Hercules: Hero's Journey

This is the original world of the hero, which "suffers from a symbolic deficiency." The hero is lacking something, or something is taken from him. Hercules works to help his adoptive family in their village. However, because of his unique abilities, he is outcast and excluded. The inhabitants of the village bully him, so he feels very lonely. The last catalyst for his choice to leave occurs when he is forced to. Due to his obscene strength, he accidentally destroys the village, and is kicked out. The inhabitants believe that because he cannot control his strength, he is dangerous. He has a deep longing to find somewhere that will accept him, where he will belong, and where he can finally find his way.

The hero must now deal with the consequences of their actions. They may be pursued by remaining forces. They now face the decision to return to the ordinary world. He returns to earth, and finds that Meg is dead. He travels to the Underworld in a final attempt to save her. This is perhaps the biggest adversity Hercules faces.

The hero has committed to his task, and enters the special world. Often he is met by a threshold guardian. Megara is a 'damsel in distress', so Hercules sets off to try to save her as his first mission. He struggles, and is clumsy. But, he pushes through and saves her. He destroys the river guardian, and develops a romantic attachment to Meg. This signifies him moving into the field of adventure.

The hero is given a challenge, problem, or adventure. Often it appears as a blunder, or chance. This stage establishes the goal of the hero. This is the herald. The herald may be a person calling the hero to the cause. He doesn't feel like he belongs in his adoptive family's home. So, when they give him his medallion showing his true affiliation with the Gods, he seeks them out to find someplace that will accept him (the Temple of Zeus). When he arrives, Zeus gives him a quest to prove himself as a hero so he can be considered a God and stay with his biological family on Olympus.

The (often) reluctant hero has to be set along the correct path. He must weigh the consequences and be excited by a stronger motivation to proceed further.Unfortunately, only Gods can live on Olympus. Zeus tells Hercules that to be a God, he has to be a true hero. Hercules doesn't truly understand the meaning of this, he thinks that he has to train to become stronger to be granted the title of a God. In a way, the refusal is his ignorance to see the true mission (proving himself as a hero true of heart). He has to find Philoctetes to teach him so he can proceed further.

The hero encounters a wise figure who prepares him for the journey. This figure (or item) gives advice, guidance, or an item, but cannot go with the hero. The mentor may gift the hero with a supernatural aid, or may be the supernatural aid themselves. Philoctetes is found. Hercules tries to convince Phil to train him, but he is reluctant. He eventually decides to teach Hercules, because he has a dream to train the greatest hero ever lived. Hercules trains very hard and becomes very strong to help make Phil's and his dreams come true.

In the special world, the hero learns the new rules by meeting people and obtaining new information. There is often a "local watering hole" component. This is where the true characteristics of the hero are revealed. Trials: Kids stuck on landslide, then a hydra attacks him. He destroys it, but it gets worse. He faces a lot of adversary (many serpents attack), but he breaks the rock, and everyone thinks he's dead. But, he emerges from the hand of the hydra alive. He strives, doing more heroic stuff than ever. He is famous and becomes rich. Meg, even though she is adverse, has to trick him for Hades. His character shifts, but doesn't develop or grow.Enemies: Hades rediscovers Hercules still exists and tries to trick him. Hades makes a deal with Hercules to take his powers. He agrees, at the expense of Meg. Now, Hades is going to unleash the titans to destroy Zeus on Olympus. Hercules attempts to face the titans powerless. He is going to die, so Meg tries to find Phil to help him. He fights off the titan, just barely escaping with his life. But, when Meg gets hurt, he gains his powers back because Hades' deal is broken. Allies: townspeople, Phil, Pegasus. Meg and him develop feelings for eachother, but Phil breaks them up. Hercules can't be with her - she's mortal. Also, she's conflicted, she doesn't trust him because of past experiences. She also has to trick him, but she secretly doesn't want to. Unfortunately, when she tries to break off her agreement with Hades - she can't, he owns her. Meg is a gray area. Hercules sees her as damsel in distress or love interest. But, Hades has her tricking him.

Now our hero, and often his allies, have come to the edge of the dangerous place where the "object of the quest" is hidden. This stage often is the land of the dead. The titans and cyclops are released and approach them. Hercules chooses to fight back. He gets his strength back and is going to face the ordeal. 

The hero faces danger, often a life-or-death moment that is either physical or psychological. He then sets off to defeat Hades, to stop him from destroying Zeus, and prevent him from entering Olympus. He fights the titans and frees the Gods.

After surviving, our hero takes possession of the object, typically a treasure, weapon, knowledge, token, or reconciliation. The reward is being able to live his life with Meg. That is the reward; her love. He earned it by sacrificing himself for her. He completed Zeus' mission to prove himself a hero true of heart.

One final test is required for the purification and rebirth of the hero. Alternatively, it may be a miraculous transformation.In an effort to save Meg, he sacrifices himself. But, he doesn't die because through his actions, he becomes a God. He dives in the pool of souls to trade places with Meg. He proves he is a true hero, because a hero is about the measure of the strength in your heart, not your physical strength. He is reborn as a God because of his selfless actions.

The triumphant hero returns to the ordinary world with their reward. Common rewards are treasure, love, freedom, wisdom, or knowledge. The hero may decide to stay in their new world but return one final time to say goodbye. Hercules returns as a God to Olympus. However, because he's a god, he cannot stay with Meg. He says his final goodbye, but chooses to stay on earth with Meg. He gives up being a God because he believes that a life without Meg is a worse fate than mortality.