Monomyth in Disney: A Comparison of Hercules (1997) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Lip, Stephanie Joy M.
III-2 BEE
Have
you ever heard of a cliché plot yet is still used by creators and loved by the
audience? Monomyth is one of these. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist, explored
how one culture’s myths are different than others. During his studies, he
discovered that there is a universal story structure and this can be seen in the
storyline of novels, films, myths, legends, and others, especially those that
involve a “hero” in their plot (Jeffrey, n.d.). This is certainly evident in
Disney movies even across the years. In this blog entry, we will look into the hero’s
journey of two strong Disney characters, Hercules and Raya, using the ten hero’s
journey steps identified by Campbell as cited by Jeffrey (n.d.). Considering that
Hercules, the movie, is set in the 20th century and Raya
and the Last Dragon in the 21st century, this entry will also
include how story elements present in every hero’s journey step changed over
time.
Note:
Before you continue reading, this written work will contain spoilers of the two
movies mentioned. Do not continue if you do not want to be spoiled. Thank you!
Step 1: The Ordinary World
This is the first part of a story wherein a hero or main character is presented as living in an “ordinary world”. This world is different for each character but this represent the comfort zone of heroes and their “normal” world where they grew up in. In Hercules, this can be seen while he is still living with his adoptive parents, Amphitryon and Alcmene, on Earth. For Raya, it is when he is still living with her father in the palace of Heart and the dragon gem is still intact and safe. The setting of the two characters in this first step is different in that Hercules’ world is set up in a village on Earth with the gods overlooking upon them while Raya is set up in a palace on a dystopian world with their place’s history as a world full of dragons. Additionally, across centuries, women can now be depicted as warriors and not just damsels in distress. This can be seen in Megara’s damsel in distress description and Raya’s strong characterization. Nonetheless, in this step, they are in a world where they grew up and are most comfortable in.
Step 2: Call to Adventure
This
is a transition from an ordinary world to a “special” world. The heroes had to
make a critical decision and leave their comfort zone. For Hercules, this is
the part where he realized that he does not fit in and that his adoptive
parents revealed to him his medallion that has the symbol of the gods. Here, he
decided to leave his comfort zone behind to find where he truly belongs. Raya,
on the other hand, did not have too much say in the decision because the Druuns
are turning everyone to stone, including her father, and she must be strong and
embark the journey to save his father along with everyone else. In this step,
the two characters had to leave their parents (can represent comfort zone) and
face their own journeys and battles. They also had the same intentions for this
journey at first in that they just wanted this for themselves. Hercules to
discover where he belongs and Raya to save her own father and not everyone else.
Step 3: Cross the First Threshold
The
point of no return. Once the hero decides to take this step then theirs is no
turning back. In Hercules, this is when he went to the temple of Zeus to know
his true identity and here he decided to prove himself a true hero on earth to
restore his god hood. As for Raya, this step intersects with step two in that her
decision of bringing Namaari to the dragon gem’s place resulted to the
resurrection of Druuns and the death of her father. Because Raya did not have
her say on the decision, the death of her father is the point of no return for
her. She embarks the journey with a map to find the last dragon, Sisu. After
all the revelations and happenings in the two characters’ lives, this is
certainly a point of no return for them.
Note:
Modifications for step 4 and 5. The writer interchanged the two steps to fit
the arrangement of the plot of Hercules (1997) and Raya and the Last
Dragon (2021). The mentors and supernatural aids are first introduced
before the trials or main quest.
Step 4: Magical Mentor (or the Mentor with Supernatural Aid)
This
step shows the coming of a mentor or supporter with supernatural powers or
capabilities to aid the heroes in their journey. They cannot be a lone wolf in the
quest. For Hercules, it is the coming of Pegasus and Philoctetes to aid and
train him in his conquest. For Raya, it is finding Sisu for the dragon’s
advices and powers help her to achieve a happy ending for everyone. Both
characters are helped by creatures with magical powers. These mentors and aids
are often seen in the side lines but without them the story will be incomplete.
Step 5: Trials, Friends, and Foes
In the
hero’s journey, they encounter many obstacles that obstructs them from achieving
their reward. But along with this comes the supporters and friends that are
critical to the mission’s success. After training, Hercules encounters his “mini”
foes which are Nessus and the Am-scray, sent by Hades to destroy him. He also
came across Megara which became his lover. As for Raya, she encountered one of
her “main” foes which is Namaari, the antagonist of the story. Raya also met “mini”
foes that eventually became her friends which are Noi, Ongis, and Tong. For the
comparison, both Raya and Hercules’ friends greatly influenced the plot of the
story and even affected the turning of events. However, with regards to their “mini”
foes, the two stories had a difference. The reason of Hercules’ foes in
attacking him were not revealed. Instead, they were just angry and just wants
to attack him out of sheer will. On the other hand, Raya’s foes had a reason
for their actions and eventually became Raya’s friends. This shows the change
of development of plots across centuries in that, at the present time, reasons
for foes’ attacks are revealed through the backstories of these characters.
