2012 - Ms. Richardson L.A. discussion

Odysseus is a classic hero story. The epic tale takes Odysseus through many adventures, each aligning in one way or another with the thread of the hero’s path. Consider the books you have read from The Odyssey. Apply the five steps of the hero’s journey discussed in class to all of the books read. As you apply each step, consider the greater message the story provides the reader. What does this story suggest about what it takes to be a hero? What warnings or cautions are given to a reader who desires to follow the thread of the hero’s path him/herself? In what ways do creatures, misfortune, and mystical events mirror the challenges people face in the real world? What does Odysseus’ reaction suggest about how to overcome challenges or avoid folly? Be sure to use the text as a reference.

The first phase of the hero's journey is when the hero is living in a mundane world. The mundane world is a place where the hero doesn’t feel like they are accepted for who they are and also where they don’t feel a challenge, and are bored by what is around them. In Homer’s Odyssey, book five has an example of what the mundane world for Odysseus, when Odysseus is living in the company of Calypso. Calypso is a goddess that gives Odysseus a luxurious place to stay and the offer of her love, what every mortal man could ever dream of. Odysseus is not pleased by all this and desires to be back at home with his mortal wife, where a new challenge disperses every day. He wants to live in mysteries and not so much predictability. Like any hero he longs for adventure. Something to get out of book five is that Calypso represents calmness and comfort. Odysseus shows someone who has a well provided for and suitable living standards, which must break away from the comfortable life and take a risk of achieving the greatness of being a hero. It is through challenges and trials that someone can become a hero, not only for themselves but for others. If this person was to stay in the comfort of Calypso's conditions they would end their hero's journey and stay in a life of predictions forever.

The second phase of the hero's journey is when they hero is told there is another world out there that they are missing out on. It is their personal call to adventure. This call can either come to you or you can go to it. In book five Odysseus's call to adventure comes to him when Hermes comes to tell Calypso to free him. Hermes is the messenger that the Gods sent to find Odysseus. When Hermes tells Calypso to free Odysseus she says no, but later on decides that maybe letting Odysseus go could help her. So she tells him of another place, Death Island. Of course Odysseus accepts the challenge to go to this island and he leaves. A modern reader can see that when the adventure comes to you, take it. Don’t be afraid of your own destiny. By taking the adventure it adds to your own endurance and experiences in becoming the ultimate hero. By staying in your mundane world you are only putting an end to your life’s adventures.

The third phase of the hero's journey is crossing over to a new threshold. This is when the hero is entering into a new world, and starting their adventure. In book nine Odysseus and his men have crossed over onto a little island across from Calypso's, that on page 1113 lines 70-105 is described as a nice bay where they can stay and eat goats and drink wine, and where the Cyclopse lives in a cave. Odysseus takes a risk by taking his men and sneaking into the Cyclopse’s cave so that they can steal his food and prize possessions. By reading this book you can see that Odysseus crossing over to the Cyclopse's territory is starting a new adventure in the sense that he is in an unknown place where he must survive and not be able to predict what will happen. A modern reader can see that letting your curiosity lead the way can lead you to the most exciting adventure of all time, and that is exactly what Odysseus has done. If Odysseus had not gone into the Cyclopse’s cave he would not be where he was at the end of his hero’s journey.

The next step in the hero’s journey is the path of trials. This is where they budding hero will discover and meet new friends, new mentors, new enemies, new challenges, new skills and new knowledge. In book nine it provides an excellent example of going through the path of trials through Odysseus's trials. Odysseus doesn’t make any new friends considering the fact that he has a problem with letting his hubris get into the way of letting him believe someone is actually good enough to be friends with him. He also tends to let his pride get into the way of learning and trying new things. Odysseus believes that he is the absolute best of the best and knows everything. This makes it difficult for him to want to listen to anyone and take their advice. Odysseus goes through many challenges because he is so full of himself, which leads him to getting into trouble. Odysseus chooses to take the hard way with everything. He likes to put himself out there and make a point that he can defeat anything that gets into his way. A good example of this is in book 12 on page 1133 when Odysseus chooses Scylla over Charybids because he knows that Scylla will be more of a challenge and bring up his reputation if he fights this monster. Odysseus gains a lot of knowledge throughout his journey. He is warned of trials and paths he should not take and is told of many things he should prepare for. In book 11 page 1129 Odysseus is told to avoid all kind and hold fast to his intent. He is told he will go home to trouble in his house and dead men. Odysseus has multiple people looking out for him and. Odysseus has a lovely goddesses who has been warning him of what’s to come. He also has Calypso who has been in a sense leading the way for him and then he has Zues who is claims is to be on his side. All these gods at one point or another gave Odysseus advice that would be helpful to him at some point in his journey. Odysseus does encounter some new enemies. His crew is a new enemy to him because he has been putting their lives at risk with every trial they come upon. Also Hermes, the sun god and Zues are now enemies because in book 12 pages 1136 Odysseus’s crew decides to ignore Odysseus’s rule of not eating Hermes cattle and devour them all. This upsets a lot of gods, the sun god stops shining until Odysseus repays Hermes and Zues sends down a bolt that sinks Odysseus’s ship. The Cyclopse was also an enemy because Odysseus and his crew snuck into his cave and attempted to steal his things in book one. Everyone goes through their own set of trials and errors. Each individual goes through making new friends and new enemies, gaining new mentors to knowledge and new skills and overcoming new challenges. These things cannot be avoided, and shouldn’t be avoided because this new trials are what take us about are journey and make us who we are in the end. What matters is how you get through these trials and what you learn from them.

The last and final phase in the hero’s path is when the hero becomes the master of two worlds. This phase is a more important stage than the rest because it shows that the hero has learned from his/her experience and journey, and is able to return back to their mundane world a better person. In the end of book twenty-two it has a great example of how Odysseus becomes a master of two worlds by Odysseus’s reactions to the townspeople and not thinking so highly of himself. On lines 107-109 on page 1160 Odysseus finally accepts the fact that he is not the biggest thing out there, and doesn’t let his hubris control him. He states on line 109 “If I’m alone they can dislodge me.” This can mean that in the end if he can’t fight those off him will die. And this is a big step for Odysseus because he has never truly come to terms with reality and the fact that he can’t destroy ever mortal, god or monster that approaches him. Then in the preface of the next section of the story it says that Odysseus and his men seize the opportunity to launch their own attack. This also is showing Odysseus letting down on his pride, because he isn’t taking every fight offered to him. He has realized that the most important thing in life is not to show others how well you can defeat them. Like any hero at the end of their journey Odysseus had come to terms with what his purpose in life is, and not just what he wanted it to be. He realized that he had to move on with his life and not stay in that comfortable zone where he knew he was the best. He need to travel and go on the hero’s journey and see the world in a different view, by noticing there are bigger things out there. Everything that happened to Odysseus on his journey happened for a reason and brought him to who he is now. It is only through these challenges and trials that an individual goes through that they truly evolve into a new and better person. If Odysseus would have ended his journey and returned home being the same hubris man he was, then he would have wasted the time that was given to him to learn on the hero’s journey.

In the first phase of the hero’s journey, the hero finds himself living in a space called the mundane world. In the mundane world, the hero is either not satisfied with the ease and comfort that the space brings him or he feels out of place and longs for something more. Book five of Homer’s Odyssey renders a perfect example of living in the mundane world through Odysseus’ relationship with Calypso on the striking island of Ogygia. The beautiful goddess Calypso hands Odysseus every luxury an ordinary fellow could ever crave including a lush island surrounded by glorious landscapes and the ultimate proposal of her undying love; his very own paradise. Odysseus is not enchanted by the wonders that Calypso has provided and he yearns for his wife, his family, and challenging obstacles that make a person’s heart skip a beat. He longs for adventure. Odysseus, like any other great hero, is no longer enthused by the predictability of the common place that he has outgrown. When taking a close look at book five, the reader begins to fathom that comfort, warmth, and ease is an enemy to the hero. One who wishes to follow the hero’s path can see that Calypso symbolizes the consequences of living in utmost comfort or being trapped by contentment. By willingly giving up comfort, Odysseus shows the reader that if a true hero is to be triumphant and achieve greatness, letting go of comfort and overcoming challenges are the only ways. If one decides to remain in the comfort of Calypso’s island, then they would have made the choice of ending their hero’s journey and leaving any conceivable triumph hidden in the depths of paradise.

The second phase of the hero’s journey is when the hero is called to adventure. This call either comes to the hero, or the hero goes to the call. No matter which way one meets with the call, they have the choice of taking the call or not. An excellent example of the call to adventure can be found in book five of the Odyssey. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, comes to Calypso’s island completely awestruck by the absolute beauty. He brings with him the message that Zeus has made the decision that Calypso must let Odysseus go so that he can return home. Odysseus is called to adventure when Calypso informs him of Zeus' decision. Reluctantly, Calypso agrees to let Odysseus go. This was Odysseus’ own, personal call to adventure and it was his choice to leave. Odysseus shows the reader that one must go to the call to adventure or take the call to adventure if it comes ones way if they want to become a hero. If a person takes the call to adventure, then they are preparing themselves for a potentially dangerous situation that they are going to eventually face. Taking the call to adventure is a risk yet it’s a risk that must be taken.

Crossing the threshold is the third phase in the hero’s journey. A hero crosses the threshold when they go into adventure without turning back. A prime example of Odysseus crossing the threshold in the Odyssey is in book five when he leaves Calypso and her beautiful island behind. Calypso helps Odysseus build a raft and then watches as her true love drifts away into the sea. Odysseus officially crosses the threshold in this book because he doesn’t want to turn back, nor can he. Odysseus prepares himself for the unknown adventure that lay ahead with the hope of returning to his wife and home. By closely examining book five, one can see that Odysseus leaving the comfort and warmth of Calypso and her island is starting an adventure because he has no way of knowing what kinds of challenges and obstacles are in store for him. If one doesn’t cross the threshold, then they will never get to experience adventure and become a hero. If the reader is seeking a model for the hero’s path, then they must understand that not crossing the threshold will leave them in an ordinary space where any possible greatness is yet to be discovered.

The fourth step in the hero’s journey is the path of trials. The path of trials consists of meeting new mentors, new friends, and new enemies. While on the path of trials, one also faces new challenges and acquires new skills and knowledge. Odysseus travels the path of trials in book nine. Although Odysseus does not meet any new mentors in this book, he does meet the king and his court at the start of the book and they end up becoming Odysseus’ friends. In book nine, Odysseus travels the path of trials where he faces many new challenges including the Cyclops. Odysseus leads his men onto the Island of the Cyclopes when it was quite unnecessary, showing great hubris. His arrogance and excessive pride came with consequences because several of his men ended up being eaten by the Cyclops; hubris is deadly. The Cyclops Polyphemus, described as "a brute so huge", symbolizes a challenge that is bigger than life. If one doesn't defeat the 'cyclops', then one will be defeated themselves, whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually. After Odysseus conquers the Cyclops using cunning and wit, he boasts to him that "I am not nobody; I am Odysseus, Son of Laertes, King of Ithaca." This large act of hubris upsets Polyphemus' father, Poseidon, the god of the sea, who is one of Odysseus' enemies. Poseidon is ultimately the one who inhibits Odysseus' homeward journey. Odysseus was also a challenge to himself because his hubris kept getting in the way of swiftly traveling the path of trials. Odysseus traveling onto the Island of the Cyclopes shows the reader that hubris can get a person into dangerous situations and that avoiding hubris all together will make things a lot easier. Odysseus meets several enemies in book nine, two of whom are the Cyclops and Poseidon. Making enemies is something that all heroes do but learning how to deal with enemies is something that will make someone an ultimate hero. Odysseus acquires new skills in this book by learning how to outsmart a Cyclops by lying about his name and by figuring out the Cyclops’ weaknesses. By defeating the Cyclops, Odysseus now has new skills on how to conquer a larger than life challenge. The path of trials makes the hero who they are at the end of their journey. What matters the most is what the hero has gained from the path of trials and avoiding challenge means that no new skill or new knowledge will be gained.

The fifth and final phase of the hero’s journey is when the hero becomes the master of two worlds. The hero becomes the master of two worlds when he has succeeded in the new world and returns back to the old world as a changed person. Now that the hero has officially mastered both worlds, he has the choice of which world he would like to remain in. In books sixteen through twenty-three, Odysseus returns to his homeland of Ithaca disguised as a beggar by Athena. His son, Telemachus, is let in on the secret of his return and they go to Odysseus’ wife and eventually kill off all of the suitors. In the end, Odysseus is united with his wife and peace is made among everyone by Athena. Odysseus returns as a changed person because he has done things that have ultimately altered him as an individual such as spending a large amount of time being held captive by Calypso, escaping the Lotus Eaters, fighting and blinding a Cyclops, escaping the rock-throwing cannibals, getting away from Circe, going into the Underworld and returning, and going past Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus, in books sixteen through twenty-three, shows the reader that becoming the master of two worlds provides the hero with the ultimate choice of living in either world. Defeating all of these obstacles has made Odysseus a different person. It is only through overcoming these challenges and all of the discomfort that they bring that a person genuinely evolves.

By Ethan Bennett
The first step of the hero’s path is when the hero is living in the mundane world. Odysseus is in the mundane world when he is with Calypso the goddess on her island. This is the mundane world because life is so easy and not challenging him everything is given to him by beautiful maidens. He also lives on a beautiful island even the god Hermes thinks the island is one of the most beautiful places he has seen. He doesn’t even have to try with Calypso she loves him no matter what and it doesn’t challenge him.

The second step on the hero’s path is when the hero is called to adventure. This happens to Odysseus when Hermes the messenger for the gods, is sent by Zeus to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go. This is the call to adventure because he is being taken away from the mundane world and being put into an adventure that could potentially kill him.

The third step on the hero’s path is when the hero crosses the threshold. Odysseus crosses the threshold when Hermes is sent by the gods to ask Calypso to set him free. Which surprisingly she agrees to do, but she gives him the choice whether to stay or go. He actually crosses the threshold when he decides to go and answer the call to adventure. This is a big deal because to stay would mean paradise and to be waited on for the rest of his life. But he chooses to go and face a number of trials that kill many of his troops and almost claim his life as well.

The fourth step of the hero’s path is when the hero travels the path of trials. Odysseus faces many trials and finds many new enemies but also finds new friends. The first enemy he encounters is Poseidon the god of the sea, who is furious at Odysseus for the part he played in the Trojan War. You see because Poseidon supported the Trojans and Odysseus fought for the Greeks. So to get even with the Greeks he decided to knock Odysseus and many other Greek ships on their way back home after the war off course. This is an important event because if not for this Odysseus would have made it home a lot earlier and probably never have met the Cyclopes or the Sirens. This event also leads him to a new friend a King who throws a banquet in Odysseus and his men’s honor. So this jealous and hateful act by the sea god Poseidon kind of kicks off the entire adventure.

