12 Stages Of The Hero's Journey - Christopher Vogler

Summary

El guion describe el viaje del héroe, un patrón narrativo de 12 etapas, según Christopher Vogler. Comienza con el mundo ordinario, avanza a la llamada a la aventura, el rechazo, el mentor y las pruebas iniciales. Luego, el protagonista enfrenta el desafío final, la muerte y renacimiento, y obtiene una recompensa. El viaje culmina con el retorno del héroe, transformado, compartiendo lo aprendido, como una elixir que beneficia a todos.

Takeaways

• 🌐 La 'Hero's Journey' se divide en 12 etapas que pueden variar en número según la interpretación.
• 🎭 La primera etapa es 'El Mundo Ordinario', donde se presenta al personaje principal y su entorno.
• 📞 'La Llamada a la Aventura' es la segunda etapa, donde se anuncia un problema o deseo que impulsa la historia.
• 🙅 'La Negativa de la Llamada' es el tercer paso, donde el héroe muestra miedo o rechaza la aventura.
• 👨‍🏫 En la 'Introducción del Mentor', el cuarto paso, se presenta un personaje sabio que ayuda al héroe.
• 🚀 'El Umbral', la quinta etapa, es el punto de inflexión donde el héroe entra en un mundo especial.
• 🔍 'Pruebas, Aliados y Enemigos' es la sexta etapa, donde el héroe se enfrenta a desafíos menores para entender las reglas del nuevo mundo.
• 🛤️ 'El Enfoque', la séptima etapa, es un periodo de viaje y profundización en las relaciones entre los personajes.
• 💀 'La Ordalía', la octava etapa, es un momento crítico de enfrentamiento con la muerte o una experiencia cercana a la muerte.
• 🏆 'La Recompensa', la novena etapa, es cuando el héroe reflexiona sobre su transformación y recibe un reconocimiento.
• 🏁 'La Ascensión' es el decimo paso, donde el héroe se enfoca en completar su misión y a menudo se presenta como una carrera contra el tiempo.
• 🛡️ 'La Resurrección', la undécima etapa, es el clímax de la historia donde el héroe enfrenta sus mayores desafíos.
• 🎁 'El Regreso con el Elixir', la duodécima etapa, es donde el héroe comparte lo aprendido para beneficio de la comunidad.

Q & A

¿Qué es el 'Viaje del Héroe' según Christopher Vogler?

El 'Viaje del Héroe' es una estructura narrativa que consta de 12 etapas, diseñada para analizar y estructurar historias, y que fue popularizada por Joseph Campbell.

¿Cuál es la primera etapa del 'Viaje del Héroe' según Vogler?

La primera etapa es 'El Mundo Ordinario', donde se introduce al personaje principal y su entorno, estableciendo el tono y la situación inicial de la historia.

¿Qué se busca establecer en la etapa 'Llamada a la Aventura'?

En la 'Llamada a la Aventura', se anuncia un problema que necesita ser resuelto o un deseo del protagonista, generando energía y atractivo en la historia.

¿Por qué es importante la 'Negación de la Llamada' en la etapa tres?

La 'Negación de la Llamada' es importante porque muestra el miedo natural del héroe ante lo desconocido y permite a la audiencia identificarse y sentir empatía por el personaje.

¿Qué papel desempeña el 'Mentor' en la etapa cuatro del viaje?

El 'Mentor' es un personaje sabio que a menudo proporciona al héroe información, herramientas o reassurance para enfrentar el mundo desconocido y superar sus miedos.

¿Qué se entiende por 'Puertas de Salida' en la etapa cinco?

Las 'Puertas de Salida' marcan el punto de no retorno en el que el héroe se lanza al mundo especial o la aventura, dejando atrás su vida ordinaria.

¿Cuál es la función de 'Pruebas, Aliados y Enemigos' en la etapa seis?

