Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Gabriel Duarte, in Nov. 2008
A hero is an archetypal character possessing virtues and skills that make him stand out. It is known that fiction is based on many occasions on this figure who must fulfill a mission or solve a problem. conflict for which he must strive and use his various qualities. What is less known is that the figure of the hero has a history as extensive as that of the humanity and it is present in all cultures despite the separation between them.
A detailed study on this topic was carried out by Joseph Campbell. A student of all the religions and myths of the world, I identify common themes in them, among which the figure of the hero stands out.. Outlined a theory around this observation, consisting in that the path of this has a series of stages that can be summarized in a period of separation, one of initiation and one of return. The period of separation includes the normal life that the hero must part with to solve a problem. The initiation period, on the other hand, constitutes the different tests and challenges that the hero must face in order to carry out his mission. Finally, the return period consists of the hero's return to society with a
solution to his problems.It should be noted that this approach is framed within some of Jung's considerations regarding the collective unconscious and archetypes. According to his theories, there are representations that reflect an unconscious common to all men of all times. The hero, from the perspective of Campbell, would be an example of this circumstance.
Campbell's proposals had enormous influence in popular culture. His insights were used for the elaboration of cinematographic scripts oriented to the general public, having enormous success in the homework. Although it is true that his work has been criticized, the truth is that it has always aroused enormous interest, and will undoubtedly continue to awaken it in the future.
Themes in Hero