The fifth step is the mastering of two worlds. This step is by far the most important because if he masters both worlds it means that he has learned from his mistakes and has conquered his downfalls so they don’t control him anymore. Odysseus does this by returning to his hometown where his wife has been waiting for him for many years. When he returns everybody is not too happy with him and how it took him forever to come home. They think he has been drinking and partying and delaying to come home. Odysseus conquers his hubris by not wanting to challenge all the suitors for his wife, he also conquers his hubris by accepting that he isn’t the best thing to ever happen to the planet.

In a hero’s journey the first step is the mundane world when the hero finds himself living in the mundane world. The mundane world is where the hero is comfortable and is in an unchallenging place or is in a place he doesn’t seem to fit or belong.in the odyssey, book five provides an example of the mundane world by showing the reader Odysseus’s interactions with Calypso. Calypso is a beautiful goddess, who provides Odysseus with maids, food, an island surrounded by beautiful scenery and every luxury a mortal man has to desire. However, Odysseus is disinterested by all the luxuries and longs to return home to his mortal wife and the life risking challenges. Odysseus like any other hero finds he is bored. Calypso represents a paradise of comfort. To a hero comfort can be a powerful enemy to escape. Odysseus willingness to give up comfort shows that to achieve greatness the hero must give up luxury to challenge the capability within them. If one wants to move forward in life one must challenge themselves beyond comfort or stay in comfort and not achieve the full potential within one’s self.

The second phase to the hero’s journey is the call to adventure. The call to adventure can come to the hero or the hero can go to the call. In book 9, Odysseus accepts the call to adventure by going to the island where the Cyclops is. Odysseus underestimates the Cyclops are and makes assumptions that the Cyclops are savage and have no sense of civilization. Odysseus lets hubris get in the way of him and his crew leaving with some of the Cyclops food when the Cyclops is not home; instead Odysseus stays to meet one. Odysseus thought that he could take advantage of the Cyclops but was mistaken and got some of his crew eaten by the Cyclops. In the real world, the Cyclops would represent a lie, in a way that once one says something that’s false that individual has to come up with another lie to cover up the first. The Cyclops could also represent a problem like a fear that is bigger than one’s self it shows not to let fear bring one down.

The third step in a hero’s journey is crossing the threshold. Crossing the threshold is when the hero leaves the normal world behind and goes to the special world where the challenge is to be faced. In the Odyssey, Odysseus in book eleven represents crossing the threshold when he journey’s to the world of the dead. An example would be when Odysseus goes to the world of the dead and makers a flesh offering to the gods and receiving advice from Thebes on how he must continue his journey so that Odysseus and his crew don’t suffer. Odysseus traveling to the underworld in real represents when an individual gets a job for the first time that individual will follow rules and try one’s hardest so that one’s boss doesn’t get mad and so one’s coworkers can be able to complete their job efficiently.

The fourth phase of a hero’s journey is the path of trials. The path of trials is where the hero learns new knowledge and new skills required for the hero’s survival. Other trials would be where the hero gains new enemies, new friends, new mentors and new challenges before reaching the end of one’s quest. In Homer’s Odyssey, book twelve provides an excellent example of the path of trials. Odysseus new friend and mentor would be Circe since she gives Odysseus suggestions on what path he can take and the consequences of each choice. The new knowledge Odysseus obtains is that he will face Sirens whose song will sing the crew to their deaths unless they plug their ears with bees wax. Odysseus also knows that one path is filled with boulders while, the other path has a mountain. The new challenges Odysseus and his crew face are getting past the Sirens and the mountain. The enemy Odysseus faces is his own hubris who gets his crew killed before arriving home.
What the path of trial represents in the real world to an individual would be the death of a loved one, an obstacle like grief or cancer. It represents a problem that one has to conquer because of the choices one made earlier or had no control over. Odysseus defeating his challenges to return home is like when one gets over an obstacle that kept one from achieving the full potential from within.

The final step in a hero’s journey is when he becomes a master of two worlds. Being a master is when the hero is able to live in both the special world and the mundane world. In book twenty three, Odysseus shows he has become the master of two worlds by living in the normal world with his mortal wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Odysseus is able to live in the special world where there are creatures, gods, goddesses and obstacles in every direction. Odysseus being a master of two worlds represents the real world in the sense of when one goes off to college to meet his own adventure that individual can come home to the his family. College would represent the special world and home would be the normal world.

The first step in the hero's journey is the mundane world that they start out in. For Odysseus, there are many different times when it could be said that Odysseus is in the mundane world but the world that is the hardest to recognize as mundane is Calypso's island. Calypso basically holds Odysseus as a prisoner on the island but while he is there, Calypso gives him everything anybody could ever want or need. She gives him food, water, women, and whatever else he could ever desire. Odysseus cannot bare to stay on the island because he is an honest husband and he feels that he should return to Ithica to his wife and children. Odysseus asks Zeus to help him off of the island so he can get back home. Zeus sends Hermes to the island with a message to Calypso to let Odysseus go free. Calypso agrees and Odysseus goes free from the island.
Just as Odysseus had many worlds that may be considered mundane, he also had many moments that may be considered calls to adventure. One of these calls to adventure came in the form of a warning from Circe the witch that the path home will be blocked by two monsters, Scylla and Chaybdis. Odysseus takes this news almost excitedly as he believes in his strength and the strength of his men and knows that they can get past these challenges.
The third part of the hero's journey is when they cross the threshold from the normal everyday tasks to some form of world that they have thought to only be mythical. When the hero enters this new realm, they can never return to the life that they used to have. Even if they can physically return to their home, they can never mentally return to the life that they used to know. This happens to Odysseus in book 9 when he and his men end up trapped in the cyclops' cave and cannot escape. While they are in there, the cyclops kills and eats some of Odysseus' men and friends right in front of him. This is a very life changing event that Odysseus is put through and this is one point where Odysseus crosses over from his regular way of living to this other, not so friendly world.
The fourth part of the hero's journey is the path of trials. The path of trials consists of many different parts, the first of which is finding new mentors. The actual act of finding a mentor may not be the challenge but listening to what that mentor has to tell you even if it means not doing what you want would be very challenging. Odysseus has many physical mentors but his biggest mentor is not physical but mental. His pride may be his biggest mentor throughout the story because it gets him into a lot of trouble and also helps him out of a couple of hairy situations. Odysseus' pride told him that going to the cyclopes island was a good idea and he listens. When he gets to the island, his pride tells him it will be a good idea to go inside the dark, scary cave and he listens and it gets several of his men killed and nearly himself. In the end, though it gets him into lots of big trouble, his pride teaches him that he cannot overcome every single obstacle.
The hero also faces many challenges on their journey. Odysseus faces challenges more often then not just by doing stupid thing and angering the gods or not listening to warnings and getting his crew killed. One specific challenge that Odysseus faces are the two monsters that are blocking the way to Ithica. Circe warns him to steer his men towards the rock cliff to battle Charybdis because not as many men will be killed but Odysseus decides to take his and his crews chances and take on Scylla. His ship is destroyed and they wash up on Helios' island where Circe also warned them not to kill any of the cattle that were there as it would anger the sun god, Helios. Of course they kill some of the cattle for food and anger Helios. These challenges were easily avoidable if Odysseus had just listened to the warnings and maybe again listened less to his hubris.
Though the challenges are hard to overcome, once they are overcome, the hero will have a wealth of new knowledge. By defeating the cyclops and escaping the island safely, Odysseus now knows that the cyclopes are not gentle giants and to steer clear of their island. Odysseus also knows that if he is ever to get to any place the easiest way and not have hundreds of men killed in the process, he is going to have to listen to what his mentors(besides his hubris) tell him.
At the end of all heroes' journeys, there comes a time when they can truly say that they are the master of both the world that everyone calls "normal" and the world that regular people tend to stay away from. The point where Odysseus becomes the master of two worlds is when he returns to Ithica and finds that everything has changed and his wife has many new suiters because they all thought that Odysseus was dead. Odysseus kills these suiters and takes his wife back just like a true hero. Now not only is Odysseus the king of his own domain, he is also famous around the other worlds for defeating many, many challenges and facing many, many hardships. Odysseus is a true hero.

MUNDANE WORLD: Odysseus follows the first step in the thread of the hero’s path in book 5 by living in a mundane world. A mundane world does not necessarily mean the world that the person lives in is dull and not beautiful. In fact, the place in which Odysseus lives is beautiful and wonderful. It is a place where any human would be happy to live. To Odysseus, it does not feel right. He feels trapped and longs for a better life for himself. He is itching to leave this place. Although it is very amazing and everything was visually perfect, it wasn’t perfect to him. In his heart, he knew there was more for him than just living in a beautiful place with a beautiful woman, Calypso.

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE: Odysseus has many different points in his journey that could function as his call to adventure. The one that begins his entire journey to returning home from the very first step is when Hermes comes and tells Calypso to let him go. Odysseus then realizes there is more to his life and he needs to be set free. Like many heroes, Odysseus second guesses the call to adventure. He thinks long and hard, he sits watching the ocean with “wet eyes” contemplating whether or not it is worth it to leave. He thinks and tries to decide if he wants to take on the adventure or stay safe in this place with Calypso. He feels it would be wrong to just stay for her. In the end, Odysseus decides that accepting the call to adventure is the right thing to do, even if Calypso disagrees. The call to adventure for heroes does not necessarily have to be an actual physical thing. It is the thing whether emotion or physical that forces the hero to leave his mundane world. This is why the call to adventure for Odysseus is when Hermes tells Calypso to let him go. It is the pivotal moment in Odysseus’ journey that forces him to leave.

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: Odysseus has many different moments in his overall journey to becoming a hero that would qualify to be him crossing the threshold into his adventure. Some of those would function as smaller adventures inside his main journey. Overall, Odysseus’ crossing the threshold is when he builds the raft and sails away from Calypso’s island. Crossing the threshold does not necessarily have to be literal in meaning that they actually cross a line that completely changes their lives. It means beginning their adventure on the pathway to becoming a hero; they eventually leave their ordinary world to see beyond other horizons. When Calypso helps him build the raft and he is preparing to leave, he emotionally crosses the threshold and decides that there is more to his life out there. His literal crossing the threshold would be when he actually sails away, leaving his mundane world, and begins his journey.

PATH OF TRIALS: For Odysseus, everything that was in between him leaving his mundane world and him becoming master of two worlds would be his path of trials. First, Odysseus is washed ashore and taken captive by a Cyclops. The Cyclops began to attack and eat his men. Odysseus had to figure out how to escape this trial. He undertook the difficult challenge of attacking the Cyclops while he slept. He and his men escaped the Cyclops’ cave by covering themselves in sheep’s wool. They were easily mistaken for the Cyclops’ sheep and let loose.
Second, would be Circe’s island. Although there were not many physical trials that Odysseus had to face on Circe’s island, the main trial was trying to get away from the island. It was another one of those moments in the story where Odysseus had to overcome his self-pride and decide that he needed to continue his adventure, even if it was going to be difficult for him to leave. Odysseus’ excessive hubris caused him to make decisions he probably should not have made, prolonging the path way to becoming a hero. On Circe’s island in Book 10, his hubris and deciding whether or not he should leave this situation was one of the greatest trials.
Finally, the most difficult trial to Odysseus to overcome was simply to determine where best to live out his life. He had to decide whether or not it was worth it to leave a woman of such beauty and elegance. Deep in his heart, he knew it was wrong. Would he have the courage to listen to love over lust and return to his wife?

HERO’S MENTOR: For Odysseus, his mentor was Hermes. By Hermes telling Calypso that Odysseus needed to leave and seek his better life, it embodies the ideal mentor. A person that takes the time to think about others and their divine qualities and future potential is a mentor in every way. Odysseus also had his men. Although some of them were apprehensive about the adventure, without their support, Odysseus would not have been able to overcome some of the trials that he overcame. They added strength and unity to the journey.

NEW ENEMIES: For Odysseus there are several things and people that became his enemies. People and monsters like the Cyclops, Circe, Scylla, and even the Suitors. They embodied temptation, betrayed the laws of nature, and the evil of mankind. Overall, Odysseus’ main enemy, the one who created more obstacles, confusion, and frustration would be Poseidon. He ultimately is the one preventing Odysseus from reaching his ultimate goal.

NEW CHALLENGES: Coming with the path of trials, there will be many physical challenges that Odysseus will be forced to face. One of the main challenges he came across was not so much physical as emotional and mental. One of the most difficult challenges was for Odysseus to overcome his hubris and excessive self-pride. Odysseus was forced to come to the point in his life where he had to decide who he was, and that is one of the most challenging things a person must face in their life.

NEW SKILLS: Along with trials, Odysseus did gain new skills. These skills were not necessarily actually physical powers, but more things in his attitude that he gained. Some of these skills were not actually beneficial to him though. Odysseus gained the mindset of a clever man. He was very cunning and clever and was able to get himself and his men out of situations many would not be able to escape. He gained excessive hubris. This did not necessarily help Odysseus, but further put him deeper into problems. An example of this is when he could have used beeswax in his ears to not hear the Sirens, but instead his pride gets to him and he wants to be tied to the mast to prove that he can withstand the Sirens. Some of his trials could have been made easier if he was not filled with such hubris.

NEW KNOWLEDGE: From the challenges, mentors, enemies, and even himself, Odysseus returned with new knowledge. Odysseus gained a new understanding of who he was as a person. He had to closely look at himself and think if what he was doing in his life was right for him. This realization that there was more to himself than just living with Calypso, forced him to begin his journey and also made him take a closer look into his own heart. Although along his journey he was filled with self-pride and hubris, he learned from that. He learned that maybe if he entered things with a humble heart, things would be a lot easier for him.

MASTER OF TWO WORLDS: Overall, Odysseus becomes master of two worlds when he returns from his journey. When he is victorious over the god’s attempts to thwart his return, he becomes a master of the world where he was sent on his journey. The journey can be looked as one world and he becomes master of that world when he is literally victorious. He becomes master of his real world when he takes the new knowledge, skills, and experiences he faced in the journey to better himself in his real life. Changing himself to a better person and overcoming his hubris masters both of his worlds.