En la etapa de 'Pruebas, Aliados y Enemigos', el héroe se enfrenta a desafíos menores para aprender las reglas del nuevo mundo y descubrir quién puede ayudarle o obstaculizarlo.

¿Qué ocurre durante la etapa 'Enfoque' en el viaje del héroe?

Durante la 'Enfoque', el héroe se acerca al centro de la aventura, y es un momento para que el equipo se conozca mejor y desarrolle relaciones más profundas.

¿Cómo se describe la etapa 'Ordeal' en el viaje del héroe?

La 'Ordeal' es una etapa crítica donde el héroe enfrenta su mayor temor o una experiencia cercana a la muerte, seguido de un renacimiento o transformación personal.

¿Qué se entiende por 'Recompensa' en la etapa nueve del viaje del héroe?

La 'Recompensa' es la etapa en la que el héroe recibe el resultado de su transformación y se permite reflexionar sobre sus nuevas habilidades y la identidad que ha adquirido.

¿Qué representa la etapa 'Resurrección' en el viaje del héroe?

La 'Resurrección' es el clímax de la historia donde el héroe enfrenta su último desafío, utiliza todo lo que ha aprendido y se transforma completamente.

¿Qué es el 'Elixir' que el héroe debe compartir en la etapa final del viaje?

El 'Elixir' es la sabiduría, conocimiento o poder transformador que el héroe adquiere y debe compartir con el mundo, simbolizando la curación y el renacimiento para la comunidad.

¿Cómo se relaciona el 'Viaje del Héroe' con la experiencia de un artista?

Según Vogler, el 'Viaje del Héroe' es paralelo a la experiencia de un artista que se sumerge en su trabajo, experimenta una transformación y luego debe presentar su creación al mundo.

¿Por qué es la estructura del 'Viaje del Héroe' tan efectiva para las historias?

La estructura del 'Viaje del Héroe' es efectiva porque sigue un patrón universal que resuena con la audiencia, prometiendo un cambio en su vida o en su visión del mundo.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introducción a la Jornada del Héroe

Christopher Vogler, un ejecutivo de desarrollo de Hollywood, guionista, autor y educador, explica el concepto de la 'Jornada del Héroe', una estructura narrativa en 12 etapas que él simplificó para su utilidad en el análisis de guiones. Describe la primera etapa, 'El Mundo Ordinario', donde se presenta al personaje principal y su entorno, estableciendo un indicio de un problema o deseo que se resolverá o cumplirá en la historia. Esta etapa es crucial para atraer al público y hacerles preguntarse sobre el destino del héroe.

05:04

📯 Llamada a la Aventura y Rechazo

Vogler detalla la segunda etapa, 'Llamada a la Aventura', donde se anuncia un problema o deseo que impulsará la trama y atraerá al público. La llamada a la aventura es seguida por la 'Negativa a la Llamada', donde el héroe muestra resistencia a enfrentar el desafío. Esto refleja la naturaleza aterrada del héroe y la del público ante lo desconocido, creando una conexión emocional y una sensación de peligro que involucra al espectador en la historia.

10:08

🧙 Entrada de un Mentor y Preparación para la Aventura

El guionista describe la etapa del 'Mentor', un personaje sabio que ayuda al héroe a superar el miedo y a prepararse para la aventura, a menudo proporcionando conocimientos o herramientas valiosas. También menciona la posibilidad de historias sin mentores, lo que añade un elemento de horror y misterio. La preparación del héroe es esencial antes de 'despegar' hacia el 'Mundo Especial', un cambio de escenario que marca el inicio de la aventura y genera expectación en el público.

15:12

🤝 Pruebas, Aliados y Enemigos

En la 'Zona de Pruebas', el héroe se enfrenta a desafíos menores que revelan las reglas del nuevo mundo y ayudan a construir relaciones con aliados y enemigos. Esta etapa es crucial para desarrollar el equipo y profundizar en las dinámicas de poder y lealtad, como se ejemplifica en la secuencia de la cantina de 'Star Wars'. El proceso de pruebas y errores es fundamental para que el héroe aprenda a navegar en su nuevo entorno.

