Hero's Journey Deconstructed and Explained

 

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Braveheart (Academy Award Winner Best Film, 1995) [Joseph Campbell Hero's Journey, basic]

FADE IN: Scottish highlands; bagpipes.

Backstory: narration.

Meeting the Hero [boy]: Wallace wants to know where they're going.

Interdiction: go home.

Antagonism: the hanged.

Breaking the Interdiction: Wallace doesn't go home.

Developing the Hero: I can fight.

Guided by the Mentor: but it's our wits that make us men.

Meeting Allies: it's up to us Hamish.

Hero's Ordinary World: the farm.

Inciting Incident / Antagonism: William's Father dead; the burial.

Romantic Challenge: Murron gives William the flower.

Meeting the Mentor: Argyle.

Call to Adventure: tomorrow you'll come with me.

Refusal: I don't want to leave.

Overcoming Refusal / Guided by the Mentor: your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.

Foreshadow of the Transformation: first use this [the mind] then I'll teach you to use this [the sword].

Leaving the Ordinary World and the Old Self: looking back at the farm.

Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Isabelle.

Meeting the Antagonist: Longshanks enacts Prima Nocte.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Bruce.

First Threshold: William returns home as a man.

Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Murron and William catch each other's eye.

Meeting Allies: the rock fight with Hamish.

Developing the Antagonism: A Knight claims his right of Prima Nocte.

Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: the English soldier looks at Murron: her time will come.

Developing the Romantic Challenge: Murron rides with Wallace.

Resisting the Physical Separation: William won't go to the meeting.

Interdiction: the answer is no.

Pushing to the Physical Separation: will you marry me.

Breaking the Interdiction: William and Murron get married.

Unbearable Antagonism: the English kill Murron.

Physical Separation: William et al take revenge; William becomes leader.

Trial 1: William et al take over the town; the husband takes revenge.

Developing the Antagonism: Lonshanks asks his son to deal with Wallace while he's in France.

Trial 2: William et al defeat the English forces sent after them.

Developing the Shape Shifter: Bruce's father advises.

Developing the Romantic Challenge: Isabelle learns about Wallace.

Foreshadow of Trial 3: we'll make spears, twice as long as a man.

Developing Characters and Relationships: volunteers arrive.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the Irishman saves William.

Trial 3: William persuades the men to fight; the English army is defeated.

Reward and Celebration for passing the Trials: William is knighted.

Entering the World of the Sword: William will invade England.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Bruce speaks to William.

Developing the Hero: William sacks York.

Developing the Antagonist: the King returns.

Meeting the Oracle: William meets Isabelle.

Developing the Anatgonist: Isabelle returns to discover that Longshanks set a trap.

Isabelle's assistant tells William of the King's plan.

Developing Characters and Relationships: William and Bruce talk.

Shape Shifter Revealed: the Bruce talks to his father.

Developing the Antagonist: send in the Irish; dead men cost nothing.

Seizing the Sword: William battles the King's armies.

Rebirth through Death: William is hit with an arrow.

Shape Shifter revealed: some Scottish tribes do not attack; Bruce fights for the King.

Rebirth through Death: Hamish's father dies.

Reward: Bruce will not be on the wrong side again.

Reward: Mornay et al are murdered.

Reward: William's legend grows.

Developing the Antagonist: Longshanks sends Isabelle and the assassins.

Reward: William et al burn the assassins.

Reward: William beds Isabelle.

Rescue from Without:: Bruce sends for William and is caught.

Refusal: Hamish et al think it is a trap.

Shape Shifter Developed: Bruce confronts his father.

Atonement with the Father: William faces charges of treason.

Romantic Challenge: Isabelle visits William.

Sacrifice: William refuses the poison form Isabelle.

Final Conflict: Isabelle is pregnant; the King's line is dead.

Develop the Hero: William prays.

Sacrifice: William refuses to pledge allegiance to the king for a quick death.

Master of the Two Worlds: William being tortured; "...mercy…"

Freedom to Live: "…freedom…"

FADE OUT: Bruce leads the Scots.

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