One may ask what this story says about what it takes to be a hero. The Odyssey suggests that there is more to becoming a hero than one may expect. It is not just luck of the draw if the hero must be forced to overcome hardships and trails or if they just get everything they need handed easily to them. There is a pattern. Every hero must fight the journey and follow the pathway to becoming a hero. In every hero’s journey there is an ordinary world that they are itching to leave. There is a pivotal moment in which the hero will receive some sort of call to action. Whether or not that call is literal or emotional, varies and differs, but is apparent in every hero’s journey. Next they must cross some sort of threshold. They must literally be gone from their ordinary world to begin their journey. Then they will face some sort of path of trials. With their return, they all will learn things about themselves that they never knew, bringing new knowledge, enemies, and friends along the way.

One of the things that people must understand when watching the patterns of the hero’s pathway, is that there are warning and cautions they must be aware of if they desire to follow the hero’s path themselves. The hero’s pathway is not something that is simply given to you. You will face trials, not only physical, but also mental and emotionally. People must be prepared to face these. A caution to consider is that sometimes in the hero’s path there is a moment where the hero is forced to decide whether he wants to take his/her own life to save some else’s. That is something that a reader who desires to follow the thread of the hero’s path must take into consideration, because it is a risk that often goes unseen until it suddenly is a life or death situation. Are you willing to sacrifice?

In reading mythology, readers may often wonder in what ways do creatures, misfortune, and mystical events mirror the challenges people face in the real world? Many monsters created in mythology, one in particular from The Odyssey, is the Cyclops that can connect and resemble problems in people’s lives that seem too big for them to overcome. The Cyclops can resemble cancer. It can resemble addiction, abuse, bullies, and even the reader themselves. Creatures, misfortune, monsters, and mystical events mirror any problem in the reader’s life that is bigger than them. Things they fear, things that prevent them or take them away from their comfort zone.

In conclusion, Odysseus’ reaction suggests that overcoming challenges and avoiding folly will take difficult paths. It will take trials, skills, and a true self-knowledge. It suggests that overcoming challenges will take not only physical but emotional strength. As readers look at the patterns of the hero’s path they will be able to prepare for the good and the bad. Because every hero will have that moment of despair, but in the end it will make them stronger.

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus follows a set path of trials, all of which bring him towards his final goal. This path, as outlined by Joseph Campbell, is known as the ‘Hero’s Path’. The Hero’s Path is what guides Odysseus though his journey, and even what brings new enemies, skills, and mentors to him.

The first part of this path is known as The Mundane World. This is where the hero has no obstacles to overcome or enemies that he has to face. In the Odyssey, The Mundane World, for Odysseus, is in Book 5, when he is on the island with Calypso. The reason this is The Mundane World is because there are no enemies or obstacles threatening Odysseus. Calypso, who represents comfort and desire in the items that she has, offers Odysseus anything he wants, even her love. However, Odysseus is not comfortable in this setting of reiterating perfection, and wishes to leave, as it states on page 1108, with a tearful gaze towards the sea. This entire example is similar to the audience, in how the audience may have their own personal luxuries, but they want to experience something more.

The second part of the Hero’s Path is The Call to Adventure. This ‘call’ can come in the form of a message, an attack, or even the hero’s own will to explore the unknown. Whatever it is, it changes the way the hero views The Mundane World and forces him to leave everything and go on the journey. In the Odyssey, this call comes in Book 5, when Hermes, who is the representation of the unknown, brings a message from Zeus telling Calypso that she must let Odysseus go. Odysseus, being the hero that he is, willingly accepts this call, showing the audience that you have to be willing to give up luxuries to do what is right. At the same time, the story warns the reader that if you decide to take the call, you may not be able to get back what you may lose. The way that Odysseus takes the call also shows the reader how to overcome the challenge of leaving behind all the luxuries of the reader’s life and moving on without them.

The third part is known as Crossing the Threshold. This is where the hero takes his fateful, and often irreversible, steps into the unknown. Odysseus does this in Book 5 when he says farewell to Calypso, and all her belongings, and sails into the ocean on a raft. The raft represents the final decision to commit to something, let it be taking something, going somewhere, etc., and is thus the official threshold, where Odysseus, or the reader, can not go back. The fact that Odysseus can not go back also mirrors the problem that people have with being brave and willing to leave everything behind, and instead would rather stay in their comfort zone and not have to give up anything. Overall, this example warns the reader that when you finally ‘cross the threshold’ and commit to do what you need to, you won’t be able to stop, or go back, until it is done.

The forth, and often largest, part of the Hero’s Path is known simply as The Path of Trials. This path is when the hero meets the enemies, challenges, and knowledge that lead to his final encounter, be it with himself or another. Odysseus goes through a long and winding Path of Trials, but a large portion of it is contained in Book 12. In this book, Odysseus meets Circe, who is the representation of knowledge, who mentors him on what to expect in his soon to come adventures. Odysseus also encounters new enemies, such as the the Sirens, which represent the lust people have for beauty, as well as Scylla, and Charybdis, both of which represent the evils and darkness of the world and in our hearts. Odysseus also has to face many challenges, like the death of companions and geographical hazards. These challenges warn the audience that if you go on this path, you may lose those that you hold dearest as a price for your actions, and of the cumbersome path that you may have to travel on. However, the way Odysseus mourns for the loss of his companions, shows a good way to overcome the obstacle of losing people, because it isn’t healthy, or helpful, to not mourn over those that you lose.

The fifth, and final, part of the Hero’s Path is called The Master of Both Worlds. This is where the hero returns from the irregular world back into the mundane world, with knowledge, treasure, and other things, that he has gained by facing the final confrontation, and being victorious. In The Odyssey, when Odysseus finally returns to his homeland of Ithaca, he returns as The Master of Both Worlds in the skills that he had gained from his travels, which make him superior over the suitors during his conflict with them from line 80 to line 126. In the real world, people gain new skills and knowledge that make the master of their own world, much like Odysseus. In the end however, the reader can learn to avoid what Odysseus did, and not kill everyone, because then the reader won’t have to deal with people trying to kill him or her, as well as make some possible friends.

Odysseus’s path becoming a hero starts where most hero’s started, the Mundane World. This beginning state is where you feel you don’t belong; Odysseus’s mundane world was on Calypso’s island. Calypso gave Odysseus everything and everything he could ever want like a great place to live, wonderful food and beautiful women. Calypso can tell Odysseus doesn’t feels this isn’t where he wants to be. She then has a nice meal with Odysseus where she asks him, how can you want someone else when you have a goddess right in front of you? But what Calypso doesn’t know is Odysseus has the heart of a hero and the heart of the hero is filled with loyalty and Odysseus is loyal to his wife.

The Call to Adventure is the second step where the hero is really starting to make their way down the path. It is when the hero is told there is something greater out there, the hero can either accept this call or it is simply put upon them. Odysseus decides to leave after Hermes tells Calypso to let Odysseus leave. She helps Odysseus make a raft then watches him float away. This part is also crossing the threshold, which is the third step. Odysseus is crossing the threshold because h is leaving this lovely island with Calypso and is trading it for a world full of trials. Odysseus now is officially on this road to becoming a hero there is no turning back after crossing the threshold.

The fourth step is the path of trials, which contains many steps within it: new friends, new mentors, new enemies, new challenges, new skills and new knowledge. Odysseus doesn’t really make new friends, besides his new crewmates, but he does meet up with an old friend: his hubris, which becomes a problem of its own. When Odysseus sees the Cyclops (his new enemy) his own hubris is what causes him to pick a fight and take his own men into the Cyclops cave. He seems to always take the hard way to build his reputation for example after causing a fight with the Cyclops he could have just left without stealing stuff and killing six of his men. Odysseus also lets hubris get in his way when he chooses Scylla over the Chary birds because he thinks Scylla will be more of a challenge even if it means putting his crew in danger. Not only does his hubris create problem it makes enemies like when he eats Hermes cattle, but also the gods soon retaliate when Zeus strikes Odysseus ‘s boat with lightning. Odysseus then is given the knowledge from theses trials to be a better person and know how to handle different situations better than the last time.

The Master of Two Worlds is when the new hero reaches home and realizes they are a different person now and they have simply out grown their home. Odysseus also discovers his hubris is what has caused all of these problems and puts his pride aside. When he sees his wife he sees she has many suitors because she believed when Odysseus left he would be gone forever. So with the god Athena on his side he kills the suitors and is reunited with his wife Penelope.

Readers wanting to become a hero know they will have it go through these things to become this greater person. But to be a hero you have to put pride aside and be vulnerable to new situations. The most important thing for a person who want to be a hero to know is that they have to know the journey impossible, just take a look at Odysseus.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus begins the hero path in the mundane world. A mundane world is where the hero is unhappy and yearning for something greater and feels as if they don’t belong. In book five, Odysseus is on the island with Calypso, he has everything a person could ever desire, yet he wasn’t content. He had a beautiful Goddess that cared for him and offered her love, ladies serving him at his every wish. He had every desirable food and drink, even Hermes stopped and stared with awe when he saw the island. Odysseus’ loyalty and love brought him to wish to go home to his mortal wife every day along with his curiosity making Odysseus wonder what adventure and challenges he would face if he were to leave the island. Calypso symbolizes comfort, predictability, and well-being. People tend to get trapped in comfort and enjoy the predictable life they are so accustom to. Odysseus has overcome this desire which would be near impossible for most, he has broken the bonds of the luxury he has been offered.
The second step of the hero’s journey is the call to adventure. This is when the hero has no choice but to go and except the call even if the hero did not desire to do so. In book five Odysseus receives his call to adventure. Hermes has come to the island with an order from Zeus to command Calypso to release Odysseus. Calypso obeys Hermes orders and gives Odysseus the option to go. Odysseus accepts this call to adventure allowing him to leave the island. A hero has to face both trials and challenges and must be prepared for when they do come that way. By accepting the call you would be creating new opportunities that you wouldn’t ever receive again, rejecting the call could put the individual’s life further and further into their own mundane world.
The third step is crossing the threshold. The hero has now started into a new world and there is no turning back now. In book 5, after Odysseus accepts the call to adventure, after doing so, Calypso and Odysseus make a raft for him to sail home on; as soon as he steps foot on the raft he has started to cross the threshold. Odysseus mentally and physically crossed a threshold, mentally by committing he wanted to leave and never return, and physically by getting on the raft and sailing away. Already there are new challenges to overcome, but hope to go home and see his wife again keeps Odysseus’ will power strong to be able to return home again. This can symbolize the difficulty of leaving something great, but only in return for something better in the future.
Path of trials is step four of the hero’s journey. Odysseus had many challenges throughout his journey an example of one is in book 9. Passing the island Odysseus spots a huge man who seems un-kept and uncivilized. (pg1369) Odysseus decides to see this giant closer up, he and his men went on the island stormed the Cyclops home and were about to leave with the items they had stolen, just when Odysseus let his hubris take hold. They got caught by the Cyclops and held captive. While awaiting their death Odysseus come up with a clever way to blind the Cyclops then hide under his sheep so he would let them out. They then escape of the island back safely to their ship. The Cyclops symbolizes a challenge that feels bigger than you, or life. If you don’t overcome it, could mean death, of either physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally. An example is cancer. It is a challenge that seems so much bigger than you, but if you don’t defeat it could end up as death. Another example of a trial is in book 12. In book 12 Odysseus had to overcome the sirens. He had his men tie him to the boat so he wouldn’t be lost in the sound. The sirens represent any temptation or distraction, desire. It can also represent the dark call inside of everyone, something you can’t resist, it is something you want so badly that it ends destroying you in the end.
Mentors: There are many mentors throughout the book, some of which are Calypso, when she was talking to Odysseus and giving him advice to help him have the most success as possible. Circe is another mentor, even though she help Odysseus and his men for a year, when she let him go she sent them to the land of the dead to get more advice to help them advance into their journey. Odysseus is also a mentor to his men in the book. Throughout the whole book he would help his men get through things they would have never accomplished on their own. He gave them both advice and instruction.
New Enemies: Circe along as a mentor is also an enemy, keeping them captive and turning them into animals. The sirens were also enemies, they were every temptation and desire you could possibly imagine to try and get Odysseus and his men away from their destination. Cyclops was a trial bigger than life seeming impossible to overcome, only wanting to destroy Odysseus and his men. New Challenges: When Odysseus accepted the call to adventure he knew he was accepting challenges to come. He came across trials he could have never imagined, but he succeeded and made it through. New Skills: Odysseus gained many new skills most of those being mental skills over physical. He learned how to overcome great things, and gained even more pride. This isn’t just a skill but also a problem. Without Odysseus’ pride he wouldn’t have been able to overcome most of the trials he had to face. New Knowledge: Odysseus gained a lot of new knowledge, most of it being the experiences he went through throughout the hero’s journey. On top of that he has knowledge from the advice all of the mentors gave him for the outmost success they could provide.
Odysseus is now the master of two worlds. He is successful to reach home when the Gods did everything in their power to make it as difficult as possible. He has gained new skills, knowledge, and has experience from many new challenges. He has made himself both mentally and physically stronger and made it through the most difficult thing of his life.

The first step that our hero Odysseus takes is the mundane world. The mundane world is a place where someone feels uncomfortable, that they don't belong there. The most explicit example is when Odysseus was in the island of the goddess Calypso. Odysseus had everything that a man could ever want. He had maids, a beautiful island, and a beautiful goddess that liked him and would be willing to give Odysseus sexual pleasure so he could stay. Yet he wasn't happy, he was uncomfortable and new it wasn't the place for him.

The second step was that call to adventure he had to take on. The example can be found when Odysseus Is washed to shore with his ship crew and notices that he had landed in the Cyclops island. He had a plan, he was going to go wonder and look for food. He finds a Cyclops cave goes in and decides to take his food and grab his sheeps. Here's where the call to adventure happens, he has the choice to go on with his crew take the food and leave but instead he decides that he should wait eat his food and confront the Cyclops. He knows Cyclops are huge beast and just want to have an adventure.

The third step is crossing the Threshold meaning knowing when to move on, not literally crossing a line but by doing an action that changes the course of their lifes. Odysseus had many moments where this occurred, one of them was when Odyssues was in Calypsos island and Calypso was offering herself for sexual purposes and Odysseus said no, later we found out that he already had a lady and wanted to be loyal and decide to built a raft to get out of Calypsos island. This showed crossing the threshold by knowing he had a lady and needed to get out of there for him to stay loyal.