20:16

🌄 El Acercamiento y el Oráculo

El acercamiento es un período de viaje y descubrimiento donde el héroe y su equipo se conocen mejor y se desarrollan relaciones más profundas. Este tiempo de 'Conocerse' permite la evolución de la narrativa y el desarrollo de subtramas como la comedia, el romance e intrigas. El proceso lleva al clímax de la historia, el 'Oráculo', donde se enfrentan las grandes preguntas y se experimenta una transformación personal del héroe.

💥 La Prueba Final y la Resurrección

El héroe se enfrenta a su mayor desafío en la 'Prueba Final', un enfrentamiento dramático que pone a prueba su crecimiento y aprendizaje. La 'Resurrección' es el clímax de la historia donde el héroe, a través de su transformación y elecciones, logra derrotar las fuerzas antagonistas y demostrar su realización personal. Este momento es crucial para que el público experimente la culminación de la trama y la victoria del héroe.

🏵 Regreso con el Elixir

El último etapa es el 'Regreso con el Elixir', donde el héroe, tras su experiencia transformadora, tiene la obligación y el deseo de compartir sus conocimientos y experiencias con el mundo. El elixir simboliza la solución a los problemas y la capacidad de sanar y mejorar la vida de los demás, cumpliendo con la definición de un verdadero héroe según Campbell: alguien que protege, sirve y comparte sin pensar en sí mismo.

Keywords

💡El viaje del héroe

Es un patrón narrativo descrito por Joseph Campbell que consta de 12 etapas que siguen el desarrollo de un personaje principal desde su vida normal hasta su transformación. En el video, Christopher Vogler explica este concepto, destacando su relevancia en la creación de guiones de cine.

💡Mundo Ordinario

La primera etapa del viaje del héroe donde se presenta al personaje principal y su vida diaria antes de la aventura. Es importante para establecer la conexión con el público y para plantear la premisa de la historia, como se menciona en la introducción del guion.

💡Llamada a la Aventura

La segunda etapa donde se presenta un desafío o un problema que el personaje principal debe enfrentar. Es crucial para generar interés y compromiso en la audiencia, como se describe en la sección sobre la música de fondo y la energía que genera esta etapa.

💡Rechazo de la Llamada

La tercera etapa en la que el personaje inicialmente se resiste a aceptar la aventura. Sirve para demostrar la naturaleza humana de temer lo desconocido y es un reflejo de la lucha interna que experimentan los personajes, tal como se ilustra con las razones de rechazo mencionadas por Vogler.

💡Mentor

Un personaje que guía y ayuda al protagonista, a menudo proporcionando conocimientos o herramientas valiosas. El mentor es esencial para fortalecer al héroe y prepararlo para los desafíos, como se destaca en la sección donde se discute el rol del mentor en la historia.

💡Prueba, Aliados y Enemigos

La sexta etapa donde el personaje se enfrenta a desafíos menores que le permiten aprender las reglas del nuevo entorno y descubrir quiénes lo apoyarán y quiénes son sus enemigos, como se describe en la parte del guion sobre la adaptación al mundo especial.

💡Enfoque

La séptima etapa en la que el protagonista se acerca al centro de la aventura, a menudo viajando y desarrollando relaciones más profundas con otros personajes, lo que se menciona como un período de 'conociéndose' y desarrollo de la trama.

💡Ordeal

La etapa ochava, donde el personaje enfrenta su mayor desafío, a menudo una experiencia cercana a la muerte y una rebirth, que es un punto de inflexión en la historia y un momento de transformación personal, tal como se describe en la sección sobre la confrontación con la muerte y el renacimiento.

💡Recompensa

La novena etapa, donde el protagonista recibe el fruto de su esfuerzo y se permite reflexionar sobre sus logros y su transformación, lo que a menudo se ilustra con escenas de introspección y reconocimiento de su crecimiento personal.

