Hercules Modern Basic Outline Of A Hero's Journey

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Everyone knows the story of Hercules, but not everyone knows that it follows the same pattern as most hero stories. Hercules is a story about the son of Zeus. When Hercules was a baby, Pain and Panic, Hades’ evil henchmen, gave him a potion to turn him mortal. It was prophesied that this baby would be the one to defeat Hades and they didn’t want that to come true. Since Hercules was now mortal, he could no longer live on Mount Olympus. A couple on earth took him in so he could grow up as a human. Hercules knew something was different about himself, so when he grew up, he set out to discover who he really was. Even though Hercules is an ancient Greek myth, it still follows Joseph Campbell’s modern basic outline of a hero’s journey. The first phase of a hero’s journey, as outlined by Joseph Campbell, is the Departure. In this …show more content…

At this point, he or she makes the journey home and receives their reward for completing the adventure. Hercules checks to be sure that Meg is safe. He then rides up to Mount Olympus to meet his parents, along with Meg and Pegasus. The protagonist becomes the master of both words, recognized as a hero in both the world they returned to and one they have left. In Hercules, the hero returns to Mount Olympus and Zeus explains that Hercules has been granted immortality once again. Risking his life for Megs has shown that Hercules is a true hero. The hero will restore peace to the world they’ve returned to, along with the world they came from. They will build it back up to what it was before they left. Hercules is given the option to live with his parents and stay in the home of the gods, but he looks down and sees how sad this makes Meg. He stands by her side and tells Zeus that he would rather stay with her. He realizes that with Meg, he is at home and doesn’t have to fit in to be loved. Hercules has completed his quest and shown that strength and power are not the only defining characteristics as a

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