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Definition of the traditional quest 
The traditional quest can be “found throughout world literature [and] is one of the 
most vital of literary archetypes”.
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Due to its universality, the quest follows the same basic 
structures and principles in the genre. It can be defined as
1. the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search: a quest for diamonds. 2. (in medieval 
romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as 
finding the Holy Grail. 3. the object of a search; goal or target.
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Traditionally, the quest encompasses the set task of a search, in many cases for one or 
several specific objects or artefacts. The hero or quester is either predestined or otherwise 
appointed in the run-up, or chosen on the basis of his experience, aptitude or social position. It 
can be observed that social outsiders are given more chance in a quest than in reality. 
Accompanied by one or more helpers, the quester sets out on a “purposeful journey”,
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during which he has to overcome obstacles and adversaries in order to reach both goal and 
reward. The departure from home is indispensable for the hero’s initial destabilisation and 
opening for new things and impressions. It is only by leaving his familiar environment, family 
and friends behind that unknown territory and dangers can be explored. Whereas within his 
usual boundaries no further development is possible, strange places and beings offer a 
challenge to the hero and allow him to extend his limits and horizon.
The hero’s journey can be divided into three main phases: The departure, the 
adventurous journey itself and the return. The transition from the quester as he sets out and as 
he returns is often marked by his spiritual death. In a symbolic rebirth, the old self and social 
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William Calin. The Epic Quest. Studies in Four Old French Chansons de Geste. Baltimore: The Johns 
Hopkins Press, 1966, p. 182. Cf. also Dieter Schulz. Suche und Abenteuer: Die “Quest” in der englischen und 
amerikanischen Erzählkunst der Romantik. 
Heidelberg: Winter, 1981, p. 6.
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Collins Dictionary, p. 1265.
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Pringle, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy, p. 250.

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position are cast off and symbolically renewed by physical signs of the adventure (in the form 
of scars etc.), spiritual maturity and a new, usually more prestigious social position.
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In the foreground of the traditional quest stands the external, physical journey, whose 
successful completion – often the rescue of a person or the saving of a community or even 
entire country - is rewarded with an acclaimed return, social initiation, fame and glory as well 
as material gratifications. By contrast, the hero’s internal, psychological journey to the inner 
self is usually less important and thus subordinated to the external one.
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Since the deeds 
matter and not so much the personal development, one can say that the traditional quest 
follows cyclical rather than linear structures and is designed for a harmonious, happy 
ending.
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