Teach the The Hero's Journey with Reader's Theater based on Campbell's Monomyth

This readers’ theater script, teachers The Hero’s Journey, by following Odysseus as he ventures from his familiar world into realms of supernatural wonder, battles fabulous forces like the Cyclops, and returns transformed to reclaim his home. Rooted in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey—the monomyth structure of separation, initiation, and return—it traces the archetypal hero’s adventure through Odysseus’s trials and triumphs.

The accompanying worksheet guides students to analyze this journey, identifying stages like the Call to Adventure and Apotheosis in Odysseus’s story. Through vocabulary, questions, and creative outlines, students will learn to recognize the Hero’s Journey pattern, demonstrate critical thinking by connecting themes like cunning and resilience to Odysseus’s actions, and apply their insights to craft original hero narratives. Students also explore the Hero’s Journey in famous stories like The Lion King or Star Wars, linking Odysseus’s arc to other iconic heroes.

What's included? (a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides, or can be downloaded into whatever print format you prefer)

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS Grades 6~8, CCRA)
• Teacher Tips
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: Google Doc (8 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~10 Characters, 2400 words,
• Format: Google Doc (7 pages)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words (based on the stages of Campbell's Monomyth)
• 10 Short-Answer Questions
• 4 Evaluation & Application Questions
• Format: Google Slides (24 Slides)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about 50 minutes
• Depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.

Script Summary:

Act I: Departure

• Scene 1: In Ithaca, Odysseus cherishes his peaceful life with Penelope until Troy’s war call interrupts, establishing his Ordinary World and sparking the Call to Adventure, which he resists with the Refusal of the Call.
• Scene 2: On Ithaca’s shore, Odysseus attempts to dodge the call by feigning madness, but Athena’s guidance as Supernatural Aid convinces him to embrace his fate.
• Scene 3: After winning Troy, Odysseus sails homeward, Crossing the Threshold into a perilous sea where Poseidon’s wrath begins his unknown journey.

Act II: Initiation

• Scene 4: On the Cyclops’s island, Odysseus faces Polyphemus in the Road of Trials, using cunning to escape and proving his heroic resourcefulness.
• Scene 5: On Circe’s island, Odysseus encounters the Meeting with the Goddess, resisting her enchantment and gaining wisdom to stay focused on Ithaca.
• Scene 6: In the Underworld, Odysseus consults Tiresias, achieving Apotheosis as he gains prophetic wisdom to navigate Poseidon’s challenges and secure his return.

Act III: Return

• Scene 7: Trapped on Calypso’s island, Odysseus struggles with the Refusal of the Return, tempted by paradise, until Athena aids his Magical Flight homeward. (Note: Refusal of the Return and Magical Flight are implied here, though not explicitly named in the original script.)
• Scene 8: Back on Ithaca’s shores, Odysseus lands disguised, Crossing the Return Threshold into a changed home he must reclaim with his journey’s lessons. (Note: This stage is implied as he re-enters Ithaca.)
• Scene 9: In Ithaca’s palace, Odysseus defeats the suitors, becoming Master of Two Worlds by blending his past and wisdom, and earning Freedom to Live with Penelope in peace.

Will this work for my classroom?

Download this similar yet FREE Hades Reader's Theater Script :)