campbell’s theory holds the beginning stages of The Legend of Perseus. It is the first stage in Joseph Campbell’s theory, the hero’s journey. In The Legend of Perseus, the events that occur in the Departure marks the beginning of Perseus’ journey and sets the stage for his subsequent adventures and trials. The Departure of Perseus is developed by the Extraordinary Beginning. In “The Monomyth Hero Cycle Part One Video” by Bob Warren states that the Extraordinary Beginning, “is either about the birth or the very early life of the hero. The hero is typically identified as special in the myth” (Warren). The monomyth begins with his mother, Danae, being impregnated by Zeus in the form of a golden shower. Danae’s father,

Perseus faces several trials in his legend. In Chapter 15 in the main textbook, it states that “Campbell describes the trials of the hero as symbolic of psychological dangers associated with overcoming the real problems of our lives” (Thury and Devinney 221). The Road of Trials in The Legend of Perseus refers to the series of challenges and obstacles Perseus overcomes to complete his quest, including the slaying of Medusa, obtaining the head of Medusa, and rescuing Andromeda from the sea monster. His victories consist in successfully completing the quests with help of various gifts from the gods, such as a reflective shield and winged sandals. He eventually became a hero and founded the city of Mycenae. In “Myths To Live By” by Joseph Campbell, the essay "The Emergence of Mankind" states that one can learn that “the hero is the one who has learned to penetrate the protective wall of those fears within, generally, from all experience of our own and the world’s divine ground” (Campbell, pg 30 & 31). Perseus learns a lot through the trials and quests that he encounters. This can help lead to the Apotheosis of the monomyth. In the presentation video part two, it states that the Apotheosis “is the point where the road of trials leads and where the hero transforms or is transformed” (Warren). The Legend of Perseus shows Elixir Theft, “when the hero gains something of grand significance” (Warren). This is the