Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
can be outwitted. Sometimes a Trickster like the Hare will try to take advantage of a
weaker, slower animal like Mr. Tortoise. In folktales and fables such as " T h e Tortoise
and the Hare," the slowest outwits the fastest by dogged persistence or by cooperating
with others of its kind to outwit the faster animal.
Tricksters like to stir up trouble for its own sake. Joseph Campbell relates a
Nigerian story in which the Trickster god Edshu walks down a road in a hat that's red
on one side and blue on the other. W h e n people comment, " W h o was that going by
in a red hat?" they get into fights with people on the other side of the road who insist
the hat was blue. T h e god takes credit for the trouble, saying, "Spreading strife is my
greatest joy."
Tricksters are often catalyst characters, who affect the lives of others but are
unchanged themselves. Eddie M u r p h y in Beverly Hills Cop displays Trickster energy
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