Step 6: Dragon’s Lair
This
is the second major decision of the story where the hero is usually put at
significant physical and psychological risks. This decision is greater than the
first and this is usually located at the climax or near it. The second major
decision of Hercules was giving up his strength for the sake of Megari’s
freedom and safety while for Raya, it was going to Fang to try trusting Namaari
for the sake of bringing back his father and the families of her friends. This
step is critical for both characters because they risked their life here – and the
life of everyone involved to them – to achieve their purpose. Conversely, this
step is a little bit different for them in a way that Hercules encountered this
without the presence of his mentor, Philoctetes, while Raya made the decision because
of the influence of her friend, Sisu.
Step 7: Moment of Despair
This
step is the result of a major obstacle wherein the future begins to look dim. This
will show that all hope appears to be lost and the hero must access a hidden
part of his inner self to overcome this. In Hercules, this step is revealed in
the part where Hercules strength is gone and Megari’s real identity is known. The
titans were set free, Olympus is being destroyed, and there is nothing that
Hercules can do. This also includes the part where Meg died and sacrificed her
life for Hercules. For Raya, this step started when Sisu was shot by an arrow
because she did not trust Namaari. There was nothing left to hold the Druuns back
and eventually even the gem slowly lost its power. Both stories showed hopelessness
and losing the battle because of the heroes’ wrong actions.
Step 8: Ultimate Treasure
This
step is near the resolution of the story. Here, heroes receive the prize and/or
achieve the objective they set out to finish. Heroes also gain personal transformations
that are internal and greater than the one they originally want to reach.
Hercules’ original motivation for embarking the journey is for him to find
where he belongs and to prove that he can be a hero. His reward is that he was
able to achieve his godhood and save Meg. Raya’s original drive is to only bring
back her father. But as the story progresses, she wants to bring back her friends’
families and Kumandra. In this part, she took the first step to trust Namaari and
because of that trust, the dragon’s gem was brought back along with all the lives
of people and dragons. Hercules’ reward was more on self-attainment and
romantic accomplishment but Raya’s reward was inclined to growth of values and
saving and restoring everyone and everything. This difference in reward shows
that across centuries, the focus of the concept of “ultimate treasure” became more
universal and greater than the achievement of self needs.
Step 9: Homeward Bound
This
is no other than the homecoming of the hero. Hercules came home to Olympus, he
was welcomed by gods, recognized as a hero and at last he found his original
home. Raya came home to Heart and saw his father that was brought back to life
after many years. The two heroes’ homecoming had a difference in terms of the
perspective of the story. Hercules’ homecoming only focused at him while Raya’s
homecoming also featured the homecoming of her friends and restoration of the
whole land. Same as with step 8, this difference shows a broader view of the
lives of the people in the story and not just the protagonist themselves.
Step 10: Rebirth and the Champion’s Return
The last
step of this version of hero’s journey. In here, Hercules turned and saw Megari
sad and leaving. Even though he is back to his own place where he supposedly
belongs, after travelling the quest, he realized where he truly belongs. An
evidence of this is in his quote, “A life without Meg, even an immortal life,
would be empty. I wish to stay on Earth with her. I finally know where I belong”.
On the other hand, Raya not only returned to Heart to see her father but also
brought the tribes with her therefore being able to unify the people and achieve
Kumandra. The difference of resolution showed how “happily ever after” changed
over time. In the 20th century, themes of male and female happily
get married are considered a good ending but in the 21st century,
even without the theme of romantic relationship, a good ending is one where
values are learned and all the people live happily in harmony.
Through
all these steps, despite some differences in the plot and elements of the story
of Hercules and Raya, Campbell’s monomyth can still be evidently seen. Patterns
are still the same but is still loved by the audience because of some tweaks and
twists in the story. The audience can also be attached to this type of plot
because it can be a reflection of their experiences and circumstances in life.
In addition, values and focus of the stories that changed across centuries shows
our constant learning of the world around us. Overall, even with the
differences present, both stories are great stories of success that inspires
human growth and achievement.
References:
Clements,
R. & Musker, J. (Director). (1997). Hercules [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures
and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Estrada,
C. L. & Hall, D. (Director). (2021). Raya and the Last Dragon [Film].
Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Jeffrey,
S. (n.d.). How to Use the Hero’s Journey for Personal Development. Retrieved
from https://scottjeffrey.com/heros-journey-steps/?fbclid=IwAR2qwRAeGStE2n_lG1Q14T-uluOaInT3Tp_6u-NMF4SH6Ve63feLntvZAkk
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