Assignment One I have provided two prompt choices for this assig.docx

Assignment One: I have provided two prompt choices for this
assignment:
I. Instructions for using The Monomyth, a.k.a. the hero cycle
developed by Joseph Campbell, to analyze The Ramayana
1. Write and introduction paragraph and thesis. The body must
mirror the thesis. The body can be either essay or outline in
form, though all MLA rules apply. You must use material from
the readings to justify and support your claims (provide context)
while using citation (parenthetical documentation). Every one
of these points will result in grade reduction or failure if
ignored. All steps must make a cohesive structure, leading
logically together, when you analyze the myth. You may not
simply put a step and a quote without context.
a. You need to tell me why you choose the character, either
Sita or Rama, inThe Ramayana to be an example of the hero.
Remember to use key ideas, like dharma, which is found in the
introduction in the textbook.
b. You also should make mention this structure is known as the
Monomyth and that this structure was developed by Joseph
Campbell. You need to work this into your essay in order to
give the appropriate credit to the idea. I suggest you use
material from the introduction and class presentations to
strengthen this point. I further suggest you mention the book in
which this theory was first revealed, which is the subject of
Chapter 15 in your textbook.
c. You should decide how you will construct your thesis. If
you decide to use a three-prong thesis statement, which I highly
recommend, then you could use Departure, Initiation, and
Return as your three prongs, which you will then mirror in the
body of the assignment. You also must list the eight steps you
are using in the order that you will discuss these steps in the
body. Just list them, saving the detail for the body. I suggest
that at the end of your three prong claim you place a colon (:)
and then list the eight steps you will use in the correct order.

This listing should be done at the end of your thesis. AGAIN,
Do not go into any detail until the body please. This would
mean that you have three parts of the cycle, each part being
discussed in a different body paragraph or section. In these
paragraphs you will go into detail and discuss the particular
steps that fall under that particular section. If you choose the
outline or bulleted structure, then the three divisions could act
like outline section headings.
d. If you make a radical choice then you are required to produce
radical proof. Failure to list these steps, or failure to list them
in the correct order in which you discuss them is an automatic
letter grade deduction.
e. In your essay you must use at least one quote from Chapter
15 in the main textbook, at least one idea from the introduction
to The Ramayana (Chapter 18), as well as one quote or
summarized and documented concept from first essay “The
Impact of Science on Myth” as well as one quote or summarized
concept from “The Emergence of Mankind” from the Joseph
Campbell book Myths to Live By. These are required to
illustrate your ability to use material to justify and support your
claims. In the Body you must use cite ALL summary, not just
the quote from the narrative by putting the page numbers from
which the material comes. No quotes should be more than three
lines of text AT MOST. When dealing with a long quote use
ellipses (…). Every point you make in the body should be
coordinated to the page numbers from which you draw the
material. In dealing with quotes, summary, paraphrased
material, etc., use MLA parenthetical documentation.
f. In-text citation (parenthetical documentation) must be used in
accordance with MLA rules when summarizing or quoting.
II. I am also extending you the opportunity to do the above
assignment using a narrative other than The Ramayana. You
may use The Ramayana and The Epic ofGilgamesh as points of
comparison, along with the Monomyth as discussed in part I.
If you choose to analyze another narrative structure you may
still abide by all the previous instructions, but you will be

looking at the plot structure of your choice in relation to the
other material in the class we have discussed so far. This
choice must be clearly explained in your introductory
paragraph. This choice does not change the basic rules of this
assignment.
2. You must use at least eight steps. Use all steps and correctly
argue for their placement or lose a letter grade (or more).
a. Of those eight you must use: the call to adventure, 1st
crossing the threshold (movement into the unknown zone), the
axis/apotheosis, and the 2nd crossing the second threshold
(moving back to the known world) simply as a matter of
necessity. You need to line your steps in the correct order,
reflecting your character’s development through the cycle in a
linear fashion, even if this linear structure is not a match for the
plot development. Please do not confuse this for a plot
summary; THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT A PLOT SUMMARY.
If, for example, if you find out the reason for the extraordinary
birth in some part of the chapter or narrative, then you will
place this step first, no matter where in the narrative or some
other source it is found.
b. Other steps you may consider:
i. Extraordinary birth,
ii. Divine or supernatural aid typically by wise guide (person,
god, etc.),
iii. Helpers (this step is mobile and can occur in more than one
place. You may only use it once.),
iv. Road of trials (there may be many versions of this in a
myth, you can choose more than one, but it will still only be one
step.),
v. Meeting with the goddess, meeting with temptress (the
goddess and temptress may be the same entity in the
story…also, if the hero is a female then this can then be male in
gender. Rather than temptress it may be tempter, rather than
goddess it may be god),
vi. Atonement with the father (This step can occur right before

