"Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation." – Jospeh Campbell

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961) asserted that myths from different world cultures share the same "elementary ideas" or "archetypes," which he believed to be the building blocks of the unconcious mind and the collective unsconcious. Thus, every person is born with the same subconscious models for the hero, monster, mentor or quest. In his classic study, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) developed this concept of archetypes to find a common structure to both religions and myths. According to Campbell, all myths are essentially the same "monomyth, " based upon the idea of the "Hero's Journey."

This timeless concept of the "Hero's Journey," spans the millennia, manifested in oral and written mythology, art, literature, music and film. In this unit, we will take a look at the monomyth as it is portrayed in ancient world mythology and The Epic of Gilgamesh.

You will work individually and in small groups over the next few weeks on a series of projects in three phases. You will first determine the difference between archetypes and stereotypes, taking a close look at what defines a hero. You will then explore various world myths with regard to their common themes and archetypes. Finally, you will apply your discoveries to an indepth study of The Epic of Gilgamesh.

The Hero's Journey: Defining the Monomyth Individual Task

Working individually, you will investigate the concepts of archetypes, the collective unconscious ,the monomyth and the Hero's Journey as a foundation for your further investigation of world mythology. To do this, you will access a variety of sources that describe the research and writings of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Click here for the Phase One assignments and resources.

Universal Stories: The Monomyth and World Cultures Small Group Task

You will work in small groups to research and present foundational myths from a wide array of world cultures. Your objective will be to discover the "how" and "why" of the commonalities these various myths share and the universal archetypes they present. Click here for Phase Two assignments and resources.

The Earliest Heroes & Monsters: The Epic of Gilgamesh Small Group and Individual Tasks

You will first work in small groups to investigate and present to the class an assigned portion of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Your focus will be not only on how the themes and motifs of the epic compare to other world myths you have studied, but also how the story conveys the cultural values of a civilization. The individual portion of this Phase will challenge you to choose one value that you discovered highlighted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and demonstrate how this value is perceived and communicated in today's world. Click here for Phase Three assignments and resources.

Evaluation will be based upon rubrics handed out and discussed in class before you start an assignment.

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NYSED Learning Standards Addressed

English/Language Arts 1 : Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

English/Language Arts 2 : Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

English/Language Arts 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Social Studies 2: World History
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Arts 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art
Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Arts 4: Understanding the Cultural Contributions of the Arts
Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

Technology 2: Information Systems
Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

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