Question

During this stage of the journey, the Hero has an important, anticipated confrontation with the Shadow (or the character who bears the face of the shadow); this stage is often represented by an external conflict. Which stage is this?

1) Test, Allies, and enemies
2) The Ordeal
3) The ordinary world
4) Call to adventure

Answer 1

The anticipated confrontation with the Shadow in the hero's journey, represented by an external conflict, is known as The Ordeal. This stage is usually the story's climax, where the hero faces their greatest challenge and emerges transformed. The correct option is 2.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stage of the hero's journey where the Hero confronts the Shadow and experiences an anticipated and pivotal confrontation, often an external conflict, is called The Ordeal.

This stage is crucial as it represents the peak of the hero's conflict with the antagonist, which can be a direct confrontation with a character or an embodiment of the hero's greatest fears or challenges. The Ordeal is a key component of the story's climax, where the main conflict reaches its highest tension and the protagonist must use everything they have learned to overcome adversity.

It's a transformative moment in the narrative where the hero faces death or another form of great fear and emerges changed, often achieving a personal breakthrough or finding a resolution to the central story conflict.