Heracles: A Primary Example of Joseph’s Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Essay

THESIS STATEMENT Heracles favorite of the Greeks is a primary example of Joseph’s Campbell’s hero’s journey, proven by all the actions that Heracles has done during the span of his Life. PURPOSE STATEMENT This paper is to show that Heracles is the prime example of a hero’s journey through his actions and the struggles that he faced during his life until he was about to die but instead of death, his father, Zeus, saved him and he conquered the mortal realm, to become a god. INTRODUCTION The story of Heracles that comes to people’s mind is not what Heracles had to do during his life. Throughout the life of Heracles, he has shown that he deserved to be remembered as a great hero, through the opposition that he faced from the husband of Zeus, the king of the gods, wife, Hera, because he was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Hera is the main reason that Heracles had to complete the 12 labors. Hera caused Heracles to go mad and kill his family. The only way for Heracles to purify himself was to accomplish the 12 labors that was assigned to him by his cousin Eurystheus as the oracle described: â€Å"As atonement for the dreadful killings, the oracles put Heracles in to the servitude of his cousin, King Eurystheus, who would impose upon the young hero the Twelve Labors, seemingly impossible tasks† (Reference book 68). Heracles must have completed these difficult trials to help him return to his usual life The main reason that Hera hated Heracles is because he was the illegitimate son of her husband Zeus. Hera usually would show hatred for woman that Zeus had slept with, but in this case her hatred was for son of the woman. The hatred of Hera is also ironic because Heracles’ names even means â€Å"Glory of Hera†, but with Hera’s h... ...ro. In the Helicon Encyclopedia of Literature they interpret Heracles myth as â€Å"Viewed as the personification of strength, courage, and endurance, Heracles and his legends may have been regarded as an allegory of the triumph of good over evil† (Helicon Encyclopedia). Heracles can be viewed as a story of good vs. evil because Heracles had to overcome the struggles placed on him from his opposition. Some people will believe that Heracles is not a great hero and they criticize Heracles like the poet Tom Sleigh and in his poem. â€Å"[H]is own good opinion of himselfmirrored back indulgentlywhenever he committedsome indiscretion borne of selfishness:† (Sleigh C: 9 L: 12-16). Sleigh is showing that all people don’t have to like or admire Heracles. But according to the mono-myth Heracles is a hero and went through harder things that other heroes didn’t have to complete.