In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell explains the structures of many hero-based myths, using a common pattern shared throughout known as the monomyth, or the hero’s journey, a sequence of actions that can be found in most stories. In fact, the structures of the monomyth outlined by Campbell are consistent with those of The Godfather: Part I, a 1972 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. By taking Michael Corleone, the main character of The Godfather, and viewing him as a hero within his world, one may be able to conclude that Coppola may have employed the ideas of Campbell.
Campbell’s monomyth theory consists of 17 stages that may appear at different times along the story. Nonetheless, a story may not contain all 17 stages. The Godfather contains many elements of the monomyth, however, they are found in an unusual order.
DEPARTURE
The first part of the adventure of the hero, as seen in Campbell’s book, is Departure. This is the initial frail state before the hero’s transformation begins. The hero is sympathetically introduced to the audience. The hero’s situation and dilemma can already be noticed and we can see that he is living some kind of polarity which is pulling him in different directions and causing him stress. In this chapter, there are many stages that a hero must go through. …show more content…
This boon can be a great benefit to his world and can be used to restore his custom. After gaining ultimate power, Michael launches a massacre, killing all the Corleones’ enemies. By doing this, Michael succeeds at protecting the Corleone family and they are able to continue business with those who have shown respect. In the last scene of the movie, the advisors of Michael’s father come to kiss his hand and call him “Don Corleone”, the ultimate sign of respect in the family. This represents the ultimate boon for Michael who has now turned into his