How to Use Mythology in Screenwriting

A myth is a story based on tradition that helps us better explain our world and the human condition. Until the late Joseph Campbell came around, Hollywood may not have known that its stories on the silver screen were based on ancient myth. But today, storytellers around the world recognize that there is a pattern in most great stories, whether they play out on stage, in a soap opera, or as a blockbuster superhero film. You, too, can use this mythic pattern to your advantage.

You’re likely already incorporating some mythic structures into your stories and characters without knowing it. That’s how deeply mythological stories are ingrained in how we view the world. Once you get a solid grasp on the regarded mythic archetypes, you can leverage them to make your characters and their journeys even more compelling.

We interviewed author and screenwriter Phil Cousineau on the topic since he literally wrote the book – or at least one of them - alongside Campbell in 1990. In “The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work,” Campbell recounts his own mythological quest. Cousineau also has more than 20 screenwriting credits to his name, including a co-writing credit on “The Hero’s Journey” documentary.

These stories and their unique characters hail from around the globe and across time: Think Greek gods, goddesses, and plenty of monsters, Celtic fairies and elves, Norse warrior gods, Eastern Europe’s witches and vampires, Far Eastern dragons, the cities of gold found in the Americas, and the underworld of Egypt. Though the terms vary slightly in meaning and style, folklore, legends, and fairytales can provide you with fantastic inspiration for the underpinnings of your next screenplay. After all, these stories have been told throughout time and around the world to help all of us “feel less alone,” Cousineau said.

Campbell coined the idea behind the word monomyth, which describes his theory that a typical pattern exists beneath the plots of all great stories, no matter the country or culture they come from. That monomyth is something we all experience in our lives, which is what makes stories based on this common structure so appealing and relevant to us. Generally, we (or your characters) set out on a path to change something, and certain things inevitably happen to us. We meet allies, overcome obstacles, encounter and face fear, and we all have to go through these stages to see our characters (or ourselves) evolve.

Treat Campbell’s monomyth, or The Hero’s Journey, as the backbone of your screenplay.

The Hero’s Journey

*From the Grand Valley State University Library

During this mythic journey, your hero will encounter other traditional archetypal characters, and you should also study these to use as references in your screenplay. Sure, they might look different and have different motivations. Still, Campbell argues that the people we encounter on our own journeys – and in the movies – fit pretty neatly into certain archetypes.

Campbell’s Character Archetypes:

Of course, certain myths offer more specific structures and archetypes, and you can use these as starting points to create stories that will resonate with people of all cultures and backgrounds. Your characters don’t have to follow the structure exactly – in fact, to keep things interesting, let them veer off the path or meet someone with a different archetype every once in a while. Maybe they meet someone who embodies multiple archetypes, for example.

There are plenty of resources out there to study the great myths, including “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers” by Christopher Vogler and one of my personal favorites, Mythology – a Spotify Original podcast.

We’ve heard it all before,