The Archetype of the Hero's Journey

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Archetypes
Explanation, examples, analysis, and practice. This 7-page document requires MS-Word or compatible application for access.

George Lucas and the Power of Myth
Students explore the archetype of the hero's journey, myths of good and evil and their impact in the modern world, and the impact of George Lucas in modern myth. Students read, research, write, debate, and produce projects. This set of standards-based lessons is from the PBS American Masters series.

Heroes are Made of This: Studying the Character of Heroes
Students explore the concept of heroism in life and in literature. Most of the 6 sessions of this unit plan can be used consecutively or individually. This lesson is designed for grades 9-12.

The Hero's Journey
An environment to explore the classic mythical story structure, sometimes called the monomyth, and to create your own stories.

The Hero's Adventure
Questions to support Joseph Campbell's work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Scroll down for a biography of George Lucas. This handout requires MS-Word or compatible application for access.

How have the qualities of heroes changed over time?
In this WebQuest, students compare the qualities of ancient Greek heroes with modern heroes.

Monomyth Website
This page includes an interactive review of the stages of the archetypal Hero's Journey with special reference to the epic of Sunjata/Sundiata from Mali, the Indian epic Ramayana, and the Japanese story of Yamato.

A Story of Epic Proportions: What makes a Poem an Epic?
Students learn about the epic poem form and to its roots in oral tradition. They study the epic hero cycle and will learn how to recognize this pattern of events and elements in both ancient and modern texts, including Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.