Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________

The Hero’s Journey in “The Most Dangerous Game” (teacher copy)

Term/Time Period Definition Example

1. THE ORDINARY The hero is uneasy, uncomfortable, or unaware. He/she is a sympathetic Rainsford falls off the yacht and is stranded alone in
WORLD character. the ocean.

2. THE CALL TO The hero must face the beginnings of change due to either external or Rainsford swims to Ship-Trap Island and wanders up
ADVENTURE internal conflicts. to Zaroff’s house.

3. REFUSAL OF THE Either the hero feels fear and tries to refuse the adventure or another Rainsford tells Zaroff that he wishes to go home; he
CALL character warns the hero of danger. does not wish to hunt.

4. MEETING WITH THE The hero either meets someone who give him/her training, equipment, The general supplies Rainsford with clothes clothes,
MENTOR and/or advice or the hero finds strength and courage within. food, and a hunting knife. He also gives him advice

5. CROSSING THE The hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and enters unknown Rainsford enters the jungle and engages in the hunt.
THRESHOLD territory.

6. TESTS, ALLIES, AND The hero faces tests and sorts out friends and enemies. Allies: In the Ordinary World, Whitney; in new world,
ENEMIES no one.

Enemies: General Zaroff, Ivan

Tests: Numerous; all to outsmart Zaroff

7. APPROACH The hero and his/her allies prepare for the major challenge. Rainsford attempts to put space in between Zaroff
and himself; then he decides to lead him down a false
trail. Finally, he rests in the tree.

8. THE ORDEAL The hero confronts death or faces his/her greatest fear. Zaroff spies Rainsford in the tree but refuses to kill
him.
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
9. THE REWARD The hero gains possession of the treasure, but there is still a threat of losing Rainsford succeeds in killing one of Zaroff’s best dogs,
the treasure. as well as his servant Ivan.

10. THE ROAD BACK The hero is driven to complete the adventure. There are still tasks to Rainsford escapes Zaroff by swimming out to sea but
complete. returns to hide in his bedroom.

11. THE RESURRECTION This is the final, most severe task or test that the hero faces. Rainsford and Zaroff have a fighting match.

12. RETURN WITH THE The hero returns home or continues the journey but has been transformed in Rainsford kills Zaroff and takes possession of his
ELIXIR some way. house.
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
The Hero’s Journey in “The Most Dangerous Game”

Term/Time Period Definition Example

1. THE ORDINARY The hero is uneasy, uncomfortable, or unaware. He/she is a

WORLD sympathetic character.

2. THE CALL TO The hero must face the beginnings of change due to either external
ADVENTURE or internal conflicts.

3. REFUSAL OF THE Either the hero feels fear and tries to refuse the adventure or
CALL another character warns the hero of danger.

4. MEETING WITH THE The hero either meets someone who give him/her training,
MENTOR equipment, and/or advice or the hero finds strength and courage
within.

5. CROSSING THE The hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and enters
THRESHOLD unknown territory.

6. TESTS, ALLIES, AND The hero faces tests and sorts out friends and enemies.
ENEMIES

7. APPROACH The hero and his/her allies prepare for the major challenge.

8. THE ORDEAL The hero confronts death or faces his/her greatest fear.
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
9. THE REWARD The hero gains possession of the treasure, but there is still a threat
of losing the treasure.

10. THE ROAD BACK The hero is driven to complete the adventure. There are still tasks
to complete.

11. THE RESURRECTION This is the final, most severe task or test that the hero faces.

12. RETURN WITH THE The hero returns home or continues the journey but has been
ELIXIR transformed in some way.
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
The Odyssey: Tracing the Epic Hero Cycle

Trace Odysseus’ progression through the epic hero cycle (HOLD ONTO THESE NOTES). He goes through almost two cycles: 1) during his adventures on the way home from Troy
and 2) once he returns home to Ithaca. Be explicit and detailed in 2-8, remembering to list the qualities of an epic hero( in box 1.
The Epic Hero Cycle About Odysseus

1. The main character is an epic hero. Odysseus is an epic hero.

An epic hero is/has… *A. His strategy of the Trojan Horse, the plot that won the Trojan War, made him famous amongst the Greeks. He is
A. larger than life (a legend or almost mythological also preternaturally strong and clever.
figure in his society) *B. _____________________ favors him, and he is descended from Hermes and Zeus.
B. favored by and/or descended from a god or a *C. His quest is broadly to return home to Ithaca.
goddess *D. The values and traits idealized by his society that he possesses are
C. a participant in a journey called a quest
D. one who illustrates ideal personality and
physical traits valued by his society [look back at that *E. He shows his strength when
“Greek Culture in The Odyssey activity from a while
ago]
E. strong, smart, and brave (physically and *He shows his intelligence when _______
mentally)
F. a personality or physical trait called an epic flaw
that leads to his death or destruction *He shows his bravery when _________

*F. Odysseus’ epic flaw is _____________, as shown when he ____________________

2. The hero is charged with a quest. *Pre-Ithaca:

(Tell who gives him the quest, what it is, and what he
must do to accomplish it.)
*At home:

3. The hero is tested to prove his worthiness of *Pre-Ithaca:

completing the quest and the worthiness of the quest
itself.
*At home:
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
4. There are numerous magical, mythical, and helpful *Mythical (gods):
creatures/characters and human companions.

*Magical (divine):

*Human companions/helpers:

5. The hero’s travels take him to a supernatural *Pre-Ithaca:

world not usually visited by other people.

