The Heroic Quest

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Quest: a long adventure in search of a special treasure or to accomplish a special deed.

From ancient times to today, one of the main types of stories is the heroic quest. The person, who is always someone different from the ordinary, follows a regular series of steps in an adventure and becomes a hero along the way.

7 Steps in the Heroic Quest

1. Call to Adventure
   • An emergency or great challenge arises in the hero's world, and the hero is asked or decides to undertake a special mission. The hero by the time of the challenge has already developed special skills and knowledge that make or her particularly suitable to respond to the crisis.
2. The "Tool Kit"
   • From the time of the Call to Adventure, the hero begins to accumulate new (1) knowledge and skills, a (2) mentor and (3) tools and gadgets that help him or her to find safe passage through the monstrous world. Some pieces of the "tool kit" are not found until the hero enters the Monstrous World.
3. Entry into the Monstrous World
   • The hero leaves home and enters a monstrous world. When the hero enters the monstrous world, he or she takes on a new identity. The monstrous world does not have to be a fantasy world, but it is a world that is very different from the hero's community, a world where (1) behaviours and customs and (2) people, and the (3) physical surroundings seem bizarre and strange and dangerous. The hero shows his or her worthiness by finding ways to add items from the monstrous world to the tool kit in order to accomplish the goal of the quest.
4. Test and Trials
   • The hero faces grave dangers and risks. There may be monsters to face or difficult situations to escape. He or she has to prove himself or herself worthy by meeting the challenge.
5. Supreme Ordeal
   • An ultimate special task will prove the hero's worth. The ordeal might be mental or physical or both.
6. Reward
   • The hero's triumph in the special task is acknowledged and rewarded. The rewards might be objects (a trophy or special item). The reward could also be knowledge. The best reward is the hero's own development to a better person. Going through the quest has made a loser into a winner.
7. Return Home/Recognition
   • Having become part of a new community of friends along the way, the hero returns to his or her original community. The community recognizes the heroÕs accomplishments and shows respect and love.