Comparing the Herakles Myth with Joseph Campbells Hero Myth List Essay Example for Free

Comparing the Herakles Myth with Joseph Campbells Hero Myth List Essay Karen Wagner World Mythology September 27th 2012 Essay #1 Herakles, or more commonly known as Hercules according to Disney is probably one of the most popular myths people have seen or heard, but could Herakles’ myth follow Joseph Campbell’s Hero myth list. Carl Jung defined an archetype myth or Jungian archetype as a pattern of thought that can be translated to â€Å"worldwide parallels† (â€Å"The Columbian Encyclopedia†) that the human race experiences as a culture or an individual. The myth of Herakles includes parts that compare to the Hero Archetype, but there are also parts that do not fit the archetype at all. Joseph Campbell’s list of myths for the common hero includes a list that does and does not relate to the story of Herakles. Herakles’ journey begins from the shared birth from his mother Alcmena, father Zeus and half-brother Iphikles. Hera (Zeus’ wife) decides to take revenge because of the affair Zeus had with Alcmena for Herakles. One the morning Herakles was supposed to be born Zeus had made a previous oath stating the son of his bloodline through Pereus who was born that morning would rule Mycenae. Hera made sure Zeus swore to this and sent down the goddess of childbirth Eileithuia to slow the birthing process. A sly serving girl named Galanthis had told the goddess of childbirth that Alcmena had her twins, once Eileithuia’s guard was down and so was her spell. Alcmena bore twins and Herakles was not the first born, one was the son of Amphitryon and the other Zeus. Hera decides to take action by putting snakes in the twins’ crib in hopes to â€Å"destroy Zeus’ latest offspring† (Martin 148), while Iphikles only wailed, Herakles decided to strangle both snakes to death, identifying the true son of Zeus. Amphitryon stated, â€Å"well, that one’s not my boy† (Martin 148). Herakles grew up quickly, learning his new found strength through his human father and other relatives. His first official voluntarily task was to eliminate the lion with impenetrable hide from Mt. Kithairon. Once the beast was defeated, Herakles skinned the lion and wore his mane and head as a trophy and as a form of protection (Martin 153). Herakles continued doing many labors for different people throughout a large portion of his life; he lay with many women, and marries a few as well. Herakles did some wrong doings and towards the end of his mortal life he dies and becomes immoral, forever to live on in myth. Joseph Campbell’s monomyth list for mythological adventures magnifies the formula described in the rites of passage: Departure—initiation—return. Campbell’s list for the hero archetype can be compared to Herakles, while other parts do the opposite. The first stage of the hero’s’ journey is their birth; Campbell goes into explaining that the birth involves â€Å"fabulous circumstances surrounding conception, birth, and childhood† (Campbell). Herakles’ birth could be seen under fabulous circumstances, an affair, another child, and two dead snakes on the first night; Campbell’s second stage is the â€Å"Call to Adventure† (Campbell), Herakles whilst working on his human father’s cattle ranch heard news of a lion killing the family cows, he volunteers to rid the beast and is successful in the end. Herakles had helpers throughout his journeys, such as Apollo’s grandson Eurytos teaching him archery (Martin 150) or Atlas assisting Herakles in getting the Golden Apples as one of his labors, but not from a specific being or person alone. This being a piece of the myth that doesn’t exactly fit into Campbell’s list but can still compare. Campbell’s fourth entry on the list â€Å"Crossing the Threshold† somewhat relates to Herakles’ story in that he does travel 30 days to defeat the mother of all lions, another with impenetrable hide. Campbell’s crossing the threshold entry explains that the hero must undergo a task or event that takes the hero from everyday life into the â€Å"world of adventure† (Campbell); this could be something small from traveling to a cave or traveling for 30 days. One of the major parts of the myth of Herkales is his love for labors he provides for his people, this definitely relates to Campbell’s work, in that his number five explains the tests the hero must go through, involving a series of monsters and traveling to different worlds and each conquered task increases said hero’s ability to overcome even stronger encounters he will face. Campbell’s number six on his list goes into the helpers the hero will encounter through his journey, this also relates to Herakles. There were parts in his myth where Herakles needed assistance, for example when Herakles wanted to get the golden apples as one of his labors, he asked Atlas to go and he would hold up the heavens until he returned, even though Herakles sort of deceived Atlas in the end, he was still of assistance to the hero. The climax and final battle of Herakles involved his attempt at sacrifice and a struggle to continue living. He was given a cloak that was accidentally poisoned by his wife Deianeira with a previous enemies’ blood that mixed in with the blood he dipped his arrows from one of his labors. The cloak began to tighten around the hero and poison him; he sought revenge on his wife to discover she already killed herself in learning what she had done. Herakles’ myth doesn’t have a happy ending like Campbell’s list basically says in 9, 10, and 11, Herakles’ dies to live on forever immorally, or in this case actually passed but his fame lives on, his story is continued being told and he is recognized as a Greek hero, without any sort of â€Å"elixir† Campbell mentioned in his list, feasting with the gods and his god parents, Zeus and Hera (Martin 179), the mother who was trying to rid him from the beginning. Campbell’s list is to describe how a hero myth translates to actual events and situations people encounter in their lives while growing up, there is an underlying meaning to each situation that happens to the hero. While some parts did relate to Campbell’s list, overall Herakles’ myth strays away from following his list, although there are parts that do relate, the myth is still completely different from Campbell’s interpretation and Jung’s archetype definition, giving Herakles his own myth and his own journey that’s not as cliche from the rest of the myths in the world.

