The Quest Motif in Literature

Prophecy

a prediction that decrees the quest

Helpers and Guides

because the journey is so difficult, the questers of myth and folklore frequently find themselves at a loss. Faced with an insurmountable obstacle, an insoluble mystery, or an enemy with powers that surpass their own, even the mightiest heroes may need help to overcome these obstacles

What do quests appear in in every nation?

folklore

Hero

in the stories of the quest, heroes are on the brink of a great change. They revive a "call" to go on this quest; the call may be from another character, or some powerful impulse from within

Quest

literature based on a journey, a road of trials in which a hero hears a call and leaves his home--alone or in the company of others-- to search out a treasure. ALong the way he undergoes trials, receives aid, fights enemies and may even die, and if he succeeds in attaining the treasure sought, may change who and what he is

The Journey

purpose of the journey is to be a process of discovery in which the heroes learn essential truths about themselves, their society, and the nature of human existence. The rigors of the journey, the trials and even tortures the hero must undergo, are a sign that these truths are very difficult to face, not simply because they are often painful in themselves, but also because accepting them requires that the individuals rid themselves of their familiar, if outmoded, assumptions, values and self-images. In short, they must "die" to their former way of life before they can be "born" into a new one

Transformation

the changes that take place within the hero are profound, affecting their values, preconceptions, the very way they experience life

Treasure

Sometimes, the goal of the quest is a literal treasure: a precious object, hoards of jewels or hidden fortune. In other stories, the prize the hero seeks, though still a tangible object, is comparatively paltry or even worthless (at least in the eyes of the rest of the world.) In spite of all of the different forms they take, however, the treasures that lie at the end of the quest always share certain characteristics. First, they are difficult to obtain; reaching them requires immense effort of the heroes and the value of the the treasure (to the hero) is in direct proportion to the difficult of his or her journey to obtain it