The Literature of Romance Where Good Always Triumphs

What do you think of when you hear the word “romance”?©

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What Is a Romance?

In medieval literature, a romance was a verse narrative about the adventures of a hero who undertakes a quest for a high ideal.

Later, the term “romance” came to mean any story set in a world of wish fulfillment.

Elements of the Romance

•Romances feature larger-than-life characters with special powers.

•Romances involve a series of adventures ending with good triumphing over evil.

The Hero

The hero of a romance is the central character who undertakes a journey—a quest—to achieve a goal.

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The Hero

In older romances, the hero was

•sometimes already admired by people

•sometimes despised or unknown

•often helped by gods or supernatural creatures

In more recent romances, the hero may be

•an ordinary person or an animal

•unaware of his or her own hidden strengths

•reluctant to go on an adventure

The Hero’s Journey

The hero

•departs from home

•endures trials in an initiation into the heroic life

•returns home with new knowledge

The Object of the Quest

The object of the hero’s quest might be

•love

•wealth

•a special object

•the defeat of an evil power or ruler

•a greater understanding of himself or herself

The Appeal of Romances

•Readers like to see good win out over evil.

•Readers like to admire a hero and imagine themselves being heroic.

•Readers are on a life journey, too, questing after self-knowledge, love, and success.

What Have You Learned?

1. When we discuss literature, the term “romance” best applies to aa. memoir of childhood b. love story c. heroic adventure

2. The hero’s journey is called the

a. quest b. trials c. triumph

3. A hero is always admired by other people before beginning an adventure.

a. true b. false

The End