The fourth step was the path of trials, this is achieving new knowledge and new skills that a hero would need and also confronting new enemies and challenges before ending quest. Chapter 12 provides excellent examples. He obtained new knowledge when he was in the Cyclops cave by knowing when to realize when he has been defeated and should stop tormenting the Cyclops if not he would end up dead. He learned new skills when he new that he couldn't defeat the Cyclops with brutal strength so he had to out smart him by telling him his name was nobody so when the Cyclops call for help and the other cycopls ask who did it he would say nobody. He found out that his new enemy was himself. Odysseus was obsessed with himself thinking he was strongest and when he became eager he turned into this villain like form. And his new friends were his ship mates, even though they knew that Odysseus was stubborn, they always stayed by his side and became Odysseus only friends.

The fifth and final step was becoming the master of two worlds. Odysseus accomplished this by thoroughly knowing the threshold and living a normal human life. He knows what both of the sides feel like, he has lived them to the fullest extend. He went on many adventures crossing the threshold and in the normal life Odysseus is following his dream of going to college.

(Michal)
The Mundane World- Odysseus' mundane world is when he is on the island of Ogyia, with the goddess Calypso, Calypso tries to make Odysseus love him, but he never does. The island is perfect to an ordinary man, but Odysseus dosn't feel like he belongs there, he wants more, he wishes to be with his wife Penelope and his young son Telemachus.
The Call To Adventure- Odysseus' call to adventure takes place while he is on the island of Ogyia with Calypso.The call to adventure comes to Odysseus when Hermes travels to the island of Ogyia to tell Calypso that Zeus demands the release of Odysseus from Calypso and the island. Calypso disagrees but says he can leave if he wants, Odysseus dosn't go at first but then decides to take on the adventure.
Crossing The Threshold- Odysseus crosses the threshold because he decides it, as in some heros journey the hero has no choice. He crosses the threshold by deciding to leave the island of Ogyia, he builds a raft,and starts sailing home towards to Ithaca.
Path Of Trials- New Challenges: Odysseus' ultimate challenge is when he gets trapped in the Cyclops' cave with some of his crew. He cannot kill the cyclops then and there or his body will block is way out of the cave. So he comes up with a risky plan and gets his crew together and blinds the Cyclops, finding a way out.
New Mentor: Odysseus' new mentor is the witch, Circe, who lives on the island Aeaea. She may have trapped Odysseus and his crew at first, but after Odysseus lives with Circe for a year because she seduced him, she is more of a mentor when he leaves the island to continue his journey. Circe warns Odysseus about the Sirens and advises him to put earwax in his ears and his crews, or have his ship destroyed by the rocks. She also advises him to beware of Sylla the sea monster, Circe tells him to keep going, to not stop and fight for there will be no victory if he does, Circe shows all signs of a mentor towards Odysseus by advising him.
New Knowledge Odysseus learns new skills on his adventure, one of which is to not let your pride take over, if so, it could lead to loss. When Odysseus discovers the Cyclops' cave his men suggest taking the cheese and goats, but Odysseus wants to stay and meet the Cyclops, thinking that he can stand against anything, which leads to some of his crews deaths.
New Enemies: Odysseus' enemy was standing against the Cyclops, although the Cyclops is powerful and stronger then Odysseus, the Cyclops is very dumb. Odysseus can't simply kill the Cyclops as he might with any enemy for if he does the Cyclops' dead body would block the entrance to their escape, which is a challenge to Odysseus.
New Skills: Odysseus' new skills are overcoming the Cyclops by outsmarting him. Odysseus comes up with a plan to get the Cyclops drunk and then blind him, after they will hide under the sheep so the Cyclops will not feel them escape. Also, Odysseus lies to the Cyclops and says his name is Nohbdy, so that the Cyclops will say that nobody tricked him when he calls for help to his neighbors. So Odysseus new skills are strategy and planning.
New Friend: Odysseus' new friend is Circe she may be evil at first but she helps Odysseus in the end by warning him of his enemies of the sea to make sure hes safe.
Master Of Two Worlds- Odysseus becomes master of two worlds when he returns to Ithaca to his wife and son. Escaping all enemies on his journey and overcoming challenges that only a hero can overcome. When Odysseus returns home he is truely different from who he was when he took off on his journey, learning to not let pride take over and discovering new experiences.

Homer’s epic story of The Odyssey is an excellent specimen to examine Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey through. The compressed five steps thereof clearly occur multiple times across the collection of books.

The first step in the Hero’s Journey is the Mundane World. When the hero is on this step, he or she is either in a world of comfort or something similar, and may or may not be itching to get out. An example of this step in The Odyssey is Calypso’s island. It was exceedingly beautiful, even to a god (1106). The idea that this island represents is the lure of comfort. A modern example of this would be the appeal of putting of work to relax, and remain in a state of comfort, even though one would know that they are meant to be working.

The second step is the Call to Adventure. In this step, the hero will either seek out adventure or a call will come to him or her, forcing his or her hand and beginning an unwanted adventure. In the text, this step can be found when the witch Circe warns Odysseus of challenges ahead: the formidable monsters Scylla and Charybdis, as well as the tempting sirens (1130-1132). Odysseus then accepts the Call by deciding to brave the infested seas and take the risks. It could also be considered an acceptance when Odysseus decides to, instead of sealing his ears with wax, have his men tie him to the mast. He did this in order to hear the Sirens’ tempting song, which was dangerous in its own right. The song represents temptation, in this case to leave the path of the hero.

The third step, Crossing the Threshold, is identified by the hero passing a point of no return, where the only option is to keep pushing onward. An instance of this occurring in The Odyssey is Odysseus’ long journey over an ultimately stormy ocean by raft (1108-1109). Once he set out, there was no way he could return to the comfort of Calypso’s island again. The act of crossing a threshold usually symbolizes the hardening of a hero’s resolve, and the renewal of determination to strive for the completion of his or her quest.

The Path of Trials, which is the fourth step in the Hero’s Journey, contains a multitude of facets. The step entails the conquering of multiple challenges, gaining new friends, enemies, mentors, skills and/or knowledge. A new friend that Odysseus made on his journey is King Alcinous, who received an account of Odysseus’ triumph over the Cyclops Polyphemus (1113). Coincidentally, Polyphemus was among the new enemies Odysseus had made, as said Cyclops resented being fooled and having his eye skewered with a smoldering stake (1118-1121). Circe is an example of a new mentor Odysseus gained; she warned him of dangers and advised him on how he should circumvent them (1130-1133). Odysseus did not gain any new skills over his journey, and knowledge that he gained included how to traverse the Sea of Monsters, as well as the prophecy he received in the land of the dead (1129).

The fifth and final step in the Hero’s Journey is The Master of Two Worlds. Its significance is found in that, once a hero returns from his or her journey, he or she can never be quite the same. They have experienced what it is like to reside in the “underworld,” whatever it might be in the hero’s situation. In The Odyssey, this step is shown when Odysseus returns to his homeland and wife after many years. Although he has been reunited with his family, things can never again be quite the same. For example, he may trust his wife less now that he knows she had been entertaining many suitors while he was away, or he may not be able to connect with his now adult son.

To conclude, it is clear to the reader exactly how the archetypical Hero’s Journey, as defined by Joseph Campbell, is evident in Homer’s The Odyssey. It is also clear how the assorted challenges and monsters help one view the human psyche in more detail.

MUNDANE WORLD:
The mundane world is when a hero finds that (s)he or he is in an enviorment where they are bored and crave to leave. The Odyssey begins on Calypso's island. Even though Odysseus is in a place so beautiful it is even shockingly gorgeouse to a god, and he has everything a mortal man could want he still wants to leave. He stands on the beach staring out to the ocean crying because he misses the world and loves ones he left behind.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE:
When a hero get an oppurtunity to go on a journey, that is the call to adventure. When Zeus commands Calypso to let Odysseus leave her island he gets a crew and trys to find his way home.
CROSSING THE THRESHOLD:
Crossing the threshold is when a hero finnaly leave to new land they are not used to. When Odysseus and his crew go to the island of the dead, they have gone to a new place that is nothing like any other place they have ever been. It is the moment when the crew is completly unaware of what to expect.
PATH OF TRIALS:
When a hero faces struggles these are examples fo the path of trials. Odysseus faces many trials through out the story. They must face a cyclops that eats Odysseus's men, Syrons that can lead a ship to its water fate whith ats singing. They even had to face a witch that turned his men into pigs. Odysseus has been facing trials through out the entire story.
NEW MENTOR:
Odysseus does not have a specific mentor, but the being that is protecting more then anyone is Zeus. Zeus made Calypso let Odysseus go. Even though Zeus also made Odysseus and his men become lost at sea he did it to teach Odysseus lesson, so he would'nt make the same mistake. Zeus is protecting and teaching Odysseus just like a mentor.
NEW ENEMIES:
The greatest enemy of Odysseus and his men is the cyclops. The cyclops captured them and ate many of his men. An enmy needs to be concured by the hero, and Odysseus defeated the cyclops by tricking him so the other cyclops would not come to his aid after they blinded the cyclops. Even though Odysseus faces many enemys, the cyclops was the most dangerouse.
NEW CHALLENGES:
One of the challenges the crew has to face are the syrons. The men must put wax in their ears so not to hear the syrons song, but some of then men like Odysseus which to face the challenge and time themsleves to the boat so they can hear the syrons song but not become a victim to death.
NEW KNOWLEDGE:
Odysseus learns about the cyclops. He did not know if they were friend or foe. When he faced them he learned that the cyclops were most definetly foe. He used words to describe them such as scavengers, cannibles, and no order.
MASTER OF TWO WORLDS:
Master of two worlds is when the hero become a master of many diffrent enviorments. When odysseus finnishes his journey he is praised by the gods and royalty. He becomes a respected man of the sea, of man, monsters, and even gods.

In these ways Odysseus follows the steps of the heroes journey.

Like most heros in history, Odysseus begins his journey in a mundane world. Life for him at the start of book five was not necessarily bad. Some would say his life was rather high quality and unattainable for most mortal men. A luxurious home with delicious foods and drinks at his every beckoned call, handmaids to do his work, even an astonishing Goddess, Calypso, to keep him good company. Life for him was defiantly not bad at all, even the great Hermes stopped and stared at the grandeur Odysseus was living in. As life continued on, trapped in such a perfect world, Odysseus became slightly antsy to get out, knowing deep in his heart that there was more for him outside of this comfort zone made to trap him inside of himself. The mundane world for most heros isn’t always going to stand out in boring ways, but rather in perfect conditions like Odysseus shows. It is what the hero longs to do with his life that makes the world mundane or not.

Towards the end of book five, Hermes begins to sense Odysseus's discomfort in living with such perfect standards, and decides to order Calypso to send Odysseus on his way home. Against her will, she agrees, offering Odysseus the option to leave her perfect world for the treacherous one he had wanted from the beginning. Odysseus chooses to leave behind all the wealth Calypso had to offer, knowing of the trials he may face on his long journey home. This order that Hermes placed upon Calypso and Odysseus is considered the call to adventure, the second step in the thread of a hero's path. Although Odysseus chose to claim his call, some people may reject theirs, bringing them further into the mundane world they exist contently in, making it so they don't reach their full potential as a human being.

Knowing that he could not return to such a perfect life, Odysseus sets sail on a homemade raft that both Calypso and Hermes help him make. This first physical step onto the great waters could be considered the third step of a hero's path, crossing of the threshold. The crossing of the threshold can be done in both a physical and a mental way, most heros taking both sides of this step. The knowledge of not being able to return is considered the mental aspect of this step, whereas the step onto the ocean is the physical one. Once a hero takes this crucial step forward in their journey, the mundane world is put completely behind them, all thats left to do is overcome the trials everyone is required to face to make it to their final destination and make them a true hero.

Everything from the moment Odysseus leaves Calypso's island, to the moment he becomes a master of two worlds, falls into the the fourth step of trials. The trials a hero has to face are what build them up into stronger human beings to make their final destination worthwhile. The step of trials can be broken down into several subcategories which may include new friends, enemies, mentors, skills, knowledge, and challenges that they may come into contact with while attempting to reach their goal. Many of these categories may be met in order to complete the thread of a hero's path.

Odysseus gains many new enemies while on his pathway home, one good example being the first interaction with the mighty beast Cyclopes. After being thrown onto the shore of the Cyclopes inhabited island, Odysseus decides to meet these mysterious beasts, only to find both himself and his men in great danger. Due to his selfish choice to stay and fight with these ferocious animals, Odysseus finds himself leaving the island with less men for support, tension with the beasts themselves, and haunting images of his men being eaten alive. The skin on his back was saved after cunningly sneaking out and tricking the main Cyclopes, only to find a new enemy had been made in the process. The enemies Odysseus made while traveling home can relate back to real world situations, the Cyclopes being a good example for this. To Odysseus, this inhumane beast is just something larger than himself that stands in the way of a final destination. In a real world perspective though, this can symbolize any challenge larger than one's self. This challenge is required to be taken down in one way or another, wether you go down with it or not. The enemy within everybody’s self is something larger than any of us may be able to take on. But with the right support and mind set, this once ginormous use of evil can be brought down to a smaller scale, even completely taken under control.

Odysseus's main mentor throughout the story goes back to calypso who agreed with Hermes to let him go. Although she initially held him back in his mundane world, she finally came to her senses and helped him along with way, offering good advice and meaningful support throughout his whole journey. Calypso embodies this mentor figure in many ways, making for a perfect person to lead Odysseus through his path of trials, into something much greater than she thought he could ever become.

Many new skills were required to be obtained by Odysseus as he continued through his heroic path, many of them not necessarily being physically attainable ones. One of these skills he was forced to learn was his use of hubris, or great pride. This great problem he had to face was something that made life much harder in arriving safely to a final destination, but towards the end seemed to have harnessed it in a bit through watching men die and struggle because of it. Odysseus proves that some of lives most important skills to be obtained are the attitude related ones, things that seem to negatively influence our lives that one may not want to face.

Finally, the endless challenges that Odysseus had to face were what made his way home a lesson many can learn from. Although he had to face many trials, both physical and mental, on his long path home, the main one he had to face that encompasses all smaller ones was overcoming his hubris and overuse of pride. Many of the smaller fights Odysseus and his men faced could have been avoided if he would have known how to control his pride, something he overcame towards the end of the story.

At the end, Odysseus finally lands in the world he worked so hard to get to, making him a master of two worlds. The journey leading up to this final moment improved both his knowledge and skill level to make the mastery possible. There are many lessons to be learned from the great hero Odysseus, one of these being to not let your pride get out of hand. Many people in this world find their lives so much harder all because of the way their attitudes are set. Odysseus is a perfect example of what not to do in situations where one thinks they are above others, which can lead to great downfalls of loved ones, or even you. Along with lessons, though, come examples. Dedication and goal setting are only two of the good things that came from Odysseus's journey that the real world can relate to, and attempt to come as they fight their own battles and become heros of their own.