Buffalo Soldiers :: Blacks Slavery History West Papers

Buffalo Soldiers When someone thinks of the west the first things that probably come to their mind are probably Cowboys, Indians, Gunfights and The Gold Rush. Little to no people think of blacks and their contribution to the expansion of the west. This is due to the fact that even though the west was considered free territory blacks were still enslaved tot a certain extent. What people have to realize is that slavery is more mental than anything. Blacks made contributions in many areas of the west: on the ranch, in wars, and also in commerce. In this paper I plan to bring to light a majority of the many contributions that blacks made to help make the American west what it is today. Many people carry the misconception that the west was only founded and established on the accomplishments of Caucasians. This is primarily because during the time of the expansion of the west blacks were still looked down upon so eve if they made a great contribution they were not given credit for it. Blacks gave many grea t contributions to the west, which aided in the success of the founding of that particular part of America and its history. "During the time period of 1863 approximately 3,120,000 slaves were freed (Blacks in the west pg. 55)" Due to this large influx of free slaves many of them needed somewhere to go and jobs to do. So many of the decided to go to the west were they would be able to receive a new chance and new identities. " Black families coming wets in covered wagons established self sufficient all black towns and filed every job from barber, to teacher, doctor to state legislator. This went to show many people that there stereotype of blacks that they were dumb and less human was extremely incorrect. But the main contributions that I will be focusing on will be that of Black Cowboys and the buffalo Soldiers. When one thinks of the cowboys the first thing that comes to their mind, or at least my mind would be a white man riding in the open parries of the West. But in many cases that was extremely untrue. "Nearly a third of all cowboys who helped build the American west were black (Black Pioneers Pg.16)". Many people do not know about this due to segregation. Mainly if not only white cowboys were given recognition due to the fact that slavery had just ended and many people were getting use to the fact that blacks were free and equal to them.

Dental hygienist Essay

The passage I read is called â€Å"I have finally found what I wanted to be when I grew up.† It is a personal success story about Shelia S. Webster’s journey to becoming a registered nurse. This passage is very relatable to what I want to be when I grow up because I would like to become a Pediatric Nurse. Being a Pediatric Nurse means that you devote your knowledge and skills to caring for children from infancy to late teen years, and their families. In this passage Shelia writes about how much work and time it took for her to become a nurse. Shelia first started in the medical field as a labor and delivery staff nurse in 1993, but a few factors of this job quickly had Shelia second guessing her career (Webster). One factor that made her job less appealing was the stress of working in a high risk environment (Webster). The second factor was the late hours, between work and school she hardly had any time to herself (Webster). The third factor that made Shelia want to change her career was the restricting care she could provide in her facility (Webster). All of that stress was making her reach her breaking point (Webster). While still in school, her first step to her career was signing up for the legal nurse consulting seminar and before the semester was over she knew that nursing was the job for her (Webster). She was willing to do anything to get herself into the nursing program, to achieve this she became a claims analyst at a malpractice insurance carrier (Webster). She was determined to learn as much as she could at the insurance company and set up an independent LNC (Legal Nursing Consulting) practice in about two years (Webster). Her second step was to take a pilot test, and it was an eye opener for her (Webster). The pilot test is like a pre-test to help Shelia get an understanding of what the final exam will be like. Reality set in fast and she was determined to do the best she could on the final exam. When it was time for her to take the Legal Nursing Consulting exam she did not hesitate to show her strengths. She was prepared for the exam due to the practice she got from the pilot test, and was completely confident in herself (Webster). In 1998 she got her Legal Nursing Consulting license and said â€Å"I am very proud to have those initials in front of my last name for the rest of my life.† (Webster) There are a few reasons why Shelia’s story  relates to my life. When I started my junior year of high school I went to the career center for dental assisting. I was expecting to go to enroll into Columbus State Community College, get a major in Dental Hygiene, and then get my Dental Hygienist license in two years. However, after the last two years of being in the Dental Assisting program, like Shelia, I knew I did not want to be what I thought I wanted to be. I am going in a new direction, to major in nursing. One reason is, since I was young I always took extra concern for people’s wellbeing and would like to make a career out of it. I would also like to expand my nursing and become a Pediatrician. The second reason why Shelia’s story is relatable to mine is that I am great with little kids and I think that being a Pediatrician would be a good career for me. At 19 years old, looking for a place to start my career, I applied at the local daycare called â€Å"Bloom Latch Key.† It is a morning and afternoon program for grade school children to come to if they are too young to stay home by themselves to wait for the bus, or for the bus to drop them off at their houses. Finally, the third reason why Shelia’s story is relatable to my life is because I am getting a job as a child care provider to get my career started like Shelia worked as a labor and delivery staff member while going to school to become a nurse. While I am working for the Bloom Latch Key, I am furthering my communication skills with children and becoming more sociable with them by helping them with their homework and interacting with them on the playground. To become a Pediatric Nurse I will need an additional four to six years of schooling and take training classes throughout my career. For example; researchers find new diseases every day, so to keep the parents up to date with the proper knowledge nurses take additional classes to learn about the newly founded diseases. Once I become a Pediatric nurse I will be making about 48,000 dollars salary as a starter and work my way up to 68,000 dollars a year. Similar to Shelia, I am working very hard to achieve my goal in life, to become a Pediatric Nurse. I will do so by continuing my job at the Bloom Latch Key and building social skills with the children. I will also continue to work hard in school and do whatever it takes to become a Pediatric Nurse. Work Cited â€Å"Personal Success Stories – American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC).† Personal Success Stories – American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