💡Resurrección

La undécima etapa, que es el clímax de la historia donde el personaje enfrenta su último desafío y se prueba a sí mismo al máximo, lo que se describe en la sección sobre la confrontación final y la decisión que define al personaje.

💡Regreso con el Elixir

La duodécima y última etapa del viaje del héroe, donde el protagonista regresa a su mundo original transformado y con la intención de compartir lo que ha aprendido, que es un reflejo de la responsabilidad y el servicio al grupo, como se menciona en la conclusión del guion.

Highlights

The Hero's Journey is broken down into 12 stages for script analysis.

Introduction of the main character and their 'Ordinary World' is the first stage.

The 'Call to Adventure' stage announces a problem or desire that propels the story.

Heroes often initially 'Refuse the Call', expressing fear of the unknown.

The 'Mentor' stage provides reassurance and guidance to the hero.

The 'Special World' is entered, marking a significant story turning point.

In 'Tests, Allies, and Enemies', the hero learns the rules of the new world.

The 'Approach' stage deepens relationships and reveals character dynamics.

The 'Ordeal' involves a near-death experience and rebirth of the hero.

The 'Reward' stage reflects on the hero's transformation post-ordeal.

The hero's new identity and abilities are tested in the 'Resurrection'.

The 'Return with the Elixir' is the final stage where the hero shares their transformative experience.

The Hero's Journey is adaptable, allowing for variations in the number of stages.

The absence of a mentor can create tension and intrigue in a story.

The 'Call to Adventure' often uses brass music to signal the start of the journey.

The ordeal is a transformative scene that changes the hero's perspective.

The 'Return with the Elixir' emphasizes the hero's role as a protector and server.

The Hero's Journey pattern promises a meaningful impact on the audience.

Transcripts

Film Courage: Chris, can you please give us a  10 minute version of what The Hero's Journey is?

Christopher Vogler, Hollywood development  executive, screenwriter, author and educator: Yes,  

The Hero's Journey, I'm going to give you the  quick down a dirty version there are in the  

way I look at it. I broke it into 12 stages  and it doesn't necessarily have to be chopped  

up that way you can describe it in 10 stages or  as Campbell did sometimes he would take 16 or 32  

because he was interested in telling you every  possible thing that could happen but I cooked  

it down into this rough outline of 12 stages  because I was trying to get something that could  

be useful in many many many cases for analyzing  scripts basically so I came up with this 12 point  

proposal of of what the story really  is down deep so the first stage is  

The Ordinary World you need to introduce the  character the main character the story is about  

you have to introduce the world they live in and  let us know what's been going on there up to this  

point so this is like a stage that you create  on the screen and you bring your characters out  

and introduce them to the audience and show the  character doing something characteristic their  

characteristic Behavior a way of getting on in the  world but in that opening section there should be  

some kind of clue we're going someplace else or  there's a problem here that needs to be solved or  

there's a question will the hero escape from  this world will the hero get what he or she  

wants will they learn what they need so this is an  opportunity to set those things in motion and kind  

of set the table for the audience of what they  need to know to get involved and drawn into the  

store story the second bit is the stage of Call  to Adventure because you really need to announce  

to the audience that there's a problem that needs  to be solved or there's a desire somebody has and  

that generates a lot of energy in the story and  draws us in because we are just programmed to  

observe anybody even stick figure drawings and  plug ourselves in to the desires of that stick  

figure if if it's reaching its little stick hands  out to pick up a baby or something or to get food  

we automatically plug into that so the call  to adventure is announcing to us hey here's  

somebody who's kind of like me and they want  something or they're in trouble or they need  

something or their world is in trouble so it's a  way of announcing that and I've noticed there is  

a strong tendency to play certain kind of music at  this point they go to the brass section and they  

play horns you'll hear a lot of horn calls like  bugle calls on the soundtrack at this point so  

the composers are instinctively going for that  kind of sound so the next thing that typically  