The Hero’s Journey has five simple steps. The first step of this journey is called the Mundane World. In the mundane world the hero is not pleased or at all amused with his/her living standers and situations and longs for something much more than they have. In book five of The Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies the perfect example of living in the mundane world. Odysseus’ living situation is something that another would do anything for. Odysseus was living on an island with the love of a stunning goddess, Calypso, on a beautiful island, with his every wish granted, Odysseus still longed for the adventure every hero longs for, along with his previous normal life with his wife, children, and home. Odysseus has also begun to long for expanding his horizon into bigger and better things.
The second step to the hero’s journey is known by the Call to Adventure. There are two ways this step can be endured, either by the call to adventure approaching the hero or the hero longing for that adventure and approaching the adventure by his/herself. Although the call to adventure is not always approached by the hero, the hero has a choice to accept the adventure or to decline it. The call to adventure for Odysseus is also found in book number five of The Odyssey. In this case, the adventure approaches Odysseus when Hermes, approaches Odysseus with the message from Zeus decided to force Calypso to let go of Odysseus so he can return home to be with his family. By demand Calypso is forced to release Odysseus. Odysseus also had the choice to leave or to stay on Calypso’s island. By choice Odysseus endures the journey home. By this example, Odysseus is showing how one must take on a challenge or adventure even it may put a life or many lives at risk of death or serious injury.
The third step to the hero’s journey is Crossing the Threshold. Crossing the threshold is when an individual chooses to undergo the call to adventure without turning back. In book five of the Odyssey the hero archetype, Odysseus, portrays the third step of the hero’s journey by crossing the threshold when he decides to leave the island of Calypso after him and Calypso construct a raft for Odysseus to float out into the sea. When Odysseus gets on that raft and begins to float out into the sea there is no longer any turning back for him, which is where the third step of the hero’s journey comes into play for Odysseus now that he is on his own in the middle of the sea with no way of turning back. Odysseus had no idea of what could possibly happen to him on his journey home, the only think he knew is that it was the right choice to endure the journey home. The reader may need to notice that without taking on the challenges of the adventure and crossing the threshold of the hero’s path they may never become that hero archetype they are longing for.
The fourth step through the hero’s journey is the Path of Trials. There are many different parts to this step. The parts include, meeting new mentors, friends, and enemies, gaining new knowledge, and skills, and facing new challenges. Odysseus portrays the path of trials in book numbers one and nine. In book number one Odysseus meets the king and his court and they end up becoming friends; the king may also be viewed as a mentor towards Odysseus as being the one Odysseus can trust to recite his story of his journey along the hero’s path to.
In book nine while Odysseus is traveling home he encounters the challenges such as the Cyclops. The Cyclopes was a large challenge for Odysseus because it was one of his first challenges after his call to adventure and crossing the threshold. Many challenges came with defeating this large unbearable animal. At first Odysseus thought it was a good idea to lead his men onto the Cyclops’ island with great hubris. While on the island, Odysseus’ hubris attitude kept getting in his way of defeating the Cyclopes and two of his men ended up being killed my the Cyclops. By this, Odysseus is exemplifying to the reader that his hubris very much got in the way of his path of trials and seemed to veer him off track of his potential hopes.
Also in book nine Odysseus ended up meeting two enemies. One being the Lotus Eaters and two being the Cyclops. The Lotus Eaters became an enemy by not allowing Odysseus to return home when that was Odysseus entire goal through his hero’s path. The Cyclops became an enemy towards Odysseus and his men almost instantaneously. When Odysseus and his men walked onto the Cyclops’ island they noticed that the Cyclops was not what they thought her to be. She was an extraordinary large and angry giant. From this moment on Odysseus and his men noticed they did not want to associate with the Cyclops, but continued to do so anyway. Every hero is going to make an enemy whether that enemy is his/herself or another being, that enemy is going to exists in one way or another; either way to become that hero archetype the individual will need to find a way around or face the enemy and challenges to complete the thread of the hero’s path in full.
Along with the new friends, mentors, and enemies, Odysseus gains knowledge throughout his journey. One new skill Odysseus acquires through his journey is the ability to outsmart both the Cyclops and the Lotus Eaters. Odysseus discovers that if he lies to the Cyclops about his name the Cyclops will not be able to find him to gain revenge over Odysseus, after Odysseus defeats the Cyclops. For the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus came across the fact that if one of his men or himself were to consume a Lotus Eater his entire ship would no longer have any hope for returning home. The knowledge Odysseus acquires from his challenges reflect into new skills. Odysseus learned how to solve problems in a much more timely fashion than previous to him beginning his journey home. Every hero needs to be able to solve problems and reflect upon them quickly to defeat the obstacle placed before them to become successful.
The fifth and final step to the hero’s journey is when the hero becomes the master of two different worlds and can adapt to the real world again with being a new individual. Odysseus reflects the master of two worlds in the books sixteen through twenty-three. In book number sixteen Odysseus returns to his home on the island Ithaca where Athena welcomes him and assures he is home. To be safe, Athena had Odysseus disguise as an old man for his first arrival. In the end of the book, Odysseus is re-united with his wife and family and Athena brings peace to the rest of the people of Ithaca. Although Odysseus has returned back to his life on the island of Ithaca, he will never be the same as when he left the island because of the path of the hero’s journey. Odysseus has endured multiple different challenges, made new mentors, friends, and even enemies, he has gained new skills and knowledge, he has seen his men killed, and he has even done harm to his own challenges, but yet through the past few years Odysseus will never be able to return to how he was previously. Every hero needs to realize that going through these five simple steps of a hero’s path may and will change you forever; it may be for the better it may be the worse, but whatever it may be the individual will acquire the skills to manage the outcome of their new self.

The first step is the mundane world. Odysseus is in the mundane world when he is with Calypso the goddess on her island. This is the mundane world because life is so easy and not challenging, everything is given to him by beautiful maidens. He also lives on a beautiful island even the god Hermes thinks the island is one of the most beautiful places that has ever been made. He doesn’t even have to try with Calypso she loves him and doesn’t challenge him.
The second step to the hero’s journey is known by the Call to Adventure. There are two ways this step can be endured, either by the call to adventure approaching the hero or the hero longing for that adventure and approaching the adventure by his/herself. Although the call to adventure is not always approached by the hero, the hero has a choice to accept the adventure or to decline it. The call to adventure for Odysseus is also found in book number five of The Odyssey. In this case, the adventure approaches Odysseus when Hermes, approaches Odysseus with the message from Zeus decided to force Calypso to let go of Odysseus so he can return home to be with his family. By demand Calypso is forced to release Odysseus. Odysseus also had the choice to leave or to stay on Calypso’s island. By choice Odysseus endures the journey home. By this example.
Odysseus is showing how one must take on a challenge or adventure even it may put a life or many lives at risk of death Odysseus completes the third phase of his journey as he finally leaves Calypso’s enchanting island. This is known as crossing the threshold, where a hero is brought into something where they can never turn back. By leaving Calypso’s island, he can never return, and will never be able to live in such a perfect world again. Even if he had the chance to return, his adventure would change him, and never allow him to be exactly as he was before he left. Odysseus is forced to continue on, and does not have the choice to turn back. He crosses his threshold, and enters into a journey completely unknown to him.

The fourth step of the hero’s path is when the hero travels the path of trials. Odysseus faces many trials and finds many new enemies but also finds new friends. The first enemy he encounters is Poseidon the god of the sea, who is furious at Odysseus for the part he played in the Trojan War. You see because Poseidon supported the Trojans and Odysseus fought for the Greeks. So to get even with the Greeks he decided to knock Odysseus and many other Greek ships on their way back home after the war off course. This is an important event because if not for this Odysseus would have made it home a lot earlier and probably never have met the Cyclopes or the Sirens. This event also leads him to a new friend a King who throws a banquet in Odysseus and his men’s honor. So this jealous and hateful act by the sea god Poseidon kind of kicks off the entire adventure.

The fifth stage is master of two worlds. This is seen when a hero returns home after his journey, with new skills, knowledge, and experiences. Odysseus returns home in book 16 to face many more challenges. After finally fighting his way back to his loving wife, he becomes the master of two worlds. He has experienced the terrible heat of battle in Troy. He has seen countless deaths, and been trapped on goddesses islands and monsters caves. He has gained great amounts of knowledge, learned new skills and has learned more about himself and others. He made new friends, some of them gods and kings, others, lowly peasants. He has evolved on his long and perilous journey, only to return home a better man.

In “The Odyssey” the main character Odysseus starts in the mundane world, a place where you are unsatisfied or don’t belong. The mundane world is the place the adventure starts, it’s the beginning of a journey. In book 5 Odysseus is trapped of Calypsos Island. On the island Odysseus is presented with everything that a man could want or need but he still yearns for more. Odysseus feels unsatisfied here and all he wants is to leave, leave a place where even the god Hermes had to stop and take in its beauty. At this stop on Odysseus’s journey he is forced to learn the true value of his wife that he had left back home
in Ithaca and the true meaning of love, and the courage it takes to step up to follow the thread of the hero’s path.

The second step on the hero’s path is The Call to Adventure, the point in the hero’s journey where they get the call to greater things. This call could be something such as a mental need and stability to leave the mundane world or a physical thing such as a letter or a person calling for there aide. On pages 1126-1127 Odysseus has finally come to agreement on the freedom of his men only if Circe the god in which held them were to be repaid only if a journey be maid by Odysseus and his men to the underworld, this being the call. This was the reason that Odysseus went on to his next adventure. His calling being the thing that lead him and started his great and heroic adventure.

On the hero’s path the third step would be Crossing The Threshold. This is the point in all stories where the call had been answered and they are taking the step and leaving there mundane world. Crossing the threshold would be leaving there secure place and taking that last step into the adventure so the journey can realistically begin. At one point in the book Odysseus agrees to leave wax out of his ears while crossing the path of the deadly sirens. Sirens are creatures that have lead many men to there death by the voice that they have. While all of Odysseus’s men have wax in their ears blocking the noise Odysseus agrees to be tied to the boat and kept with ears clear. This is one point in which a threshold was crossed he has left his safety when he agreed to take on this noble task.

The Path Of Trials is step four on the hero’s path. This step can be broken down in two simple subjects’ new friends, new enemies and new mentors and new knowledge/skills. It is basically anything that was gained on the journey. First would be new friends through the way Odysseus has gained several new friends on the journey but one being the witch Circe. She would not be directly classified under friend but as an ally, at one point Odysseus has to work with Circe to gain the freedom of his men only to have a adventure in the underworld as a payment. Along Odysseus’s journey there were several enemies mad one of the most memorable of those being the Cyclops. This Cyclops held Odysseus and his men captive as he slowly killed his men off. After being on the island for long enough Odysseus had escaped leaving a mangled Cyclops with a poked out eye in furry waiting for Odysseus return. In the novel Odysseus has picked up if not anything else knowledge. He has taken his own hubris and gotten involved in several unnecessary situations. He has learned of all of the inhabitants of the several islands that he stopped at and all that they do.

The last and final step of the hero’s journey is Master of Two Worlds. In this step the hero must learn how to balance there new knowledge and experiences with there original world. This they must learn to keep in peace and sync. In “The Odyssey” (pg1165) Odysseus in the end must learn to handle his new experiences and knowledge with his original world with his wife Penelope. He must take care of her and the new life that they have together while he holds his memory dear and within his knowledge.

MUNDANE WORLD-When Oddyseus finds himself on the island of the Goddess of Calypso, Oddyseus is on his version of the mundane world. Oddyseus has maidens to do his bidding, an affair with a beautiful goddess, any type of food that he could desire and not to mention a stunning, resort-like island. Oddyseus hungers for more. Oddyseus knows that he is not living up to his full potential in life. This situation relates greatly today when a young adult lives in the safety of their parent’s basement and that in order for that young adult to do something meaningful in life they must go take a calling to the their journey. Even though that the young adult is safe and comfortable in a controllable environment like Oddyseus, they must eventually leave the seamless situation to accept one of life’s great challenges in a new but imperfect world to satisfy ones thirst for something more.

CALL TO ADVENTURE/CROSSING THE THRESHOLD-An example of Oddyseus’s “Call to Adventure” could be when Oddyseus comes upon the island of the Cyclops. Oddyseus and his crew come upon an island where there is what is described as brute monsters herding sheep. Oddyseus and his crew first observe the monsters from a safe distance. Oddyseus then takes a group of his soliders to explore the island more thoroughly. When they arrive on the island they head up to one of the caves of a Cyclops. Once there they take note that the Cyclops is a respectable shepherd based on how he had organized his sheep. While waiting for the Cyclops to return to his cave Oddyseus and his men start eating some of the food inside the cave. Once the Cyclops returned he was rather annoyed to find that a small human decided to stand up to him. The Cyclops held Oddyseus’s crew captive for a couple of days until Oddyseus came up with a plan to out smart the Cyclops and even then some of Oddyseus’s men were brutally killed by the Cyclops. After the survivors of the Cyclops and Oddyseus where escaping and a asafe distance away from the Cyclops, Oddyseus’s hubris takes over as he continues to taunt the Cyclops angering the Cyclops even more andputting Oddyseus and his crew in danger. The Call to Adventure for Oddyseus this time was not forced upon Oddyseus, nor did the call present itself explicitly to Oddyseus. Oddyseus went out of his own way for a fight. Oddyseus probably thought that he needed to prove himself as a worthy leader to his men. This is relative to today’s world by when an athlete or sports team gets over confident and that they think that nobody is better than them. That athlete or sports team loses respect for their oppenents as Oddyseus does in Book 9 of The Odyssey, when Oddyseus comes across the Cyclops. A common phrase that is relative to this situation could be “In order to be the best, you need to beat the Best”.

THE PATH OF TRIALS- An example of when Oddyseus comes upon the path of trials is when Oddyseus and his crew encounter the sirens. Despite being warned about how deadly and dangerous the Sirens can be to one. Oddyseus ignores the cautions he was foretold about and decides that he wants to listen to the Sirens. But Oddyseus still has his men plaster their ears with beeswax to deafen to the deadly song. Oddyseus has his men tie him up on pole and expresses that under no condition to let him go unless the Sirens are out of the way. When the Sirens eventually come Oddyseus describes that he had never heard anything so beautiful in his life before. Despite Oddyseus’s continuing desperate cries to be untied his men don’t give in and leave him be. Once the Sirens are out of sight and Oddyseus is untied, Oddyseus was taught two lessons. First Oddyseus gained valuable information concerning the Sirens and how deadly their voices can be. Secondly Oddyseus learned that he would be able to trust his men with his life. This situation is relative to todays world by when a decent person goes against warnings and becomes addicted on drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. If the person doesn’t stop they will be putting their own life in peril. The person will need the great help of his friends and family to overcome the state of mind that the person is trapped in.