the apotheosis, can be a product of the apotheosis, or itself can
be apotheosis. The nature of atonement with the father is
typically ordered in a way that is in relation to the type of deed
the hero is doing in relation to the society that produced the
hero.),
vii. The ultimate boon can also be known as the elixir theft (the
theft or gain of a material object or a spiritual concept is
typically what is referred to here. This can sometimes be
separated from the outcome of a particular boon or gift boon, as
the ultimate boon is essentially a manifestation of the hero’s
power or insight. For instance, in Gilgamesh the boon is the
plant of eternal life. Utnapishtim, a father figure, allows
Gilgamesh to find the plant, though Gilgamesh is fated to lose
the plant. The boon or elixir is the plant, but the “ultimate
boon” is the realization that losing immortality brings about
acceptance of mortality and responsible kingship, which is
represented by the plants loss.),
viii. The call to return,
ix. Refusal to return,
x. Magical flight(often a way of return that literally in the story
manifests as an unknown conveyance),
xi. Reign, exile, extraordinary death (or any of the other many
steps.) Sometime the hero’s story ends tragically despite their
success or sometimes the king rules happily. This idea of reign
is a type of return, despite the variances one may find in
different cultural traditions.
Some of these steps can be flexible within reason, like helpers,
the nature of apotheosis (whether the apotheosis leads to the
ultimate boon or is in some sense the ultimate boon), etc. It is
ultimately important how you analyze using this material you
have. It is also important to note that the order of these steps
has a built in requirement that comes along with the Monomyth
mirroring the many processes of development Campbell used in
formulating his structure (anthropological, psychological, etc.)
Among these the three most important would be the process of
individuation, the initiation ritual, and the biological process of

life. In philosophy it can be said this structure takes into
account both being and becoming. I have spent a fair amount of
time going over the significance of this, so if you do not show
an understanding of this fundamental aspect of the analysis (or
at least an attempt to try to understand), you will lose a letter
grade.
c. Every step is not just a matter of plot. This essay is not
about plot summary. Each step is about analysis; therefore you
must justify your steps in a coherent manner. Why does the
choice you make for the call to adventure make sense
considering the Axis or Apotheosis? All the steps must make a
coherent analysis….AGAIN; this is not about giving me a plot
summary and then labelling that part of the plot. Each part of
the narrative must make sense when discussed as part of a
coherent analysis. What does the plot mean? You are limited
by your knowledge at this point, so use the book and what little
you may know of the culture to ascertain how to best read the
metaphors in a myth as they relate to values and meanings.
This is the essential step in analysis.
III. The body can be in outline form, bulleted, numbered, or in
traditional essay form.
d. If you would like to follow the five paragraph essay
structure you must identify the steps you choose within the
context of the three divisions of the cycle: departure, initiation
and return for example. These three divisions would then
constitute the three body paragraphs…this is a matter of your
personal taste.
e. In the body, however you construct it you must go through
each step in the order mentioned in your thesis statement, put in
the appropriate order and section of the cycle. You must tell me
the step, or in other words you must name it, and then explain
how the part of the story fits the profile of this step, using a
short quote if you want, but not required. Keep any summary
to a minimum, and then put the page number(s) that corresponds
to the section to which you refer. Obviously if you use a direct
quote you have to cite that immediately after the quote. The

page number is not optional. Not using page numbers is an
automatic grade reduction. Rather than plot summary what I
want you to focus on is your justification for a particular step
occurring at a particular time in the plot. It is up to you to make
your justification coherent. AGAIN…If you merely do plot
summary you will lose a letter grade, as plot summary is not
critical thinking.
IV. You will then need a conclusion. This is both a reflection
of what you have done with your thesis and support as well as a
meaningful conclusion about what is implied if your argument
is true. You have done it, “so what?”What does it matter?Do
you remember why it matters to Campbell?
General instructions
I do require MLA documentation for this assignment. There is
to be no external research, but you will use your books and
classroom notes. MLA is not optional. You must not use
material and then not cite it. If you do not remember
parenthetical documentation I suggest you look it up and refresh
your memory. I WILL take off if you do not parenthetically
document your resources. That will fail you for the assignment
and perhaps the class if you use someone else’s work and do not
acknowledge that use. If you need to meet me we can come to
some arrangement. I understand academic struggles, but all
forms of plagiarism will fail you for this assignment and
potentially for the course.
5 pages, Typed, double-spaced, 12 sized font, times-roman or
font of some clear design…no funny stuff. Neither the MLA
citation page, nor the class information is part of this length.
The maximum length of this assignment is ten pages. Keep in
mind that a quick stripped down cycle that merely identifies a
plot and a step without analysis does not meet the minimum
requirement. You must try to analyze to fully be engaged with
this assignment. I do not expect you to be experts, but I do
expect you to do the best you can. If you do a short sloppy
paper, expect your grade to reflect that effort.

