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Monomyth

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There are many places within Homer's Odyssey that demonstrate various stages of the Joseph Campbell's ideas of the Monomyth. Campbell lists 17 stages in myth or a journey of the story's hero. We will examine the three sections in accordance with our main reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth. The three sections are the separation, the initiation, and the return. The Odyssey contains almost every stage within each section and supports Joseph Campbell's theory of the monomyth. The first section we will examine is "departure" also know as "separation". Five of our stages take place within the departure section. The first stage is known as "The Call to adventure". The Odyssey's hero is Ulysses. Instead of starting his journey before Troy we will focus on the events where our story of the Odyssey begins. This call to adventure is set in chapter 5. After the goddess Athena petitions to her fellow gods for Ulysses return to his home of Ithica they decide to send Mercury the messenger to relay a message to Calypso who has been holding Ulysses captive. He has lived on the island for many years and is forced to sleep with Calypso. After Mercury threatens the wrath of Jove, she gives Ulysses permission and instruction to leave the island. His immediate response is uncertain and fearful. He demonstrates the second phase "refusal of the call" by questioning the release. He seems to believe that her guidance is given in order to mislead him. She reassures him and he sets his mind to leave the island. He is given materials to build a boat and he begins. After 4 days he completes his work and on his fifth day he is set to leave. Although he is given aid by many sources through out his journey in this instance a perfect example is made by Calypso gifting Ulysses with tangible mortal gifts like clothes and a wallet full of provisions. Also she gives him a heavenly gift by

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