MASTER OF TWO WORLDS-An example of when Oddyseus’s journey embraces the step “Master of Two Worlds” could be when Oddyseus is telling the king about all of his past of adventures in book 9. Oddyseus finds himself at a royal dinner with a king informing the king about all of his past journeys that he was challenged with.

The story of the Odyssey begins with Odysseus in the Mundane World. He is trapped on an island and being held captive by the beautiful and stunning Goddess Calypso. Calypso is holding Odysseus captive for her own pleasure. She pampers Odysseus, and gives him whatever he desires, but he still isn't happy.

Hermes is sent by Zeus to tell Calypso that she needs to set Odysseus free. Reluctantly she says yes. Calypso helps Odysseus build a raft to leave the island, and that's his call to adventure. He is finally escaping the mundane world and going on an adventure to the new world where he will hopefully be happier.

He sets sail and ends up on an island where the creature the Cyclops lives. Odysseus and his men explore the Cyclops cave and start eating his cheeses. They wait for the Cyclops to return to steal his items. The Cyclops gets angry and "busts their brains out". I think that Odysseus wanted to outsmart the Cyclops because he was held captive for a long time by Calypso and wanted to let out his emotions and feel powerful. He knew that the Cyclops wasn't very smart whereas Calypso was, so he wanted to feel power and out smart the Cyclops.

Every great hero story follows the hero’s path that consists of 5 different stages. In the Odyssey, Odysseus begins the hero’s journey with the mundane world. The mundane world is a familiar place, where the hero is unsatisfied and feels as if they don’t belong. In book 5, Odysseus is stuck in the mundane world. Odysseus is caught on the island with the beautiful goddess Calypso offering him her love. Calypso represented coziness, beauty, and want. He was in a place of pure beauty, riches beyond ones control, and ladies waiting on him. Pure perfection, yet to him he wanted more. We all want what we can’t have, and what we have we never truly value. He was in a world where he had no enemies or obstacles threatening him, which is what he wanted. Odysseus wanted an adventure. On page 1108 the text states, “with a tearful gaze towards the sea.” This shows that Odysseus was aching to leave perfection, desire a call to adventure. The addressees learn that we want what we can’t have, even when what we have is so much. You are never truly satisfied.

The call to adventure is the next step in the hero’s path. The call to adventure must come from with in the hero. They can be pressure, persuaded, or from the hero’s own will. In book 5, Odysseus receives his call when Hermes brings a note to Calypso telling her to free Odysseus. Hermes represents the messenger, in the way he literally delivers the message by making sure Calypso does as told. Odysseus accepts the call to leave without hesitating, knowing that he may never be around pure perfection again. He doesn't hesitate and begins his journey back home. The audience takes caution that you may never have the same luxuries again, but the hero teaches the audience no matter how hard the challenge is sometimes the risk is worth the fall.

The hero then takes his/her steps toward the threshold. This is where the hero takes his/her steps into the unknown. In book 5, it is when Odysseus sails away on a raft from Calypso’s island. Once Odysseus sails away he doesn't look back or regret any of his choices. Sometimes crossing the threshold doesn't have to be literal, as in crossing a line. We can mentally cross the threshold when we let go of something to start a new adventure. The raft represents the finial decision to carry out to fulfill a deeper desire with in our selves. The viewers learn that once you officially let go and head in another direction you have cross the threshold to a new adventure. The adventure you take by crossing the threshold is a new start.

Path of trials is the forth step in the hero’s path. In this step the hero encounters new friends, new enemies, new mentors, new challenges, new skills, and new knowledge. Odysseus faces many trials on his way to the final step of the path. Odysseus begins his journey with his crew (new friends) they are taken hostage by the Lotus Eaters. The Lotus Eaters (new enemy) offer the crew some of their lotus flower, which turns out to be a trick. Successfully most of the crew escapes the Lotus Eaters unharmed. Then the crew lands on the land of the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus stubbornness (new challenge) he wants to defeat the Cyclops (new enemy). Odysseus and his men set camp in the cave of the sheep herding Cyclops only to be spotted and many of his crew eaten alive. Odysseus offers the Cyclops wine of the gods. The Cyclops becomes drunk, and asks Odysseus for his name he responds with Nohbdy (new knowledge), and the Cyclops tells him he will eat him last. With no hope let (new challenge) suddenly Odysseus and his crew stabbed the Cyclops in the eye. The Cyclops screws for help saying that Nohbdy did it. When the other Cyclops came they looked at him like he was a total idiot. Odysseus and his crew surrounded themselves in sheep wool so if the Cyclops tried to feel for them all he would feel were his beloved sheep. Odysseus and his crew ran to the ship and escaped the land of the idiotic Cyclops (new skill’s, knowledge, and challenges). Next Odysseus and his crew landed on King Aeolus (new friend) island where the king gave them 2 presents of wind to give them a successful journey home. The crew, not knowing what was in the bags, opened them up releasing the winds the king had given them (new knowledge). Returning back to the island Odysseus asked for help once more only to be let down by the king, because he thought that they were cursed not wanting to take any part in there cursedness. They set to sail once again and landed on the island of the goddess Circe. Circe turned half of Odysseus’ crew into pigs, with the help of Hermes (new mentor) Odysseus isn’t turned into a pig or falls under her spells (new skill’s, new knowledge). Circe releases the men from the curse of the pig, but they only fall into another curse where they cannot leave the island (new challenges). Odysseus begs for the men to be released, but only under the circumstance that they run an errand to the island of the underworld (new challenge). Odysseus agrees and he sets off to the land of the dead. Once he arrives he is trampled by all the sprits. He runs into his mother (new knowledge, new skills). Odysseus returns back to Circe’s (new friend, new mentor) island and she releases him. Circe tells Odysseus what he faces ahead and tells him how to approach the future problems. He then sets sail and runs into the Sirens. The Sirens enchant Odysseus with there persuading calls. Meanwhile Odysseus men have wax in their ears to avoid the beautiful enchanting call of the Sirens (new enemies, new skills, new challenges). They successfully pass the Sirens only to have most of the crew eaten by Scylla (new enemy, new skills, new knowledge), a monster of the ocean floor. The rest of Odysseus’ crew is kill by a lighting bolt (new enemy) sent down by Zeus. He then returns to Calypso (new challenge), and ends the book telling the story of his adventures to the king Alcinous (new friend). As the audience we all face trials, that we must somehow over coming even if we have to do it alone. Each and every one of these events represents an event that happens in our everyday life. For example the men being killed by the lightning bolt could represent a group death such as a car accident, avalanche, the list goes on and on. Take caution on the trials handled in life. Remember your goal. Odysseus handled the situation with confidence in every move he made, and things happen for a reason.

The final step is becoming the master of two worlds. This is where the hero returns from the irregular world back into the mundane world, with the success from his trials. Odysseus becomes the master of two worlds when he returns home to Ithaca. He has literally mastered the world he originally came from along with the world in his adventure. Caution yourself not to go around killing everyone, and learn from the mistakes of others. Once Odysseus returned home he felt better inside, but didn't brag which only made him stronger.

To be a hero you have to want to change something, whether it is yourself or a way of life. Next you have to find a calling to make a change and go for it. Cross the threshold. Face every challenge as a new adventure. Then return with a new perspective, and an impact to something in the slightest bit. Hero’s are ordinary people who decide to go the extra mile.

The Odyssey -5 Steps to Heroism

The mundane world- The first example of this step in the story the Odysseys is shown in book five “Calypso.” In this book Odysseus is in the land of Calypso. Lavish food and novelties and all sorts of luxuries surround him. Beauty is all around him there is no danger in sight, but still he longs for something different. Odysseus doesn’t long for more it is actually a sense of longing for less. Odysseus is living in a world fit for a God but he wants nothing more than to live the life of a human, he has loyalty for his wife even though he has beautiful goddesses to love every night; he is simply not satisfied with this mundane world. If you travel deeper into the text you can really relate this step to modern life. An example of “the mundane world” could be living in a household where you have everything you could ever need to live successfully, and yet you still wish for more. Everyone has felt a longing for something more at least once in their life, and reading classic mythology can really provide the reader with s structure because deep down all myth stories pull on common human emotions.

Call to Adventure – The reader will find that step two, a call to adventure, also appears in book five Calypso. The call comes when Hermes travels to the Island of Calypso. He sees this beautiful land before and he is quite perplexed as to why Odysseus would ever want to leave this place. Analyzing the text will lead the reader to realize that a common human emotion is triggered. Getting his “call to adventure” makes Odysseus gain strength. He feels the emotions of bravery and loyalty raging inside of him. These built-up emotions will give Odysseus the courage boost he needs to make the journey home. This part of the story is a very important one - it shows that Odysseus, although very cocky and arrogant in the chapters and books ahead, actually does have a sense of human emotions. Before he is called to adventure I would even say that Odysseus is even a bit vulnerable. In the next books the reader will see that after Odysseus receives the call he builds up a more hubris attitude toward life in general. This can also be related to modern life. Sometimes when someone experiences great success it can also bring upon arrogance and hubris that can damage them in the end.





Crossing the Threshold – Step three, crossing the threshold, comes in to play during book nine, when Odysseus and his men are aboard a ship traveling home. They come across a nice little island. On the island many goats and sheep are discovered, and along with the animals is a Cyclops that lives in a cave. This part of the book shows “the crossing of a threshold”, because Odysseus and his men were not brought to the island to fight the Cyclops out of pride, it was a choice made purely out of Odysseus arrogance. He is forcing his men to cross the threshold between the safe place or the so-called mundane world, which the boat the men travel on could now represent. This step is very important in the hero’s journey. It brings an initial problem to the surface, and makes the hero dig deep and realize what he has to offer.

Path of Trials- The fourth step, Path of Trials, is seen in many places throughout The Odyssey. The path of trials is a main part of the journey that highlights many of the hardships and challenges that the hero character will face along their journey. It also brings along new friends, enemies, and mentors, which will end up impacting the story in some way or another whether it be good or bad. One challenge that Odysseus faces in book nine is the Cyclops. The Cyclops is a dumb-witted mammoth size creature, at least that is how Odysseus views it, but in reality the brute of a beast might have more power than Odysseus thinks. The trial that the men have to face in this book is confronting the sheer strength and size of the beast. They have to use their cunning minds to create a plan to get away from the Cyclops and off of the island before the creature destroys them. In a sense, this fight can be represented as a fight against oneself and an individual’s arrogance. Odysseus brings the fight with the Cyclops upon himself with no intention of doing anything, or how it will impact his men.

This is just one example of a trial or hardship that Odysseus and his men have to face throughout the story. This example is relevant to the modern world because of how often an individual’s arrogance can get in the way of their real goals.


Master of Both Worlds - The final steps comes in book 16-23 when Odysseus returns to his home land Ithaca. When he arrives he is to make a choice of which world he would like to remain in. Choosing Ithaca, his homeland, it is now a place of renewal where Odysseus can lead a more steady life knowing that he has succeeded in the hero’s path. He can also learn from all of the mistakes that led him into problems and challenges along the way. He can use his life as a hero to inspire others rather than alienating them with his own arrogance.

In the story of The Odyssey, Odysseus follows closely to the thread of the hero’s path. This story is a classic example of the archetypical hero story and has some excellent examples of each of the five main steps of the hero’s path. In this essay, I will dive into what ways Odysseus follows these steps.

The first step in the hero’s journey is the mundane world. The mundane world is most basically described as a place where the hero does not feel at home. They long for something more, something greater. They are simply stuck in a repetitive world from which they wish to escape. Odysseus displays a textbook example of this step of the hero’s path through his time spent with the goddess Calypso. Calypso was giving hospitality to Odysseus in her beautiful seaside cave. Any normal man would be out of their mind not to want to stay there forever. Odysseus had maids at his side ready to grant his greatest desires. However, there was still something that Odysseus longed for that could not be given to him through Calypso. Odysseus longs to be back to his home.
However amazing Calypso’s cave may be, Odysseus is not content.

The second step in the hero’s path is the call to adventure. The call to adventure is fairly self explanatory. It is simply the point in a hero’s life where they are called to their grand adventure. Odysseus has many moments where he is called to his journey, though the best example of this step is directly after the mundane world, when Hermes is sent down to command calypso to release Odysseus. Odysseus is then given a choice, whether to accept the journey placed before him, or to stay within the bounds of his stupefying security. Odysseus is an example of a hero in which is given a choice as to accept the call or not, where as some heros have the decision made for them. Despite Calypso’s disapproval, Odysseus decides to answer to the call and depart from the cave.

The third step of the hero’s path is the crossing of the threshold. This step is a vital part of the hero’s journey. It is in this step that the hero truly crosses over into the world of the adventure, leaving their home behind. This is the point of no return. Odysseus has many examples of crossing the threshold, however the most obvious and monumental is when he sets sail from Calypso’s island. It is at this point that Odysseus has accepted that he cannot change his mind. He has passed the point of being able to go back home until he finishes his journey, for better or worse.

The fourth and largest part of the hero’s path is the path of trials. This is the chunk of the journey where the hero is faced with new enemies, new friends, new challenges, new skills, and new mentors. Odysseus is faced with a brutal path of trials throughout his journey. He has numerous times when he is faced with near death experiences. One of Odysseus’ largest and most challenging trials is facing the cyclops. Odysseus and his men are trapped in the cyclops’ cave and many men are graphically murdered by him. This was one of Odysseus’ most terrifying trials in all of his twenty years of his journey. He barely escaped death and lost many men in the process. This trial was an example of a time when Odysseus’ hubris got him into a stick y situation that hurt him and everyone around him. Another example of a trial in the journey of Odysseus is the journey to Circes island in book 10. When Odysseus and his men arrive at the island, Circe, the enchanting witch, puts a spell on his men to make them unable to leave. It is in this situation when Odysseus must overcome his hubris to save his men and get them off of the island.
Odysseus meets many new mentors, numerous new enemies, and learns new skills along his journey. The god Hermes is a very instrumental part in getting Odysseus off of the island of Calypso and a huge mentor to him. Circes also acts somewhat as a mentor to Odysseus by giving him advice as to how to avoid being captured by the enchanting songs of the sirens. Odysseus meets some nasty enemies, such as the cyclops, scylla, and the suitors that he meets back home. These enemies represent some of the things that we have to face today, such as temptation and lust.