happens in stories is there's a reaction so the  call comes how does the hero react and that's  

the third stage which is usually refusal of the  call most of the time they put up a fight about  

it of saying I don't want to go or I can't go or  I already went once and I didn't like it there'll  

be some kind of statement like this or turning  away from the adventure that's being offered  

and I think this is there for a very important  reason it's to tell the audience this is scary  

and your hero is naturally afraid because he  or she is being asked to go into the unknown  

they don't know what's ahead and we're all afraid  of that we might want to get out of our situation  

in our ordinary world if we're uncomfortable as  most heroes are but what's next is unknown and  

so it's natural to express fear and there are  some variations on this some heroes are really  

into it and they want what they want and they are  just ready to go and nothing's going to stop them  

but somebody else in the design will often jump  up and say you can't do that don't you know this  

is terribly dangerous everybody who tried this  was killed and there are a lot of things in fairy  

tales and myths that suggest this the hero will be  walking along the path trying to get what he wants  

to get into a castle or to rescue a princess  or something like that and notices that the  

ground underneath is very crunchy and making all  this noise under his boots and he looks down and  

realizes he's walking on the bones and skulls of  all the heroes who went before and didn't make it  

so it is signaling to the audience this is serious  this is dangerous and we really need that to get  

involved in the story or else we just go oh  well it's you know some cartoon or you know uh  

string of images that I'm observing that aren't  really meaningful to me it when we get scared  

for the hero then we're involved so now we have  to overcome this fear and a typical way is stage  

four introducing a mentor and the mentor is a  character often who is wiser and more involved  

than the hero has been around the block once or  more times has been through the whole hero cycle  

of 12 stages more than once and they're there with  really one job which is to reassure the hero and  

give the hero something you could equally call  this type of character a donor character because  

often they give something to the herald might be  knowledge might be a map might be a magic sword  

might be a weapon or a vehicle of some kind or  just reassurance that no I've I could I'm here  

to tell you it's scary of over there in this  other world but it can be survived and I went  

there and I know because you look I'm here so  you know that someone can survive this so that  

often is used to give the heroes some reassurance  and there can be stories that don't have this uh  

where there's no mentor and that's kind of a scary  story when there's nobody to look up to nobody to  

ask about what are the rules in this other world  what can eat me what should I eat and you know  

who's a friend and who's an enemy when there's  nobody to ask that's kind of a horror story and  

that makes an interesting variation and I think  that's a good point for all of these stages that  

this is a very flexible system and if you take  out or leave out certain parts it creates a very  

interesting tension where the audience kind of  expects it and they want to know why isn't that  

there usually that's there and that I see there  isn't any helper or mentor so this is maybe a  

different story that I should pay more attention  to so it's good to be flexible about these things  

so next thing up stage five is now that you  have sort of loaded up your with equipment and  

reassurance and you know where you're going you  know what you want you face your fear you've been  

reassured now it's time to get up and go and when  I was working for the movie studios especially for  

Disney they talked about this like an airplane  taking off and they said you've spent all this  

time in what they call the first act the first  three or four or five movements those first steps  

you've loaded the plane up and you've fueled the  plane and you've told everybody to belt their seat  

belts and you know all the safety things now get  the wheels up and get the plane in the air so this  

is the feeling of lifting up that you get when  all the preparation is ready and now we're going  

into that new world or special world as Joseph  Campbell calls it he says every story he ever  

looked at seems to take place in Two Worlds either  environments or states of being two different  

states of conditions so now we're going to really  launch into that special world and this is a big  

turning point in a story that signals the audience  all the prep is done now we're really going for  

it and the audience likes that and they feel  a nice lift there and sometimes it's backed  

up by changing the music or the change in the  energy of the scene to say we're leaving Kansas  

we're leaving the ordinary world and now we're  going someplace very very different and exotic  

so now you're in this special world and you have  to figure out what is special about it so there's  

a stage number six that's called tests allies and  enemies and the idea is that it's like you've been  