You need class info…the class and personal info as well as the
title cannot be considered part of the length, so adjust
accordingly. The title should not be The Ramayana, since I
know you didn’t write the epic. I do not require a title page,
and please do not use a folder….just a staple is fine….but there
better be a staple. The length should be a minimum of 5
pages…if you do not meet the minimum requirement, you will
not have the option to rewrite the paper in the event you want to
make a better grade; not meeting the minimum requirement will
also result in grade deduction of at least a letter grade.
Again, NO REWRITE WILL BE ALLOWED IF YOU DO NOT
MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIRED EXPECTATIONS OF THIS
ASSIGNMENT.
The Monomyth
The Hero's Journey

What is an archetype?
From the standpoint of C.G. Jung and Campbell, an archetype is
a constant pattern made manifest in the products of human
beings.
Products meaning that which human beings produce, mostly
referring to products of the imagination, including: dreams,
imagination, inspiration, art, architecture, religion, etc.
Archetypes
First, Archetypes are unconscious
Archetypes are the evidence of common psychological events
within the psyche.
Archetypes do not technically exist independently of that which
they are used to discuss.
It is wrong to think of the Monomyth as independent of art; it
is merely an underlying structure or pattern found in many
examples of art.
All stories that precede Campbell’s analysis did not consciously
use the hero archetype, cross-culturally speaking.
Do not confuse the analytical concept with the story itself.

What is the folk or ethnic idea of the following painting?
St. George and the Dragon by Peter Paul Rubens 1605-1607
C.E.

Can this image be identified as a hero? What evidence can be
given that this is indeed a hero?
Sir Isaac Newton by Sir Godfrey Kneller 1689 C.E.
Newton’s Tomb Monument 1731 C.E. by Michael Rysbrack and
William Kent in Westminster Abbey

Here is buried Isaac Newton, Knight, who by a strength of mind
almost divine, and mathematical principles peculiarly his own,
explored the course and figures of the planets, the paths of
comets, the tides of the sea, the dissimilarities in rays of light,
and, what no other scholar has previously imagined, the
properties of the colours thus produced. Diligent, sagacious and
faithful, in his expositions of nature, antiquity and the holy
Scriptures, he vindicated by his philosophy the majesty of God
mighty and good, and expressed the simplicity of the Gospel in
his manners. Mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so
great an ornament of the human race! He was born on 25
December 1642, and died on 20 March 1726/7.
8
Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton by Etienne-Louis Boullee 1748
C.E.
A cenotaph is an empty tomb…a monument erected to honor a
person or a group of people whose remains are elsewhere.
9

Newton By William Blake 1795 C.E.
Ancient of Days by William Blake 1794 C.E.
The Monomyth is a cycle, or circular, metaphorically.
In some academic settings and in popular culture the Monomyth
is most often associated with the phrases “hero cycle,” or
“hero’s journey.” I prefer you to use Monomyth (The One
Myth).
The idea of a cycle can be used to conceptualize the idea of a
journey better than an outline.

When using the Monomyth in this course we will rely on the
cycle metaphor.
My favorite version of the cycle
Jung’s conception of Self, as opposed to ego.

Ouro (Tail) + Boros (eater), Ouroboros is an ancient symbol of
the self…Jung called the circle the symbol of the self.
Ouroboros – Papyrus of Dama Heroub 11th century B.C.E.
21st century Egypt
16
Gnostic Symbol 3rd Century C.E.

Greek magical papyrus
17
The cycle has three essential aspects
1. Departure – This can also be known as “separation.”
2. Initiation - This is where the character of the hero is formed
3. Return - Once the hero has performed the deed, they return
to home or their society.
Departure

Departure
Extraordinary Beginning – This is either about the birth or the
very early life of the hero. The hero is typically identified as
special in the myth. This can come in the form of:
Unusual birth
Predictions of greatness
Son or Daughter of a divinity
Performance of miracles or a difficult task at an early age
The hero must, as an infant, be hidden to escape death
Departure cont.
The Call to Adventure – The call can come in many forms:
A specific deed the hero wills him or herself to perform for
glory, for family, or spiritual need
An adventure that the hero finds themselves in by accident
A need arises that must be met by the hero and only the hero
An event occurs that compels or lures the hero to enter into a
quest

Departure cont.
Refusal of the call
Often the hero refuses the call at first. This often allows the
more humble attributes of the hero to surface and illustrates
their humanity.
Fear
Immaturity
Self-interest
Disinterest
Anxiety of responsibility
Departure cont.
Divine Aid and The Wise One
This is known as Acquisition of helper, but since other helpers

can happen it is best to think of this as The Wise one.
Often this figure appears as a Wise Old Man or Patriarch,
but can be
A wise woman (older most of the time)
A wise creature
A trickster figure that is also the guide (sometimes a god figure
disguised as an older person, sometimes a child)
These figures almost always give the hero something they will
need to fulfill their task, an instrument , etc.
Departure cont.
Meeting at the edge
Many times the hero meets with his helpers or without at the
edge of the threshold, this is sometimes:
A port
A town
Forests edge
A train station
A diner
River’s edge
and many others

The Threshold of Initiation
Behemoth and Leviathan by William Blake 1805-10 C.E.

