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Alyssa Reid
ENG 101
Mary Petty
9 November 2014
Campbells Monomyth of the Hero in Hercules
The movie Hercules, Disneys film adaptation of roman mythology, unseeingly follows
every step of the Heros Journey. The Heros Journey is a pattern of predictable outcomes a main
character endures along their way to achieving the goal they have set out to reach. Each phase is
focused on this leading individual also known as the protagonist, or the hero of the story. In this
case, the hero would apparently be Hercules. It is said that the protagonist, or Hero, is a
mythological of legendary figure endowed with great strength, courage, or ability favored by the
gods, and often believed to be of divine, or partly divine decent (Schwartz 82.) All of these
qualities are obvious categories for the heroic characteristics that make up Hercules. Joseph
Campbell, the developer of the theory of The Heros Journey, wrote a series of seventeen steps to
describe the expedition. These segments include three different phases. The first chapter is
Separation of the hero. The second segment of the monomyth is the initiation of the hero where
Hercules encounters various obstacles to help prepare him for his great mission. The third is the
return of the hero. In this final phase, Hercules returns home with the power of enlightenment
and courageous victory. In the perfect motion example of Hercules, every step within each
chapter is clearly demonstrated throughout his story. Hercules in Disneys Hercules follows
Joseph Campbells monomyth of the hero by separation from his home life with his foster
parents, initiation/fulfillment in saving Mount Olympus and becoming a true hero, and finally
returning to the parents that raised him with a full sense of true righteousness.

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In chapter one, Hercules follows five steps that guide him down the path of his journey.
Moreover, he must leave his comfortable life and venture on to new land reaching a point of no
return. The steps must begin with the Heros introduction to his adventure. The event represents
the very first step called the Call to Adventure. Hercules is confronted by his parents with the
truth of how they found him as an infant. They go on to inform him that he was wearing a
medallion marked with the symbol of the Gods. Hercules is then directed by the call to set out
to the temple of Zeus for answers. Then the second step, Refusal of the call, occurs. This is
simply the event in which Hercules doubts his own abilities and fears the unknown world
while enduring a brief encountering with a statue in the image of his father, Zeus. Essentially,
Hercules is frightened and urges to run off signaling his refusal. This leads into step three, The
Supernatural Aid, which is basically Herculess guidance along his adventure. Hercules is
supported by two supernatural aids. He receives the help of his companion Pegasus and his
mentor Philoctetes, better known as Phil, the trainer for all of Greeces greatest Heroes. The next
step, is crossing the first threshold. This step is the first event of change for the hero. In Hercules,
for instance, Phil, begins to train Hercules to be a hero, mentally and physically preparing him
for his chance to prove himself. The final step of phase one is called the Belly of the whale or as
Campbell describes it, the point of no return. In the example, this stage is marked with the
event when he arrives at a town called Thebes. The town is prone to disaster, but as Phil
describes, it is a place where, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. These events
which guide Hercules further along his journey all represent chapter one of Campbells
monomyth.
Chapter two, the initiation of Hercules, includes six steps from the Heros Journey. The
first step is the Road of trials. At this point, Hercules is faced with many obstacles and

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difficulties that test his abilities. For example, Hercules battles endless monsters and evil
creatures led by Hades, the God of the Underworld. Step two is the Meeting with the goddess.
This step embodies Herculess first encounter with Megara who simply captivates him. Next, is

the step of the Woman as Temptress. A great example from Hercules is when Meg, working for
Hades, seduces Hercules to learn his weakness. The following step, Atonement with the father is
essentially the stage in which Hercules believed he had proven himself, but his father then tells
him to look deeper into his heart. Finally, the step of Apotheosis is reached. Moreover, this is the
phase where Hercules saves Mount Olympus from an attack of the titans, and his father is once
again King of the Gods. In sequence to this step, he obtains the final stage of the Ultimate Boon,
or the treasure that Campbells hero receives for achieving their goal and their reason for
embarking on the adventure. After Hercules risks his life to save Meg, proving himself a true
hero, he is reunited with his family on Mount Olympus. This scene is emphasized by Zeuss
welcome to Hercules as he claims, Finally, my son, you can come home. (Hercules) Given the
sequence of events, Hercules finally completes the six steps of chapter two in Joseph Campbells
monomyth of the hero.
Chapter three illustrates the return of Hercules. The first step to this chapter similar to
chapter one, is Herculess hesitation to journey back home. In extent, he is happy to be reunited
with his godly family, and does not even think about going back to his old life. Eventually,
though, the hero must leave the new world and return. This step is called the Magic flight. It is
presented with the event when Hercules and Meg float back to earth on a cloud, and then later
are taken to Herculess home by Pegasus. Next, is the step called rescue from without. This is a
very important step, in which Hercules learns what it means to be a true hero. Zeus, Herculess
father finally explains that, a true hero is not measured by the size of his strength, but by the

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strength of his heart (Hercules). On Herculess trip back to his original world, just as before, he
must pass through the stage of, Crossing the Return Threshold. Following the monomyth,
Hercules travels back home with Megara by riding Pegasus. Finally, Hercules develops a
Mastery of 2 worlds. This is the fifth stage of the last chapter to the Heros Journey. Hercules
becomes master on both Earth and Mount Olympus as his enlightenment helps him overcome
any narcissism and arrogance while educating him on both levels of himself. Ultimately, once
the Hero accomplishes all those previous steps, the final stage, Freedom to live, may be joyously
fulfilled. Hercules lives happily on earth with Meg, and his fosters parents. Again, Hercules
travels through each step following Campbells pattern.
In conclusion, Joseph Campbells Monomyth of the hero is a well-known pattern that
inhabits Disneys popular film, Hercules. The journey can be seen in many different aspects and
events that occur along Herculess adventure and road to self-righteousness. As mentioned
before, Hercules is the perfect model of Campbells monomyth of the hero, as his story follows
all three chapters of the monomyth. The separation, initiation, and return of Hercules as a hero
follows the outline of the Heros Journey, and Hercules develops into his destiny as a true hero.

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Works Cited
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press,
1968.
Hercules. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Walt Disney Feature Animation. Walt Disney
Pictures, 1997. Film
Schwarts, Sheila. The Idea of the Hero, The English Journal Vol. 58 (Jan. 1969): 82-86. Print.