Romances

1
Romances

• The Hero Wins

2
What Is a RomanceHistorically?

• A romance is a medieval verse narrative
  chronicling the adventures of a brave knight or
  other hero who must undertake a quest and
  overcomegreat 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 limited 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

4
The Heros Quest

• The heros 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

5
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

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A Romances 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.

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What Is a RomanceToday?

• 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.
• The ordinary laws of nature are suspended.
• Idealized and superhuman heroes fight and almost
  always conquer the forces of evil.

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Traditional and Modern Romances

• Traditional Romances
• The Wife of Baths Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Le Morte Darthur by Sir Thomas Malory
• The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser

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Traditional and Modern Romances

• Modern Romances

• The Chronicles of Narnia
• the Lord of the Rings trilogy
• the Indiana Jones trilogy
• The Wizard of Oz

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What Have You Learned?
1. One purpose of a romance is to __________. a.
persuade b. ridicule c. entertain 2. A romance
heros 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
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The End