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What Is Herakles A Hero Archetype

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The Journey of Herakles A hero as described by Joseph Campbell is “someone who has achieved or experienced something beyond the range of the ordinary, often through self-sacrifice, that is bigger than themselves”. The myth of Herakles is one that has withstood the test of time and continues to influence modern society for these same reasons. The myth follows the hero as he undertakes twelve labors in search of self-redemption for murdering his own family. In addition, these deeds that Herakles overcame throughout his journey were thought to be impossible yet after completing each task he helped and inspired those around him, as well as teaching humans the meaning of persevere through difficult times. These are just some of the reasons why Herakles perfectly fits the hero archetype described by Joseph Campbell. The journey of every hero is one that contains twelve stages that play a role in molding the character into a heroic figure. The first of these stages is known as the ordinary world, here Herakles …show more content…

This was Herakles’s twelfth and final labor in which Eurystheus tasked him with kidnapping the beast Kerberos, who guarded the entrance to Hades. The eight stage is the ordeal, this consist of the hero facing possibly death or facing misfortune is present in the myth as Hercules has many near death experiences throughout his journey but the most dangerous was venturing into the underworld, a place where no mortal has ever returned from. The ninth stage, the reward, is where the hero obtains the object of the quest. After completing the twelve labors, he was finally freed from the sin of killing his family. Following this, the tenth stage is the road back, here the hero returns to the ordinary world. Herakles returns to Thebes but finds his life is without purpose and sets out to partake in a contest with one of his old

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Heracles, also known as Hercules in Roman mythology, is one of the most famous heroes in Greek mythology. He is renowned for his strength and courage, and his hero journey is a classic example of the hero's journey archetype. Stephan Fry's version of the myth provides a unique perspective on Heracles' journey, which can be divided into three parts: departure, initiation, and return. The departure stage of Heracles' journey is marked by his exile from Thebes, the city where he was born. As Fry explains, this was the result of a tragic mistake he made, killing his own wife and children in a fit of madness.

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Let's start with the Myth. In the Myth, Hercules his Greek Archetype is the Warrior. That means his quest is becoming a hero or a god, in order for him to achieve this he must complete 12 labors that will test him in any way possible. His fear is that he won’t be strong enough to complete the labors. The Dragon he faces is Hera.

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Myths, legends, and other stories are told throughout the world, in different cultures, and are passed down from generation to generation. All of these stories involve a hero; although, every hero’s story may be shaped or formed in a different way, his/her story shares similarities with those of other heroes. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell argues that the stories and myths of every hero follow the same pattern and relate to the same monomyth. Any hero’s adventure follows a central pattern of one myth that all stories relate to: separation from the typical world, initiation into the new world (and the adventure itself), and the return to his/her original world. Additionally, the hero’s journey is destined by fate, and the hero’s best qualities are rediscovered and brought out

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Many know about the idea of the "monomyth," or the hero's journey as an outline for many of our modern books, movies, t.v. series, etc. Joseph Campbell's definition for the hero's journey is, "the quintessential (or best example) of an archetypal myth. " The Disney film Hercules is one of the best examples of Joseph Campbell's monomyth. For instance step one of the hero's journey outline is the Ordinary world. Hercules was born the son to Zeus and Hero.

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Many readers often have a different opinion upon what makes a great hero. The hero Heracles, and Theseus are two classic myths read by readers around the whole school. The myth of Heracles distinguishes a boy who kills monsters/serpents to protect himself in a young age. However, the myth of Theseus distinguishes the life of an ordinary boy, who tries every day to push a rock to discover the rightful identity of his father. While reading the myth of Heracles, and Theseus we can clearly identify the differences between the two myths.

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Every hero archetype has to experience the journey. James Campbell, a scholar who studied mythology across the world defines archetypes as people such as a mother figure, a father figure, a hero, a maiden,or a trickster. A hero is a person who has curiosity, humility, and is courageous. In addition, a hero goes out of their way to reach their goal, even if that means putting their life on the line for others or for a set accomplishment. Furthermore, the hero archetype must experience the three stages of the Hero’s Journey which includes The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return.

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He never gave up, even when faced with seemingly impossible challenges. This determination was showcased in his sixth labor, where he had to clean the Augean stables in a single day. The stables were home to thousands of cattle and had not been cleaned for years. “Augeas was a king of Elis in the western Peloponnesos who possessed an enormous herd of cattle. Herakles was commanded by King Eurystheus to clean Augeias' stables as one of his Twelve Labours.

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An important aspect of the hero’s journey is readers and viewers seeing someone who is not a god, overcoming obstacles and being a hero to their people. This hope it brings the audience is why the monomyth has persisted across place and time. The hero’s flaws and mistakes are equally as important as their successes, because it reminds the audience that they are human. In modern times, Moses and Odysseus are not always seen as heroes. Teachers and scholars are finding that as society has changed, opinions on what makes a person a hero have also changed.

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