thrown into a college class and you don't know  much about the subject but they've given you a few  

chapters to read and some problems to work out and  now you're tested but it's a small test it's like  

a pop quiz that just focuses on certain skills and  abilities and so the hero will be put through some  

kind of challenges that aren't fatal necessarily  but they're a little scary and a little dangerous  

and they bring attention to the fact I don't know  the rules here and I've got to figure it out fast  

so I got to figure out who can help me with this  and and who will be in my way and that's where the  

allies and enemies come and often you will find  teams are built at this stage you think about  

in Star Wars the Cantina sequence where you're on  the threshold of this world of space and the hero  

Luke Skywalker finds you know the rules are very  different here there's weird creatures and quick  

moments of violence so the hero is alerted that  he's going to someplace quite exotic and different  

so having been through some of those tests there's  a stage now because number seven which I call the  

approach and this is a period of time in movies  and in a lot of stories where the hero is not  

quite to the center of the whole thing yet but  there's a period of traveling there and on that  

travel the hero and the rest of the team get to  know each other better and the first impressions  

that you made of people and the impression you  have of yourself may start to change because  

you're getting to know them better so it's  a period I would call another name for it is  

getting to know you where people develop deeper  relationships the friendships get deeper or they  

get tested and you become suspicious you might  be paranoid about the other person or you know  

somebody sabotaging us and you know who is it and  you start looking around for suspects so this is  

a place where comedy can develop and where  romance and Intrigue can develop it's a Time  

in stories where you sort of let your belt out as  a Storyteller and take some time to go deeper with  

the characters so this all is by way of leading  up to sort of the heart of the whole thing the  

mainspring is stage eight which is the ordeal and  this is composed really of two beats one is death  

or a near-death experience or a confrontation  with death and then a rebirth that comes out of  

that and it may be stretched out over two scenes  one for the death and one for the rebirth or it  

can all happen in one scene but this could be  a very drastic very dramatic scene often you  

will have physical combat at this stage or legal  dispute or a big argument in the family something  

like that and it there's blood on the floor and  it looks like somebody's gonna die or sometimes  

somebody does die and in a lot of the myths  that's exactly what happens the hero actually  

dies and goes into an underworld or is swallowed  by a creature and you know to our eyes to ordinary  

humanize is dead and over with but they're living  in this other world and in the underworld or they  

get a second shot at life and are brought back  transformed because the ordeal they went through  

was so intense that it shatters the old self and  now they get to be something different and this  

will sometimes come as a surprise to the heroes  and to the audience that oh I I didn't know I had  

that in me I didn't know I could survive and  face something like that I thought that would  

wipe me out and it did but I still have something  left and and I feel differently about myself now  

so those are are huge transformative scenes and  sometimes very violent and sometimes very dramatic  

the simple way to say it is that the hero faces  his or her greatest fear whatever it is they're  

afraid of should be established earlier in the  picture earlier in the show but at this point  

they they face that fear and keep going so the  next stage number nine is reaping the benefits  

of that it's called the reward Stage Nine and  here is where sometimes you have the rebirth or  

this is the aftermath of that death and rebirth  where you take some time and reflect on what  

just happened and sort of recompose yourself and  begin to experiment with this new identity that's  

come because you went through a crucible you went  through something transformative and scary and now  

you're not quite the same person anymore and you  need to reflect on that and often it's literally  

reflecting by looking in a mirror there are a  lot of scenes in movies where people at this  

stage take a good look at themselves and begin  to realize you know I thought I couldn't do the  

X Y or Z and you know what I can and maybe that  means I could do something else too so they'd be  

begin to dream bigger or have a better idea of  themselves and it will often be expressed in a  

long speech and thoughtful speech where they're  going over what just happened and and reflecting  

on you know when I was in the jaws of the monster  or when the bad guys were about to beat me up  