The fifth and final step of the hero’s path is the master of two worlds. This is when the hero returns back to their home, but can never be the same. after facing the trials and challenges of their journey, they are a changed person when they return. Odysseus embodies this step when he returns home in the final chapters. He is filled with contempt of what the suitors did while he was gone, and ends up gruesomely slaughtering them all. Though he is reunited with his wife, his father, and his son, Telemachus, he will never be freed of the horrors that he faced while in his journey.

The story of Odysseus teaches us a lot about how we can deal with the troubles in our own lives. Throughout his journey, Odysseus displays textbook Hubris, a pride or ego that gets him into a lot of trouble. We learn that pride will get us absolutely nowhere in dealing with the adversary, and humbling ourselves is the key to success. Once we can accept that truth, we can then truly become a hero.

In book five, Odysseus follows the first step of the hero’s path which is the mundane world. A mundane world is a place that the hero does not want to live in either because they are not in a place where they are happy or they are too bored in their luxuries and comfort. Odysseus has everything that any mortal man would dream of having. He has a gorgeous wife and a beautiful geographical land that his wife created for him. He is too comfortable and he has a deep longing for adventure. People tend to get into a routine of life and they have the same routine every single day. The question is when to get out of that world and start a new world, but the question still standing is: “Is it really worth leaving this life just because of boredom?”
The second step of the hero’s journey is the call to adventure. This is when the hero is called out by some force either mentally or physically that requires the hero to either accept or decline a battle. His call to adventure occurs the moment that he steps land on the Cyclops’s island and see’s the goat and sheep. He instantly has a quick battle in his mind, but soon his pride takes over him as he forces his crew members to wait for the Cyclops to get back so they could talk to him, and have an epic battle.

The third step of the hero’s journey is crossing the threshold. The hero has been changed forever and can never be his old self again. The point where Odysseus crosses the threshold is after they have escaped from the Cyclops and as they are getting onto their boat, something happens to him. His pride turns to something even worse, and he is stuck in the mind that he can do anything and nothing can stop him because he is the all great and powerful. We can avoid this by watching out for our friends to make sure that they don’t get hurt just so that we can get something that we want.


The path of trials is the forth step of the hero’s journey. This is where the hero makes new friends, new enemies, new knowledge and plenty of adventure and trials put before him. There is a trial when he is almost finished with his journey that a new friend has warned him about. Yet, with his pride again he will not turn back. He is told of sirens that will go off that will tell him everything about himself so he tells his men to tie him up, but let him listen to the siren. This is an act of curiosity more than pride because he wants to learn more about himself, yet he could die showing a bad example to his crew. Yet, in the end, whatever choices he made shifted him into the person that he turns into in the end.


The fifth and final step of the hero’s journey is the master of two worlds. This is where the hero is now a hero in both his mundane world and the world that he battled in. When he returns to his real home, not his mundane world with his wife, he is respected and treated a lot better than he did before. Yet there is almost a fear towards him showed by his sons and family because they know he has been through things they could never even imagine. He is asked to fix problems and create solutions which what every hero wants to be asked.

The first step of the hero’s path is the mundane world. The mundane world is when the character feels uncomfortable or unsatisfied in their current environment. A great example of the mundane world is when Odysseus is trapped on Calypso’s island. Odysseus is not satisfied with Calypso and her island even though it is practically paradise. He wants to go home.

The second step of the hero’s path is the call to adventure. The call to adventure happens when the hero is called to action or has to step in and help. While Odysseus is stuck on Calypso’s island Zeus sends Hermes to set Odysseus free. Odysseus is finally able to begin his journey back to his family and home. As a hero Odysseus has to decide whether or not he will stay in the comfort of Calypso’s island or take the call to adventure and return home. Odysseus values his home and his family so he wants to leave Calypso’s island. This shows readers that we can be heroes by acting on our values. In this case Calypso represents comfort. In the real world readers become too comfortable in one state and don’t want to get out of it, but that’s how they will be able to follow the thread of the hero’s path.

The third step of the hero’s path is crossing the threshold. Crossing the threshold is when the character begins a journey as well as physically crossing into a new world. There are many different times in the Odyssey that suggest Odysseus’s crossing the threshold. Odysseus crosses the threshold for the first time when he sails the raft he and Calypso created out to sea. To be a hero we as readers must leave our mundane world behind to begin our journey. We have to venture out or take a chance.

The fourth step of the hero’s path is the path of trials. This step includes new enemies, new knowledge, and new mentors that will either help or destroy the hero. One of the biggest enemies Odysseus make is the Cyclops. Odysseus wants to learn more about the creature so he enters his home which makes the Cyclops mad and immediately creates hatred between the two characters. The adventure with the Cyclops represents trials we think are too big for us to handle, such as addiction. To become a hero you must be able to overcome challenges and avoid things that could jeopardize the purpose of your journey. Odysseus did get caught up in taking advantage of the Cyclops by eating his food but when he was trapped he realized he needed to get out of the situation. The warning in this story is to watch your hubris.

The fifth and final step is the master of two worlds. This step means the hero has completed his journey and moves past heroics and back to reality. Odysseus finally finishes his journey when he is reunited with his wife. He has finally finished his journey and is ready to accept reality once more. This shows us as readers that the completion of our journey will result in the highest reward.

The mundane world is the first step of the hero’s journey. The mundane world is any place where the hero feels bored, like he has out grown the place. There is ease and comfort, no new challenges for the hero. In Homer’s book, “The Odyssey” book 5 displays a mundane world of Odysseus when he is living in the company of the goddess Calypso. Calypso represents ease and comfort when she is offering Odysseus an extravagant island to live on, while offering her love to him. Odysseus is still not pleased by her offerings, he longs for his homeland and the challenges he would face every day. He longs for the chance to be with his mortal wife once again. He wants to have adventure, he must take a risk and leave what he knows and has in front of him. All he needs now is a chance to take this risk, a chance to go out on his own and leave behind the comfort of this island.

The call to adventure is the next step, the call to adventure is anything that helps the hero leave the mundane world behind, whether the hero goes to the call, or the call is brought upon the hero. In book 5, Zeus sends Hermes to order Calypso to set Odysseus free to make his own life decision. The call comes to Odysseus, until the choice is brought up if he wants to stay in the comfort of Calypso. When he decides to leaves he is going to the call, and making the decision to find what else is out there for him.

Crossing the threshold is the third step of the hero’s journey. This is when the hero is going into the new “world” where all the adventures and challenges are. This is where the adventure starts. At the end of book 5 and the beginning of book 9 Calypso despite the fact she doesn’t what Odysseus to leave she help build him a boat and find him some men for his crew. As they finally leaves and set sail they are crossing the threshold, entering the new world of adventures and challenges awaiting them. They are preparing themselves for what is ahead of them, when they discover the island of the Cyclopes. (pg1113)

The path of trials is next, this is where the hero with come across new knowledge and skills, the hero will encounter new challenges that will be tough to overcome, and the hero’s will meet their new friends and their new enemies and new mentors. This is the hero’s adventure he is longing for.

[NEW FRIENDS]- Odysseus doesn’t really make any new real friends, Odysseus thinks that the men of his crew are his somewhat friends, but his pride has controlled his thoughts and put his crew in danger so many times that the men do not feel the same way that Odysseus does.

[NEW ENEMIES]- The main enemy Odysseus has to face in the book is himself. Odysseus has a problem with acting hubris; his actions have put him and his crew into much danger. Odysseus lets his pride get in the way, which ends up really damaging the numbers of his men and his chances of making it to his homeland alive. These actions are also what bring upon Odysseus’ new enemies. The Lotus Eaters put two of his men under the spell and they never return. Odysseus chose to send his men to go see what these Lotus Eaters would do, but he knew what would really happen. Then when they encounter the island of the Cyclopes Odysseus finds a cave that he decides he is going to steal from. Instead of just stealing and leaving it be, Odysseus goes and finds the Cyclops that lives in this cave, practically asking for a fight.(pg1114&1115) Odysseus continues to tease the Cyclops throughout the whole stay in the cave, and when Odysseus and what is left of his crew men escape on a boat, Odysseus continues to torment and tease the Cyclops putting he and his crew into danger. Circe is another one of Odysseus’ enemies she put his men into a trance and turned them into pigs, when Odysseus comes to get them so he can continue to get home Circe holds Odysseus captive for a year and gives him a condition to get to leave. Scylla and Charybdis are some dark figures that Odysseus must also face. Odysseus comes upon the temptation of the Sirens, his pride gets in the way again when he refuses the beeswax in his ears, he thought he could face them; he ended up being wrong and had to have his crew tie him to a tree.

[NEW MENTORS]- Although Odysseus actions are coming from his pride he still takes advice from some mentors. Calypso helped Odysseus throughout his journey even when she was upset to see him go and leave her company. Odysseus also gets advice from Circe from her condition to allow him to leave, she tells him where to go what to do and who to speak to. While Odysseus is down in the underworld he comes upon the shadow of his mother that gives him further advice on how to proceed safely and guarded, although hard to hear he took it.

[NEW KNOWLEDGE]- Odysseus gains the new knowledge form his mentors and their guidance on how to continue on his journey. Odysseus also learns how his enemies are after facing them with great bravery. Even though his pride gets in the way, it challenges him to go to his limits and Odysseus has new knowledge of his strengths and his limits, he has learned more about himself on this journey.

[NEW SKILLS]- Odysseus did not have any new knowledge that provided him with new physical skills; his new skills were all mental. Through his acts of hubris Odysseus got he and his crew into many challenging situations, his new skills were how to be cunning and clever, to outsmart the enemies holding him back from finishing his journey.

[NEW CHALLENGES]- Along with his enemies Odysseus’ challenges were brought upon him because of his excessive pride. Odysseus continually challenged his enemies pushing them to their limits and having to deal with the consequences of losing most if not all the battles. Odysseus had to figure out a way to get out of the Cyclopes cave before the Cyclops ate any more of his crew members. (pg. 1119-1121) Odysseus had to rescue his crew from the island of Circe, without putting himself into danger, and causing even more problems. (pg.1124-1125) Odysseus had to travel to the “Land of the Dead” and talk to a specific ghost and make it out alive. (pg.1128) Odysseus had to face all of these challenges while under the curse the Cyclops had put on Odysseus as they escaped the Cyclopes cave.

The fifth and final step of the hero’s journey is when the hero returns as the master of two worlds and his journey has changed and shaped the hero into a better person that the hero was before leaving the mundane world. Odysseus returns to his homeland of Ithaca disguised as a beggar by Athena. His son, Telemachus, is told of his return and they go to Odysseus’ wife. In the end, Odysseus is reunited with his mortal wife and there is peace throughout Ithaca. Odysseus returns as a changed person because he has he realizes all the challenges his pride has brought upon himself. Odysseus has gained new knowledge of himself and what is possible under his power. Odysseus had learned new mental skills that he can apply to his everyday life, he is finally where he wants to be where his life isn’t predictable any longer and he is the master of two worlds.

What does it take to become a hero? How can one successfully go through the hero’s journey? Well while reading “The Odyssey” it is clear that just one simple act of bravery, one single risk to leave the routine that is usual can begin one on the hero’s path. There are going to be challenges but with the help of friends and mentors to encourage the hero, along with the help of the enemies to push the courage out of the hero. The hero will gain new knowledge and new skills. In the end if it is as simple as moving away for schooling, anyone will go through each step of Joseph Campbell’s a hero’s journey, and with success anyone can return changed and be a hero or a role model and it encourages another person to take the same path. That is what it takes to become a hero.

Odysseus first starts the story in what he considers a mundane world. This is the first step in the thread of the hero’s path in book 5. A mundane world can be very different depending on the person, in Odysseus's case, his world would be considered a very good world. It is a place where an average person would be very pleased with to live in. Even so, Odysseus is not happy and is wanting to get away and to be free. he knew he was capable of doing more than just living on a beautiful island with the beautiful Calypso.

The second step in the journey of the hero is the call to adventure, the hero is told that there is something else out there and they need to do something. The call can come to a hero in many different ways, the call can either come to the hero personally or the hero goes and seeks it. Odysseus's call to adventure is when Hermes comes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus free. Odysseus decides to accepts the challenge to go to this island and leaves. Odysseus's call was brought to him, he was also seeking it at the same time.

The third step in a hero's journey is when the cross the thresh hold. A hero crosses the threshold when they go into adventure without turning back. Odysseus crosses the thresh hold when leaves Calypso's island. Calypso helps Odysseus build a raft and then Odysseus leaves. Odysseus officially crosses the threshold when he starts off on the boat because he can't really get out of the boat once he is in the ocean. Odysseus trades a wonderful would for a would he knows will be full of trials. Odysseus now is officially on this road to becoming a hero there is no turning back after he gets on the boat.

The fourth step is the path of trials, Odysseus goes through so many trials it's hard to list them all, it feels like the whole book stays on this step. The first trial he goes through is when Odysseus is taken captive by the Cyclops. The Cyclops caught Odysseus and his men stealing some food and then killed some of them. Odysseus had to figure out how to escape this trial. He ended up out smarting the Cyclops. Odysseus's excessive hubris caused him to make dumb decisions throughout the story, after they escape the Cyclops he decides he wanted to taunt them.

NEW MENTORS: Hermes was Odysseus's mentor in this story. When Hermes told Calypso that Odysseus needed to leave. It was giving Odysseus the chance to for adventure and to reach the full potential and freedom he had been seeking. Hermes was Odysseus's call to adventure.

NEW ENEMIES: Odysseus makes many new enemies on his adventure, the Cyclops who wouldn't let him go, Circe, Scylla, and the Suitors.

The last and final phase in the hero’s path is when the hero becomes the master of two worlds. The hero becomes the master of two worlds when he has succeeded in the new world and returns back to the old world as a changed person. Odysseus becomes the master of two worlds when he returns home alive even when the gods presented him with many great trials.
The greater message in the story of Odysseus to me is that you should always try to reach your full potential and you should never give up on trying. when you do succeed do not get to prideful and have too much hubris. You will have trials throughout your life but if you keep trying you will be able to overcome them. Like the lotus eaters, there will be temptations and you shouldn't fall for them, like drugs. You should follow the thread of the hero path.

