Shrek as an Epic Hero - 1416 Words

Shrek as an Epic Hero Although most people find the film â€Å"Shrek† to be just a comical film, it actually fulfills the requirements needed to prove that Shrek is indeed an epic hero. â€Å"Shrek† is a 2001 computer-animated fantasy-comedy film based on William Steig’s fairytale picture book, â€Å"Shrek!† He has all the characteristics of an epic hero archetype, regardless of his hideous and vulgar appearance as an ogre. Shrek is brave, loyal, and lives up to the standards our society expects and appreciates. Shrek presents himself as evil and mean but on the inside he is actually compassionate and gentle. Campbell’s Monomyth and the process for an epic hero that includes the departure, the initiation, and the return are all present in Shrek’s†¦show more content†¦Fiona requests that Shrek take off his helmet so that they can kiss demonstrating the meeting of the oracle. Shrek resists the seizing of the sword and will not take off his helmet. They go back and forth until Shrek resists the journeying to the sword and picks up Fiona and carries her away. Shrek has a near death experience as he battles Robin Hood and ends up with an arrow in his butt. The atonement of the father is revealed when Shrek and Fiona fall for each other. The apotheosis of the monomyth is when Donkey finds Fiona and realizes that she turns into an ogre at night. The ultimate boon could be one of two things in this tale. At first Shrek planned on the ultimate boon to be getting Fiona back to Lord Farquaad. However, right when he is about to return her, his ultimate boon is to get her to love him back. In Campbell’s book the ultimate boon is described as, â€Å"What the hero seeks through his intercourse with them is therefore not finally themselves, but their grace.† For the most part the initiation is the capturing of the princess and escaping the dragon. However, the return of the hero mixes in with the initiation due t he journey not being complete. Since there are two climaxes to the movie, the return can either be after the capture of the princess or after Fiona declares her love for Shrek. The refusal of the return is Shrek not wanting to bring Fiona to Lord Farquaad due to him falling in love with her. Campbell explains theShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Epic Hero Archetype in Films, and Literature850 Words   |  4 Pagesmagic, epic heroes continue in every form of today’s entertainment and storytelling. Every culture from the beginning has had their own tales of heroes accomplishing great feats that no one else could. An epic hero is an icon for everyone to relate to, they symbolize different lessons to learn. The epic hero archetype exists as a source of entertainment but also as a demonstrative tool. Their morals and actions are there to help shape our own actions in life. 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