At home:

6. The hero almost gives up! *Pre-Ithaca:

At home:

7. A resurrection! (either a literal rebirth from being *Pre-Ithaca:

dead or some sort of figurative interpretation of this
motif)

At home:

8. Conclusion/ Resolution. The hero takes back his *Pre-Ithaca:

position of power and glory.

At home:
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________

Hero, in the original Greek sense, means a demigod – the offspring of a god and a mortal. But, in a broader sense, a hero is one who stands out from the ordinary individuals as
one who embodies the values or ideals of a particular culture. Throughout the ages, values or ideals will change according to place and time, and as a result the qualities of a
hero change also. Therefore, what is admired and imitated in one age or place may be considered unimportant or even debased in another era or locale.

In small groups, you will research the heroes and heroic traits of the given period and create a presentation according to the following questions/guidelines:

1. Who were the literary heroes of the timeframe you are researching?

2. What were the traits of the heroes of that period share (be specific)? A. Greek Hero

3. How did the heroes reflect the culture they represent? B. Old English Period
C. Medieval Period
4. Contrast/Contrast the image/ideals of the hero to today’s image/ideals. D. Renaissance Period
E. Romantic Period
5. Include four images related to the culture, the time, and the heroes from your assigned time frame.
F. Early American
6. Proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Literature

7. Cite sources using parenthetical documentation of MLA.

8. Turn in a complete, accurate, MLA Style Works Cited page.

You may present your project in any digital format that can embed the above requirements. (PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.)

Due Date:
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
Rubric for Student Inquiry-Based Learning

(10-8) (7-5) (4-0) Score

Inquiry Group members find Group members find most Group members are off task
information from information from reputable media. and/or off topic. There are no or
reputable media. Group One or more group members have very few parenthetical citations.
members are on-task at all to be reminded to stay on-task. One
times. All information is or two citations may be missing.
cited.

Works Cited The Works Cited is There are minor citation issues, The Works Cited is missing or
complete and correct. primarily of a formatting issue. incomplete.

Content All required elements are All elements are present, but there There are major elements
present and correct. are minor errors. missing.

Content Knowledge All group members can Most group members are Few group members are
answer evil teacher knowledgeable, but some squirm knowledgeable about the
questions when prompted and look pleadingly at their content and look down in shame
about the assigned comrades during cross-examination. (or should) when questioned.
content.

Visual Presentation Design and illustration Design is mediocre and obviously Design is distorted, irrelevant, or
further our understanding. thrown together the night before in distracting. Instead of
Group members can desperate attempt to turn in complementing the topic, it
elucidate the relevance of “something.” Group members detracts.
the illustration to the cannot explain the origins or
heroic ideal. relevance of illustrations.

Presentation Skills Group members are ready
and alert when called.
Speakers are professional
in manner, speech, and
wardrobe.
Group members are ready, but
hesitant. Speakers mumble, use
slang, or talk too loud/soft. One
member may be dressed or present
him/herself inappropriately.
Group members are not ready
when called. They may speak,
behave, or dress in a manner
more befitting a late night
grocery run.
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
Audience Skills Each group member is One group member needs to be Several group members are
attentive during other reminded to pay attention to other inattentive audience members
presentations. groups. and/or interrupt other
presentations.

Grammar/Mechanics All written and spoken Most grammar in either spoken or Spoken or written grammar is
grammar is correct. There written is correct.. weak.
may be one or two minor
errors.

_______/80
Name: ___________________________________Date: ________________________ Period: ____________________
Demonstrates completion of the reading: Can you demonstrate in your response that you did the reading, being able to discuss it in your own words?

Part of the purpose of the assignment is to simply ensure that students are doing the readings. This should be evident in your response. That is, we should be able to
tell at a glance from your response that you completed the reading and did not just read the question and then seek out the answer in the book without reading through the
whole chapter. This means providing accurate statements about the main point of the reading in your own words, without relying on extensive use of or large blocks of
quotations. (Selective use of quotations is of course fine, but they must be relevant, support your claim, and be cited using page numbers.) It also means that you should be
able to move beyond the bounds of the question(s)

Full credit = 1 pt. No credit = 0 pts

 Ability to use your own words to summarize  Discussion has narrow focus and does not extend beyond the limits of the question
points, draw connections between the reading and
the lectures and/or real-life situations  Extensive use of quotations instead of using your own words OR lack of proper citation (i.e., taking passages
 Selective use of quotations (using proper from the reading without using quotes; no page numbers)
citation, e.g., page numbers) where appropriate to
support your claims.

2. Thoroughness and comprehension: Does your response demonstrate that you understood what you read? Did you cover all parts of the question(s) asked?
While it’s important to simply do the reading, that’s not enough. It is also important that you understand what you’re reading. Even though it may be clear to us that
you’ve done the reading, if your discussion is inaccurate, if you fail to grasp the main point of the reading, or if you fail to address all parts of the question (leaving gaps in
your discussion), then you will not get full credit.

Full credit = 1 pt. No credit = 0 pts

 Discussion demonstrates a firm grasp of the  Discussion included inaccuracies or a lack of understanding of the material
material  Some questions are left unaddressed
 All parts of the question are addressed and
answered

3. Style and clarity: Is the response written in a style that is clear and easy to read and comprehend?
As this is not a composition class, we are not concerned about minor grammatical mistakes, though you should not turn in your response without looking it over at
least once for typos and awkward phrasing. Your response should be well organized and easy to read, with points that flow in a logical and coherent progression.
Full credit = 1 pt. No credit = 0 pts
 The writing is clear, accessible, flows logically,  The writing is unclear, awkward, and/or incomprehensible, demonstrating a lack of organization and
and is easy to read structure
 The response includes few to no typos or errors  The response demonstrates a lack of care, needing revision, with more than a few typos or errors