Joseph Campell’s five steps of the hero’s path are extremely relatable to the classic story The Odyssey, by Homer, and mainly to it’s main focus, the character Odysseus. The first step of the hero’s path is the mundane world, which is the hero’s home before his or her journey. The mundane world usually consists of boredom or a place the hero does not fit in or is itching to get out of. Odysseus’s mundane is where he is kept captive by Calpyso, a gorgeous goddess, on her wondrous island. Odysseus has all a mortal man would ever dream of having. Fair maidens do his bidding, while breath taking beauty and the goddess herself surround him. He spends the night with Calypso and the days sulking by the sea. Even Hermes, a god, was stopped in his tracks and taken by the vast beauty of the island. Calypso represents comfort or paradise. Most people get caught up in the paradise and take it for granted. Odysseus, as a hero must, is willing to give up his comfort to over come challenges.

The second step of Campell’s journey is the calling to the adventure. This step is either chosen by the hero or put upon them. Whether they accept this calling is the deciding factor if they will start their hero journey or if they will not venture out of their comfort zone. Odysseus receives his calling to adventure once Hermes delivers news to Calypso from Zeus, king of the gods, that she is ordered to release Odysseus. Calypso tries to persuade Odysseus to stay but he knows he must take this call to adventure and escape his mundane world.

The crossing of the first threshold is the third of the five steps. The crossing of the first threshold is when the hero takes his first couple steps out of his ordinary world. Odysseus ventures out to sea leaving his mundane world behind and creating his crossing of the first threshold. The sea represents fear and anguish in a person. When someone first faces his or her fear, it can look huge and never ending, but if you just kept sailing eventually you will reach land and conquer your fear.

The fourth step is known as the path of trials, which are the challenges, tasks and problems the hero must face, and over come. Odysseus, having the pride and hubris he possesses, faces many trails that require invigorating strength, drive and mental abilities to beat the trials before him. Odysseus, once trapped in a cavern, must out smart or defeat a Cyclops. The Cyclops represents a part of a person that thinks it is bigger or better then everyone or everything else, but you are practically fighting yourself, so in the end you will be hurt. It was never necessary for Odysseus and his men to fight the Cyclops, but Odysseus was swallowed up by his hubris and pride. Since Odysseus brought this situation upon himself when it was not naturally going to happen, he is practically fighting himself and his pride.

The fifth and final step of the hero path is the master of two worlds. Once a hero completes the previous four steps, and he returns home or realizes it has been finished, the hero will never be the same. After witnessing the trials and learning things within themselves, it is impossible to live the same way as they once did before the call was given to them. Odysseus becomes the master of the two worlds once he is retuned home to Ithaca. With all the new knowledge, skills, friends and enemies, his life is now forever changed. However, Odysseus completed the path and will live on as a Hero

“The Odyssey”, an epic tale of Odysseus and his travels, written by Homer. 20 years Odysseus was gone from Ithaca. His wife, father, and son that he never knew all grieved for the death of this kingly man. He returned a master of both the mortal world, and the world of the immortals and adventure.

THE MUNDANE WORLD- Odysseus is trapped upon the island of Calypso for 7 years upon the island of immortal Calypso. She wished to make him her immortal husband that would remain with her forever upon her island paradise. Odysseus lay with Calypso nightly, but every day he sat by the sea with tears in his eyes, wishing to be home (book 5 page 1105). Odysseus had everything that he could have ever wanted living on the paradise that was Calypso’s island. Beautiful women to wait on him, endless amounts of the best food and drink, and the love of an angelic woman. Calypso adored Odysseus and begged him to remain on her island, but he could not. He would never forget his old life and what he had left behind, and was desperate to return to it. He could not remain with Calypso and live happily, so he was sent on his way back to Ithaca by the Zeus by message from Hermes (book 5 page 1106).

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE- Hermes was sent by Zeus to force Calypso to release Odysseus from her island. She surprisingly agreed to release him without a debate. She then told Odysseus of Hermes message and that he may leave and return home to Ithaca. She is told to help him to build a boat but nothing else (book 5 page 1109). She asks that Odysseus remain with her and he considers her offer. She asks him of his wife Penelope and how that they compare as well as why that he would leave when everything he could ever ask for could be provided for him (book 5 page 1109). Odysseus explains that although Penelope cannot compare with Calypso, Odysseus loves her and that he wished to return to her with all of his heart. Odysseus also explained that even though Calypso could provide everything he could ever want, his longing to return home would always remain and that he would never truly be happy unless he returned. After his explanation and confirmation that he has decided his fate, Calypso proceeds to aid Odysseus build a raft that he may return to his beloved Penelope (book 5 page 1110).

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD- Odysseus crosses the threshold as he sails from Calypso’s island home. Odysseus sails home for 20 days, 17 of which were calm and peaceful, but Odysseus fought for his life for the final 3. Poseidon brewed up quite a storm to delay Odysseus but he would be delayed no longer. For 20 years Odysseus was away and nothing would stop him. Before Odysseus left the island of Calypso, she warned him that he would never return if he left (book 5 1110). Odysseus has passed the point of no return. He would never find his way back to her and has begun his adventure. Odysseus has chosen his fate and cannot go back on his decision no matter what, he must return home to Ithaca.

THE PATH OF TRIALS- During his adventures Odysseus embarks on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. He meets many new friends and mentors, gains new skill and knowledge, and many other things, but also makes a host on new enemies, challenges and trials.

NEW MENTORS/NEW KNOWLEDGE- Circe was an enormous help on the quest of Odysseus. She Odysseus all that she knew of the prophecy that surrounded their quest as well as the dangers that they would face along the way (book 10 and book 12). Circe sends Odysseus to the “Underworld” to hear the mysterious prophecy, but not before she captured a dozen of Odysseus’s men changing them to swine. After Circe is forced to return them to their former bodies, she retains them for 1 year before sending them on their way to the underworld (book 10 page 1125/1126). She greatly aids them on their journey by telling Odysseus all that she knows, saving them from not only the sirens, but also the sea monsters Scylla and Cheribis. Circe is an immense contributing factor to the tale that is the Odyssey and the survival of Odysseus.
NEW FRIENDS- although Odysseus is surrounded by his men throughout his quest, he meets many other beings that impact his future greatly. To name a few, the wind king, Circe, and even Calypso (although she held him captive, her intentions were good). The wind king wished to speed their return by giving them a strong west wind and his best wishes after they leave his presence. Although they are returned to his palace by the stupidity of Odysseus’s men, they were not doing so on purpose. The wind king wished to help them, but can do no more so Odysseus and his men set out once again (book 10 page 1124). Odysseus and his men next arrive on the island of the enchantress Circe. She wished to turn the men to swine and keep them, but later is forced to release them and greatly aids Odysseus and his men on their journey with her knowledge as mentioned in the paragraph above. Finally is Calypso who led Odysseus to the true realization of why that he wished to return home, to return to his wife Penelope, his son, and his father. He understood why that he was so desperate to return and was determined to do so no matter the cost. Calypso taught him this unintentionally as he was held captive on her island for 7 years (book 5 all). All of these people greatly impacted the journey of Odysseus and his path home by the simple actions.

NEW CHALLENGES/NEW SKILLS- Odysseus and his men come across many unusual situations and fight many powerful creatures along the way, such as the Minotaur or the sirens. As they came across all of these monsters they, they were forced to adapt and learn how that they might defeat them. With the Cyclops, Odysseus’s pride led him to remain in the Cyclops cave so that they might see it in person. His men wished to leave the cave immediately, taking with them many of the Cyclops belongings such as cheeses and young lambs, but Odysseus forced them to remain behind, which eventually trapped them in the Cyclops cave and caused the death of many of his men which were eaten by the Cyclops (book 11 page 1112). They escaped once they gave the Cyclops wine, telling it that his Odysseus’s name is nohbdy, and stabbing him through his eye (book 11 page 1116 to1119). Odysseus greatly benefited from this, for now he has gained the knowledge to defeat the Cyclops with trickery. The Cyclops represented the deeper darker side of Odysseus as well as his pride that nearly destroyed him along the way. Next Odysseus and his men must pass the isle of the Sirens. If not for Calypso’s warning, all would have been killed by the sirens. Odysseus could not miss the opportunity to hear the call of the sirens, for he had heard tale that the Sirens sang of ones most deep desires and wishes that one may not have the knowledge they posses. The Sirens were the lustful wishes that all men possess and cannot keep hidden, such as the desperate longing form a material object that is completely unnecessary in the scheme of life. Odysseus never tells of what he heard but he appeared to be moved by this experience and has benefited greatly from it by gaining a greater understanding of himself from this.

NEW ENEMIES- Odysseus’s travels lead him far and wide, and into the realm of many fantastic beings, including gods. He may have returned home in the end, but he was nearly killed many a time. The most dangerous of his new enemies were the gods themselves (Helios to be exact). Odysseus was nearly eradicated along with his man after they feasted upon the flesh of the cattle of Helios. Helios threatened to cease shining unless payment was made, so Zeus sent down a lightning bolt to destroy Odysseus and his men (book 10 page 1134). All were killed but Odysseus who drifted away to eventually become trapped on the island of Calypso. The gods were angered because of Odysseus and his action which nearly destroyed him. The suitors were also very dangerous. Athena disguised Odysseus as an old beggar so that they would not kill him on sight once he had returned home. He revealed himself only to his son Telemachus so that he might aid him. Odysseus returns to his home to find it full of wishful suitors that had hopes of marriage with Penelope and to live like kings in Odysseus’s home. The suitors symbolize jealousy and lust for Odysseus as he returns home to find them there. Penelope promises that whoever can string the bow and shoot as selected target, she would marry. Many try, but all fail to do so. Odysseus still disguised as a beggar, comes forward and wishes to try. He had revealed himself to two selected servants who praised him and thanked the gods for his return. Once Odysseus has completed the task, he reveals himself to the suitors and slays them all with the help of the goddess Athena, his 2 servants, and his son Telemachus. The suitors would have killed Odysseus if given the chance which is why that Odysseus was forced to slay them all in a bloody battle. These new enemies were nearly the downfall of Odysseus and without the help from Athena, he would have been killed.

A MASTER OF TWO WORLDS- Odysseus returns from his quest the Ithaca and his wife. He has mastered the world of monsters, gods, and the underworld as he has embraced these challenges along the way. He is also a master of the mortal world as he returns to his loving father, son, and wife who all still mourned for his death 20 years later. Even his servants had not given up home for his return, for all loved Odysseus because he was a powerful but kind man. He was true to his faithful servants and his wife who he wished to return to desperately. Odysseus was a master of two worlds and although he was changed because of it, he is better for it in the end

Odyessus embraces the archetypical hero’s journey. Odyessus starts out in the mundane world with the goddess Calypso. His world is mundane because Odyessus is unsatisfied although he is staying in a beautiful world, a place fit for a goddess. Even Hermes notices this beauty when he is sent to deliver a message to Calypso from the gods. Odyessus wishes to return to his family and home land. All day Odyessus longs for his mortal wife. In reality this can teach the lesson those moments in one’s life where that individual will be unsatisfied and one must leave to find what fulfills one’s life. This suggests that in order for one to be a hero an adventure must be calling for an individual, that a hero must espier and want more.
Odyessus is both called to adventure and leaves for the adventure. When Hermes is sent by the gods to deliver a message to Calypso that she needs to let Odyessus go that is when Odyessus is called to the adventure. This is because after Hermes delivers the message, Calypso obeys and helps Odyessus build a boat that ha can sale on to get home. Odysseus leaves for the adventure because although Calypso is told by the gods to let Odyessus free Calypso asks Odyessus if he would like to leave or stay and he leaves. In reality this can teach that at times one must leave in order to find what makes that individual happy. But this does not caution one in anyway.
Odyessus crosses the threshold when he wants to go home to his family. This is crossing the threshold because when one crosses the threshold into man hood it is as if there is no going back. Odyessus does not want to be in war anymore or voyage the sea, but be home with his family. In reality the message that can be taken from this is that ounce an individual leaves something behind it may be difficult to return to it. This also shows that in order to be a hero one must grow and mature from the time and lessons that individual faces. The warnings that come from this is that before you except the call to adventure one must consider what is to be left behind and what is to lay ahead and make the best choice because there one may not be able to return.
During the path of trials Odyessus comes upon the Cyclopes a brute violent beast. While facing this trail Odyessus obtains no new friends, this is because Odyessus only obtained a new enemy, the Cyclopes. In a sense Odyessus does have new mentors because Odysseus’s men give him the advice to just take the sheep and leave, but Odyessus ignores his men. The challenge that Odyessus must face is escaping from the Cyclopes before himself and the rest of his men are brained and eaten by the Cyclopes. Odyessus handles this challenge by stabbing the Cyclopes in the eye and blinding him. Then in the morning when the Cyclopes lets the sheep out Odyessus and his men hide under the sheep in order to escape the cave. Odyessus and his men only ended up in the cave and several of Odysseus men eaten because of Odysseus being hubris. Odyessus felt the need to prove to himself and his men that he was the best. The Cyclopes represents that thing in reality that is bigger than one’s self, that thing that every individual must overcome. This is because the Cyclopes is bigger than Odyessus and Odyessus feels he must overcome the Cyclopes, to humiliate the Cyclopes. This teaches that when facing a challenge one must go into the challenge with humility, because hubris puts not only themselves but others in danger. This cautions one not to be hubris but to have confidence and humility. Odyessus gains no new skills from overcoming the Cyclops, Odyessus uses the skills he had gained over the other challenges Odyessus has overcome. Odyessus does obtain new knowledge; Odyessus learns that hubris gets his men killed. Also that the Cyclopes are bigger than him and Odyessus cannot always use strength to fight his enemies but knowledge as well.
Odyessus is the master of two worlds because ounce he returns home Odyessus is reunited with his son and wife. This is only after being disguised as a beggar and seeing all of the damage the men have done to Odysseus’s wife and servants. Odyessus kills all of the men that have defiled his house. Odyessus does this by asking for his bow when all of the men are going to attempt to string Odysseus’s bow in exchange for Odysseus’s wife. After Odyessus returns to Penelope in Odysseus’s young form he makes Penelope believe that he is Odyessus. Odyessus does this by observing the missing piece to the bed Odyessus made for him and Penelope. Penelope had removed this piece to know when Odyessus returned only Odyessus would notice the missing piece. Odyessus and Penelope live happily ever after. The lesson one can learn from this is that if an individual has enough passion for something one must fight for it and never stray or allow anything to come into the way of obtaining what drives that individual forward. To never give up because persistency and resilience is what will get one what that individual wants.

The book "The Odyssey" is an epic tale written by Homer. In book 5 Odysseus is living in the mundane world and is being held captive by the goddess Calypso for 7 years. He is being held captive in this beautiful luxurios place that would be fit for a goddess. She wished to make him his immortal husband, and he would sleep with her but throughout the day he would sit by the sea with tears in his eyes. He has everything a man could ever want yet he longs to go home to his mortal wife and his family.