The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey refers both to a particular dramaturgical shape for stories and to a long form built on top of it.

Dramaturgy

The Hero's Journey appears as a fundamental dramaturgical concept in many myths, fairy tales, novels and films (Lucas's "Star Wars" being a famous example). The archetypes — and to some extent the typical dramatic arc — are useful when designing long forms, for example a Reigen, which usually revolves around a single person (a "hero"). Christopher Vogler popularised the (screenwriting) concept in his book "The Writer's Journey".

The arc

Vogler builds on Joseph Campbell's model of the hero's journey ("The Hero with a Thousand Faces"), which is also the basis of the long form described below.

A typical arc — freely after Vogler — runs as follows:

1. The Ordinary World is shown (exposition). It serves to establish the contrast with the (later) new and unfamiliar world. Improv-wise: establish routines too.

Examples: Helga drags herself through her everyday life with a part-time job and two kids; retired Horst is once again on a cruise ship; cowboy Bill's working day is shown along with the evening campfire that follows.

1. Call to Adventure: the hero senses a lack, has a problem, feels a challenge. Something important is missing or has been taken from them.

Examples: a family member has died; a friend has been murdered or kidnapped; an inability to forgive.

1. Refusal: the hero hesitates to follow the call — out of fear, or unwillingness to give up their security.

Examples: knight Kuno's lady Kunigunde, on her knees and weeping, begs him not to ride to war; alcoholic Gerd finds a bottle of schnaps behind the box that contains his ticket to Australia.

1. Crossing: the hero overcomes the hesitation, perhaps thanks to an extra impulse (e.g. from a mentor — see below) or new circumstances, and sets out on the journey.

Examples: daughter Nelly pleading, "Dad, I need that elixir, the leg keeps getting worse!"; the weather is turning, Commander Clark must set out or he won't be able to prevent the disaster.

1. The First Threshold to the unknown world of adventure is also the first turning point: the hero must pass hard tests. This can take the form of a fight against the hero's own inner resistance and illusions.

Examples: rough weather forces the ship to cast off; the hot-air balloon breaks free; the hero is given a deadline to complete a task; battle with a dragon.

1. In the new unfamiliar world, the hero must repeatedly pass trials, gains allies, faces enemies.

Examples: the saloon in a Western, the belly of the whale.

1. The hero approaches a dangerous place ("the inmost cave", "the most sensitive core"). Here lies the goal of their desire. There may be a love scene. But finally there is a direct confrontation, usually a fight to the death with a hostile power. Here the decisive ordeal of the hero takes place. This is the climax of the story.

2. The hero survives this existential moment and receives a reward: the elixir, the cure that will return the hero's world to balance. They also receive recognition, perhaps respect from former enemies.

Examples: the hero seizes the magic sword; receives a symbolically charged object (the Holy Grail); fights to obtain the medicine that will save humanity; gains new abilities.

1. On the return road to the ordinary world, the hero must face the consequences of the confrontation in step 7. Often there are chase scenes, a final ordeal of the "transformed" hero (has the change really taken hold?), and possibly the hostile power makes a final attempt.

Examples: a chase by spaceship, horse or car; one of the companions is taken prisoner; the hero loses the magic sword; the hero faces a tragic choice in love.

1. The Return to the ordinary world happens with new insight. The "elixir" is applied to fix what had thrown the world out of joint.

Archetypes

The archetypes are primal human patterns. They feature not only in C. G. Jung's psychoanalysis but also in the dramaturgy of the hero's journey. Players are not locked into a single archetype — their archetype can shift during the story. The hero too can temporarily appear as Trickster or Threshold Guardian (an inner resistance to overcome). Archetypes don't have to be real people — they can be fears, psychoses, secrets, obstacles (a Threshold Guardian could be a locked gate). Most archetypes can show up at any station of the journey.

Vogler distinguishes seven archetypes:

1. Hero

The hero is the main character of the story, the audience's point of identification. They are the most active, learn the most and change the most (improv-wise: "let yourself be changed!"). They are the played-on character.

Depending on the story, a hero can be very different in character: active, passive, "anti-hero", loner, martyr, warrior and so on.

1. Mentor

The mentor is usually positively coded. They are a model and adviser to the hero — a wise old woman, a coach, a teacher. They also help the hero overcome fear and doubt.

1. Herald

The herald brings the news of adventure. They announce the necessity of change.

1. Threshold Guardian

The threshold guardian is an obstacle on the hero's road. It must be overcome, circumvented or convinced. It tests whether the hero is ready and able to continue on a road that is taking on new qualities.

1. Shadow

The shadow stands for the negative, the evil. Most often it is the suppressed traits of the hero — frequently projected onto the antagonist. The shadow enters into conflict with the hero. It is not as easily overcome as the threshold guardian; it leads to life-threatening, existential moments from which the hero emerges changed and grown.

1. Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter is unpredictable. They keep changing and stay enigmatic to the hero. They can help or endanger; they are a catalyst for the hero's transformation. They may mislead the hero, set riddles, sow doubt.

1. Trickster

The trickster is the rogue. They provide the moments of release.

Long form

Campbell's hero's journey consists of Departure, Initiation and Return.

Here too we begin with the everyday world, where we first meet the characters (foundation set, routines established).

:Max is a low-level employee at a bank. His boss bullies him. Max's wife "wears the trousers" at home. He finds release while jogging.

Then comes the call to adventure.

:One day while jogging Max meets Renate. Renate tells him about her passion for sailing. Her project: to sail around the world. Max is captivated. He sees the chance to break out of his everyday life and the humiliations. He learns to sail and pushes through, against all resistance, that he will go on the journey with Renate.

The initiation journey begins.

:On the evening before the planned departure, Max and Renate fall into conversation with a skipper at a harbour bar. He tells them that on the planned route they should expect modern-day pirates and strongly advises a different route. He also tells them about dangerous currents and winds that have capsized many an adventurer. Max and Renate decide to delay the trip a few days to replan. In the hastily booked hotel (bed) the two find each other.

:Renate impulsively hires the skipper as a third crew member. A few days later than planned they set out.

:Already on the next day they sail into a storm. Max gets seasick. He doubts whether his health will survive the journey. In conversation with the skipper, he suddenly remembers a similar moment from his childhood. After several adventures they reach the waters of Indonesia. There they are attacked by pirates. Max is badly wounded. For days he is close to death and tormented by fevered dreams. The skipper gives him a ring with a stone blue as the sea.

Return

:The return to the home harbour happens under a brilliant sun. Max's wife is already waiting on the quay. Max meets her with a new self-confidence that unsettles her. The next day at work Max is summoned by his boss, who congratulates him on the successful circumnavigation. Max is sceptical of his boss's friendliness. Mid-conversation his eye falls on his hand and on the sea-blue stone of his ring. He suddenly feels great clarity and quits on the spot.

Literature

http://www.impro-theater.de/dmdocuments/wissenschaft/Improvisationstheater_Dramaturgie-Sonja_Thoeneboehn.pdf

See also: Five-Act Structure, Protagonist – Antagonist