III-2 BEE | 2S-ENG07 Blogs

From zero to hero, as the song in the Disney movie says, perfectly sums up Hercules' journey towards proving himself a hero. From being an outcast, a farm boy living in the outskirts of town, he took three chunks of steps that transformed him into this famous, masculine, face of the merch, son of Zeus: the young hero, Hercules. What Disney showed us, however, is not just a story of a random would-be-hero; it is a journey of all heroes we look up to. The great thing is, mythologist, Joseph Campbell, presented a formula for us to understand our heroes (not the persons, but the archetypes) in depth. Departure + Initiation + Return = The Hero's Journey All these three were steps took by Hercules himself. It started with him leaving his town to know who he truly is, after 18 years of trying to fit in with ordinary people of his age; after making scenes after scenes showcasing his super strength. He bid goodbye to the parents who raised him, pursuing the answers to his "whys...

 - Reflection written by Princess Jane A. Segovia What does it take to be a hero? Can an individual be born for heroic deeds or is it a decision anyone can make? Who will decide if one is fit to be a hero; the gods or themselves? According to the American Professor John Campbell, there is such a thing referred to as monomyth or a universal structure of myths and stories all over the world. This structure follows a certain flow of the story where the hero undergoes different trial and meets various individuals that would contribute to his transformation in becoming a praise-worthy hero. What does it take to be a hero?  The steps are as follows:    1. The Ordinary World - this is where the world the hero has been living in is introduced and established for the readers / viewers. This includes his normal day-to-day routine. 2. The Call to Adventure - this refers to the transition of the hero from the ordinary world he is used to towards the new, special world he will be...

 Heroes don't always come perfectly like how it is perceived by people. Just like Hercules who might choose the virtuous path over the easier one but based on the mythology he was given life because of the cheating of Zeus. He proved himself through many things. Hunting a Lion for 50 days and even winning a war through the blessing of Athena. A hero's journey would always come with obstacles from questioning his virtuous to take the easy path or even physical challenges where it might feel that a thing is much stronger than them and that is where we can relate as human beings.   We are not perfect as well. Some things make us feel weak, in different aspects of our lives. This situation makes us question ourselves and our capabilities. Even referring back to what we think defines us. Just like Hercules where he is brought to the world through a "mistake" made by Zeus but at the end of the day that doesn't define his worth as a demi-god or let's just say it does...

  The Hercules in us                     From a clueless mortal to a genuine hero. Indeed, the story of how Hercules, a boy simply trying to find the place where he belongs to turned out to be a great hero is truly amusing. Going from a boy just trying to fit in, to a hero that everyone adores, who wouldn't want the same adventure and story as that? It wouldn't be a surprise if anyone aspires to have the same fate as this mighty hero, Hercules. However, aren't all of us already a hero on our own?                           Just like any hero has ever been, didn't we also had to leave our safe places and comfort zones to indulge into a new adventure? to find our purpose? It may not be the kind of adventure we could picture. It may not be the type of adventures that are told as tales but we did had or will have to leave our safe places and risk th...

 Hercules: Campbell's Hero's Journey Charmine Cumpio (charmingly yours,) III-2 BEE Hercules is a son of Zeus and a mortal named Alcmene, making him a demi-god. Nevertheless, he is known for his god-like strength. In the Disney movie, Hercules felt he is isolated from their city because of his extraordinary strength. So, he decided to go on a journey ( go the distance ) in finding where he belongs. This latter part of this blog will now discuss Hercules’ journey of becoming a hero according to Campbell’s Hero’s Journey . Stage 1: Hercules’ ordinary world Hercules is living an ordinary life as a human with his adoptive parents in the city of Thebes. However, his extraordinary strength is not fitting with the norms according to their society. Thus, which made him decide to go on a journey. Stage 2: Hercules begins his heroic journey Hercules left his adoptive parents and began his unknown journey. He traveled to visit the temple of Zeus. In a while, he hesitated a little ( Stage ...

  How does society perceived a hero? By Angelica Vere Just like how Hercules experienced at first, if you were extraordinary and not similar to what people see in their everyday life (for example, in Hercules context, his extraordinary strength), you will be treated as an outcast, weird, and even evil. Why is that? It's because you are different from them, and might also because they are jelous of what you have. However, when you start to please your society by doing good things to them or helping them, that's the only time your society will welcome you and even treat you special. But the thing that bothers me is the question that, "do a hero really needs to please his society to be able to accept and welcome him?". Does being popular has an influenced to the title "hero"? I believed that the answer is no. Being a hero means committing oneself to help the needy without expecting something in return. Because a help won't really be help if you use it to ge...

  Balmaceda, Coline III-2 BEE Hercules: How to Become a Hero in Joseph Campbell’s Way Courtesy of Google Images If you’re going to ask a child to what it takes to become a hero, they will probably answer, “you have to be strong [physically]”, “you need to save someone or the world”, or even “when you got superpowers”. Personally, those were also the statements and perceptions I’ve grown up to whenever we talked about heroes. But, where does heroism really came from?   Courtesy of Google Images In 1949, Joseph Campbell introduced the 12 hero’s journey in his Hero with a Thousand Faces . This is an up-to-now most common narrative and structure of what a hero experiences and faces. If you’re a fan of Disney, Marvels, or DC, well, I know you know how it goes. But this blog is intended for 1997 Disney’s Hercules, a demi-god son of Zeus with special strength. His Hero’s Journey is as follows: Ordinary World - Although Hercules was born on Mount Olympus by his parents Zeu...

Go the Distance: The Hero's Journey What if I told you that you, I and all heroes are the same? Don't believe me? Read on.  The Hero's Journey Joseph Campbell is an American mythologist, author, and professor. He is a renowned writer and editor whose works on comparative mythology explored the universal similarities of legends in multiple human cultures and mythic characters in all literature (Segal, 2012). In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the American author establishes the concept of what we know call the Hero's Journey--a common hero archetype embedded in countless stories worldwide.  Campbell sets down the hero's journey structure in 17 stages in his book ( www.masterclass.com , 2020). He summarizes these to three fundamental phases: The departure . The hero departs the familiar world and ventures into a new life.  The initiation . The hero navigates the unfamiliar world and endures many trials.  The return . The hero returns to his familiar world....