Romances
The Hero Wins
What Is a Romance—Historically?
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A romance is a medieval verse narrative chronicling the
adventures of a brave knight or other hero who must
undertake a quest and overcome
great danger for love of a noble
lady or high ideal.
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Characteristics of the Romance Hero
The romance hero
•is a near-perfect hero
•is a human with unlimited moral and physical strength
•is bound by a code of chivalry that emphasizes loyalty
to his lord and readiness to serve those in need
•should adhere to the philosophy of courtly love, an
idealized view of relationships in which a knight
performs brave deeds to win the approval of his lady
The Hero’s Quest
The hero’s quest consists of three stages.
•a dangerous journey
•a central test or ordeal to determine if the hero has
heroic qualities
•a return to the place where the journey began
Other Elements of a Romance
Romances often have
•an evil enemy
•supernatural elements
•a theme of good versus evil
•female figures who are often
•maidens in need of rescue
•temptresses
•mothers
•crones
A Romance’s Functions
•To entertain
•Romances are tales of adventure, intrigue, and mystery.
•To teach a moral lesson
•Romances illustrate how heroes react to dangerous
situations or moral dilemmas. They reveal what character
traits are valued by society.
What Is a Romance—Today?
Romance has come to mean any story that presents a
world that is happier, more exciting, or more heroic than
the real world.
•Romances are stories set in a
world of pure wish fulfillment.
•Idealized and superhuman
heroes fight and almost always
conquer the forces of evil.
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•The ordinary laws of nature are
suspended.
Traditional and Modern Romances
•Traditional Romances
•“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer
•Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
•Le Morte Darthur by Sir Thomas Malory
•The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
Traditional and Modern Romances
•Modern Romances
•The Chronicles of Narnia
•the Lord of the Rings trilogy
•the Indiana Jones trilogy
•The Wizard of Oz
What Have You Learned?
1. One purpose of a romance is to __________.
a. persuade
b. ridicule
c. entertain
2. A romance hero’s quest has _________ stages.
a. three
b. five
c. seven
3. A romance hero is a perfect human with unlimited
moral and physical strength.
a. true
b. false
What have you learned?
1. One purpose of a romance is to __________.
a. persuade b. ridicule
c. entertain
2. A romance hero’s quest has _________ stages.
a. three
b. five
c. seven
3. A romance hero is a perfect human with unlimited
moral and physical strength.
a. true
b. false
The End