I I had a thought and that thought comes out  and sometimes it's a profound thing that the  

hero realizes about himself or herself so having  done all this sort of operation there is a kind  

of a party atmosphere almost at this stage you  might celebrate on this moment of rebirth but  

this reward phase but at some point you kind  of have to collect yourself and the energy of  

the story to focus now on finishing and this is  something that mirrors or or corresponds really  

well to what goes on the life of the artist the  artist dives into something not knowing what it's  

going to be they pull something out of themselves  that's very intense they almost die doing it I  

think almost every artist has that feeling that it  wasn't easy to get it out of me but now it's out  

there it's wonderful but now I have to publish it  now I have to bring it home now I have to polish  

it and finish it so that it can be presented and  the same is true for the heroes and the stories  

they sometimes have to rededicate themselves to  finishing and there's a increase in energy here  

and often in movies you find Chase scenes at this  point where the urgency becomes apparent that we  

better hurry up because the bad guys are almost  home and they're going to claim the victory before  

us so we have have to race them to get home or the  bad guys stole the treasure that we came to get  

and you know we had it in our hands but now it's  gone and we have to go chase after it or somebody  

we love has been kidnapped by the villains and we  have to pursue them so the the energy of the chase  

often comes up if you looked at 100 Hollywood  movies you would find at least 80 of them have  

a very exciting chasing at this point so this is a  a place where you can almost see home but there's  

a lot of trips and possible flaws and outcomes  that can yet trip you up so with that increase in  

energy now we come skidding into the next to last  phase number 11 which is the resurrection which  

is an umbrella kind of phrase that covers a lot of  possible operations but basically it's the climax  

of the movie where all the questions are brought  to the fore and are answered in one particular  

choice that the hero makes or one action that  the hero takes to stand up to the villains or  

to seize their Birthright and there might be a big  Showdown or a conflict physical fight sword fight  

gun fight or courtroom battle or big argument  between the generations but it serves to focus  

the heroes energy on how have I changed them what  have I learned and I'm going to be tested here to  

the Max this is the final exam stage eight was  kind of the midterm exam this is the final and  

if I flunked this final I'm doomed I'll have to  either repeat it or I'm going to end up killed  

so it's as drastic as it can be but it has this  wonderful effect if the hero faces it faces Their  

Fear and calls on all the things they've learned  in the story then they end up transformed and  

can express all these things they've learned in a  single action and bring out a wonderful feeling in  

the audience that the hero is now fully realized  and has learned the lessons and has defeated the  

the bad forces although it should look like  the bad guys are going to win and we should be  

tricked almost into thinking that they have the  upper hand and then the hero pulls out one last  

burst of energy or gets help from somebody and is  able to overcome and then the final step stage 12  

is what Campbell called return with the Elixir  and the idea here is once you've been through  

such a transformative experience that's churned  you up you have an obligation and sometimes a  

desire to share it with everybody else and that's  what really makes a hero according to Campbell's  

idea of the word hero is that it's someone who  protects and serves and doesn't do it selfishly  

that they do it with a sharing kind of attitude  and that that's what really distinguishes a good  

hero is that they take responsibility for a group  that they step up or that they sacrifice something  

at the last movement that was very dear to  them but which is good for the community so  

there's often a sense of expansion here that the  hero's little world and their little desires and  

needs have a bigger Dimension and because I went  through something dangerous and faced my fears  

I have something to share I have something to  give and it might be a good story or it might  

be love or it might be a new way of doing  things new idea of yourself but it must be  

shared and transmitted and that's the idea of the  elixir which is elixir is a word from Arabic that  

means a magic potion or magic dust that has  this quality like the Holy Grail of healing  

all wounds or solving all problems and it's a  a universal antivirus that that is everything  

so that's the 12 stages as I see it and it's a  beautiful pattern that kind of promises you if you  

observe these things and celebrate them in your  story that they'll be a payoff in the audience  

that they will feel something and that their life  will be shifted or their view of the world will  

be shifted just a little bit and maybe they'll  have a bigger idea of what's possible for them.