Initiation begins with the crossing
Threshold Crossing – The Threshold is where the hero crosses
into the unknown, what is psychologically the unconscious.
There are many ways in which this is performed:
Entering a dark mysterious forest
Entering a labyrinth
Being attacked by a dragon
Swallowed by a large water creature (whale, fish, etc.)
Crucifixion
Dismemberment
Entering a dark cave
Minotaur battle
Brother battle
Night-Sea Journey, mysterious sea journey
Taking the red pill
Gustav Dore’s 1857 C.E. illustration from Dante’s Divine
Comedy

Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a
forest dark for the straightforward pathway had been lost.
28
Initiation cont.
Helpers – Helpers can be found in many parts of a hero story.
This step has no certain linear placement.
Helpers can be both natural and supernatural, depending on
the nature of the story. Often they are there to help get the hero
to the climactic moment of the story, and as such reflect the
hero’s needs.
Initiation cont.
The Road of Trials – This is the most important of steps in
many ways. This is initiation, and as Campbell points out, this
is:
Where the hero’s consciousness is transformed
Or it is where the world is transformed by the hero.
The road of trials increases in difficulty, building up the

climatic moment when the deed is done that brings the cycle to
it axis.
Initiation cont.
In some stories the Temptress is the Goddess
Meeting with the Goddess – On the road of trials, other
archetypal structures are met. One is the Goddess, or the
mother. Sometimes if the hero is a women this would be a god
rather than a goddess. This, however, is not certain.
Meeting with the Temptress – Sometimes a temptation is met.
This can be sexual, but not necessarily. As with the other step,
when the hero is a women, sometimes this is a Tempter, but
again, this is not certain.
The temptress often gets her way. Macbeth is one of the greatest

tragic hero’s in literature.
Initiation cont.
Illumination, Axis, or Apotheosis – This is the point where the
road of trials leads and where the hero transforms or is
transformed.
Defeat of the principle antagonist
Acquiring the boon.
Atonement with the Father – Most mythologies are products of
largely patriarchal cultures. The Father, in a sense, represents
the primary order and as such atonement represents finding
one’s place within society.
The Sacred Marriage – Giving one’s essence to another, or the
coming together of opposites which transcends mere gender.
This can be symbolized as the union of dualistic or binary
opposites of all kinds.
Elixir Theft – The hero gains something of grand significance.

Wagner’s opera is one of the best musical examples of the hero.
The Ring of the Nibelung finished in 1874 (pictured below a
2012 version.) The total work of art.
Return
Once the deed is done, the hero must return either to his home
or to his people in some manner. There are different approaches
to how this happens:
Summons to return – Often there is a need for the hero to
return. They cannot stay in the strange land.

Refusal to return – Just as there is a refusal to the call to
adventure, sometimes the hero may not want to go home, they
may insist they should stay or even sometimes die.
Return cont.
Magical Flight – Magical flight can occur in many ways.
Sometimes there may be a vehicle of some form, typically sent
by the divine principle. The hero themselves sometimes may
transform and gain the ability to fly.
The point of the magical flight is both a reward, but it is also a
way to end the story now that the Axis has been reached.
Often normal human efforts are often not enough to get the hero
home.

Magical flight means real magic, divine intervention, or an
extremely unlikely event.
Return cont.
The Second Threshold Crossing – Just as there was a crossing
into the unknown, now there is a crossing back into the known.
This is symbolically the hero going back into the conscious
world:
Rescue
Resurrection
Rout of Pretenders
Entry into the home land
Recognition

The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David 1787
Return cont.
There are several scenarios that are possible once the hero
enters into the land again:
Law Giving
City Founding
A teaching
Fame and Glory
Peace

The Code of Hammurabi – Notice the image on the top of the
stele. That is Hammurabi receiving the law from Shamash, the
sun god. 1772 B.C.E.
Moses bringing the New Tables of the Law Henry Davenport
1893 C.E. (the actual book of Exodus being written 500-600
B.C.E.)

Return cont.
There are other possibilities that can also happen:
Reign of the land/kingdom for many years
Reign and Death
Death and Burial
Exile from the land
Extraordinary Death
The Sleep of King Arthur in Avalon by Edward Burne-Jones
1898

Assignment One I have provided two prompt choices for this assig.docx

Assignment One I have provided two prompt choices for this assig.docx

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Assignment One I have provided two prompt choices for this assig.docx