Society's favorite superhero stories would not exist without the implementation of a specific archetype. This archetype is none other than the hero’s journey. Developed by famous mythologist Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey exists as a metaphor for life itself, with its main function being to entertain, instruct and inspire. Campbell identified a pattern repeated in literature, allowing him to formulate a three stage process: separation, initiation and the return. The monomyth is centered around the notion of two worlds: the mundane, which the hero is born into, and the fantastic, filled with adventure. In this archetype, a hero decides to abandon his or her monotonous life in order to seek a more fulfilling and rewarding lifestyle. Albeit
…show more content…
With this first part being “the call to adventure”, the hero is granted the opportunity to escape his or her monotonous life and pursue an adventurous lifestyle. “Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s troubles and decides to journey to Denmark with some of his strongest men to do battle with Grendel,” (Raffel 21). Grendel’s terror on the civilians grants Beowulf the opportunity to attain the fame and honor he desperately desires, for being a warrior of such great skill. Beowulf is quick to accept the challenge, as his pride and arrogance play a significant role in his decision making. Along with the call to adventure, Beowulf also encounters “supernatural aid”, another feature of the separation stage. In this part, the hero receives a gift from a mystical being to assist on his or her journey, which is noticed as Beowulf is heading to Grendel’s mother’s lair. As stated in the epic poem, “... he leaped into the lake. For hours he sank through the waves…” (Raffel 26). This quote epitomizes “supernatural aid”. It is impossible for a human being to drown for a few minutes, let alone for hours. Therefore, it is plausible that Beowulf received some unexplained assistance, which he used to be able to breathe underwater. However, this isn’t the only instance where Beowulf obtains support in his battles. During Beowulf’s second battle, Grendel’s mother had taken the upper hand during the fight. She prepared her dagger to avenge the death of her …show more content…
As the first part of the initiation stage, the “road of trials” causes the hero to understand that life in the world of adventure can be demanding. Several occurrences of this concept are present within Beowulf’s battles. During the second battle, Beowulf decided to use his sword against Grendel’s mother. When he swung his sword, he “discovered that no sword could slice her evil skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her, was useless now when he needed it,” (Raffel 26). Grendel’s mother, whereas he had simply defeated Grendel without protection and with his bare hands. Now that his infallible sword had failed him, Beowulf was forced to alter his battle plan and discover a different way on how he could defeat the wretched and malicious creature. In the end, Beowulf successfully overcame the obstacles, he is truly recognized as a
With this first part being “the call to adventure”, the hero is granted the opportunity to escape his or her monotonous life and pursue an adventurous lifestyle. “Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s troubles and decides to journey to Denmark with some of his strongest men to do battle with Grendel,” (Raffel 21). Grendel’s terror on the civilians grants Beowulf the opportunity to attain the fame and honor he desperately desires, for being a warrior of such great skill. Beowulf is quick to accept the challenge, as his pride and arrogance play a significant role in his decision making. Along with the call to adventure, Beowulf also encounters “supernatural aid”, another feature of the separation stage. In this part, the hero receives a gift from a mystical being to assist on his or her journey, which is noticed as Beowulf is heading to Grendel’s mother’s lair. As stated in the epic poem, “... he leaped into the lake. For hours he sank through the waves…” (Raffel 26). This quote epitomizes “supernatural aid”. It is impossible for a human being to drown for a few minutes, let alone for hours. Therefore, it is plausible that Beowulf received some unexplained assistance, which he used to be able to breathe underwater. However, this isn’t the only instance where Beowulf obtains support in his battles. During Beowulf’s second battle, Grendel’s mother had taken the upper hand during the fight. She prepared her dagger to avenge the death of her …show more content…
As the first part of the initiation stage, the “road of trials” causes the hero to understand that life in the world of adventure can be demanding. Several occurrences of this concept are present within Beowulf’s battles. During the second battle, Beowulf decided to use his sword against Grendel’s mother. When he swung his sword, he “discovered that no sword could slice her evil skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her, was useless now when he needed it,” (Raffel 26). Grendel’s mother, whereas he had simply defeated Grendel without protection and with his bare hands. Now that his infallible sword had failed him, Beowulf was forced to alter his battle plan and discover a different way on how he could defeat the wretched and malicious creature. In the end, Beowulf successfully overcame the obstacles, he is truly recognized as a