Introduction
The Hero's Journey is a writing mechanism quite literally as old as literature itself. While that specific term didn’t gain popularity until the mid-1900s, it was used throughout history as one of, if not the most, common story structure.
In this WebQuest, you’re going to go on your own little hero’s journey to discover the ins and outs of the concept, how to recognize it, adapt it, and re-work it. Let’s get started by watching this YouTube video going over the basics of The Hero’s Journey.
Consider this WebQuest your call to adventure. As your wise mentor, it was my honor and duty to entrust you with the knowledge found in this introduction. So, get ready to plunge into the special world of the Task section. I know you can do it, Hero.
Task
Welcome to the Special World! I hope you're ready Hero as you have many Trials ahead of you that will be crucial in your journey of understanding. Consider this your road map and things to think about as you move along.
1. Watch and read the following material to gain a deeper understanding of the Hero's Journey.
2. Think about how you could apply The Hero's Journey to texts you've engaged with. This can include things we've discussed in class, movies, video games, T.V. shows, and literally any kind of media you can think of.
3. As you burrow deeper into the hole of understanding, think about how the stories you've chosen break away from the formula.
4. The final words of wisdom I can give you before you face your trials is this, be ready to discuss all of this. You will be expected to create a presentation detailing a piece of media of your choice and exploring it through the lens of the Hero's Journey. Consider that to be your "Returning with the Either" moment.
Process
Time for the real journey to begin. Your first task is to take notes on the stages of the hero's journey from this video. If you manage to survive this you'll have a deeper understanding of what it means to recognize.
Congratulations on making it through that trial Hero. But much like the head on a Hydra, getting through one video only means there will be another one waiting to take its place. For this trial, we will narrow your field of view and focus on the quintessential "modern" interpretation of the Hero's Journey. Please read the article. You may watch the videos if you want.
https://thescriptlab.com/features/screenwriting-101/12309-the-heros-journey-breakdown-star-wars/
These trials are tough, but you Hero, have proven yourself to be tougher. For that, I will reward you with this. A PDF of Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces- Summarized, the very genesis of the Hero's Journey. Use this to look over your notes and check that they are complete and accurate. Often times a hero must look to the past to gain wisdom for the future.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_dFtESE2qBAdIrfaYxUxtuhJHPSPTgVYTtLpFxmQBv8/edit?usp=drive_link
Your final trial will be your most perilous. Begin creating a Google Slides presentation with each stage listed for a text of your choice (visual texts like movies are acceptable).
Evaluation
Well done Hero. You've overcome the trials laid before you and have obtained a deep understanding of the Hero's Journey. However, you aren't done quite yet. Though you have managed to beat the challenges presented by the Special World, one task still remains. I told you from the beginning you would have to create a presentation exploring the Hero's Journey through a piece of media of your choice. The time has come for you to begin that process.
STEPS:
1. Create a Google Slides presentation that discusses how a piece of media (book, movie, video game, etc.) explores the Hero's Journey. Please write a well-written summary of the story and say how each act is part of the Hero's Journey. Give me some insight, if it breaks away from the formula, does it do anything different or interesting with it, if the characters are confined to one role or do they fulfill multiple roles outlined in the Hero's Journey, etc.
2. Create basic citations for any source
3. Come up with a title that relates to the media you are exploring. Something more interesting than "The Hero's Journey and X"
4. Be careful about using Star Wars or another text mentioned as your media of choice since they were outlined in this WebQuest. If you feel you have some grand insight on them that was not presented here, more power to you. But in general, I would recommend to steer away from these.
Conclusion
We will continue studying the Hero's Journey throughout the year. You will be tasked to apply this concept to many texts we encounter. Some call the monomyth inconsistent, some call it flexible but either way, it is an essential building block of literature and one you will most assuredly be encountering for the rest of your life.
Knowing all this you could say, your normal world might not be the same anymore
Credits
This webquest was adapted by Mrs. Bergeron on August 2023 from https://www.createwebquest.com/heros-journey-webquest
Joseph Campbell: A Scavenger Hunt for 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' Students (Dana Huff) / CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Links to videos and items are provided within this quest
Last Updated:
Tuesday, August 22, 2023