Common Themes In A Little Cloud, By James Joyce - 1250 Words

â€Å"There was no doubt about it: if you wanted to succeed you had to go away. You could do nothing in Dublin.† Little Chandler proclaimed this in the short story â€Å"A Little Cloud† and was a common theme within Joyce’s short stories. He used his short stories as a medium to reach the hearts and minds of the people in Dublin, the place he called home. Although it was his home he didnt have the fondest memories of it which are clearly present in his writing. James Joyce was, in my opinion, a revolutionary who used his short stories as a means of changing the way of thinking for the homeland he resented. Joyce’s characters embark on a cyclical journey that can often puzzle the reader. The characters decisions throughout the short story†¦show more content†¦Joyce made a profound statement by describing her as a â€Å"helpless† animal because of her inability to act and chase her desire. As the boat pulled away the reader could feel Eveline ’s life â€Å"perish† and her beginning the automation of a dull and unfulfilling life in Dublin. Another frustrating cycle of hope and eventually anguish is present in â€Å"Araby† by Joyce. You follow the journey of the narrator who wants to buy a gift for a girl he is enchanted with from the â€Å"splendid bazaar†. This seems like a simple task but Joyce uses this a chance to emphasize the mentality and hopelessness of the people of Dublin. As the day arrives for him to go to the bazaar the doubt already sets into his mind. His normal morning routine was to watch out the window as the girl would emerge from her door, but on this day his uncle was in the way and he wasnt able to do it. The inability to lie at the window had a depressing effect on him while walking to school he described the air as â€Å"pitilessly raw† and was clearly discouraged saying â€Å"already my heart misgave me†. He finally reaches the bazaar later after his uncle comes home late, and also drunk, and what he encounters has a devastating effect on him. The bazaar is closing when he arrives and a worker at one of the stalls barely acknowledges him when he approaches. He becomes extremely disappointed and then disappointment gives way to eventual anger. It is at this moment he has an epiphany about his entire situation, heShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of The Novel Dubliners by James Joyce Essay1605 Words   |  7 Pagesto Dubliners, James Joyce elevated his rhetoric to the nearly Evangelical [and wrote]: I seriously believe that you will retard the course of civilization in Ireland by preventing the Irish people from having one good look in my nicely polished looking-glass1. 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It can, in fact, occur at any moment. In James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and in a number of the other companion stories in â€Å"Dubliners† the crisis – in the form of a sudden illumination that Joyce called an epiphany – occurs at the very end of the story, and the falling action and the resolution are dispensed with altogether. Exposition and complication can also be omittedRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pageswritten permission of the publisher. For complete copyright information on these eNotes please visit: http://www.enotes.com/worn−path/copyright Table of Contents 1. A Worn Path: Introduction 2. Eudora Welty Biography 3. Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction EudoraRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesthe written permission of the publisher. For complete copyright information on these eNotes please visit: http://www.enotes.com/worn−path/copyright Table of Contents 1. A Worn Path: Introduction 2. Eudora Welty Biography 3. Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction EudoraRead MoreHumanities11870 Words   |  48 Pagesthis is just one set of strategy, there are many other different ways of dissecting art. 1. Subject matter: What is the subject matter of the art work about? Usually a work of art will have a main theme, which can often be known through its title. Almost anyone can create an idea or a theme in his/her own mind. But what makes an artist unique is in the rest of the four headings, which require technical skills. 2. Form: Form generally denotes how accurate the painted objects are presented