What compels a hero to act? As far as I can tell, the hero in an adventure story tends to be motivated by one or a combination of these three objectives:

1. Seek Treasure
2. Defeat Evil
3. Survive Danger

This came to mind when thinking about the motivations of the characters in The Hobbit and the characters from Lord of the Rings. Bilbo and the dwarves set out from the Shire to reclaim their gold and home (seek treasure). Frodo and Sam left the Shire in order to destroy the ring of power, and thus destroy Sauron (defeat evil). At first I thought these might be the only two motives, but then I thought about movies like Cast Away or The Day After Tomorrow or the book Robinson Crusoe in which the main characters are trying to survive the horrible predicament they find themselves in (I guess one could argue that they are seeking life and trying to prevent death, but I think having survival as its own category makes more sense). Here is how it plays out in some other movies:

Some Examples

In Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Jack Sparrow told William Turner, “Not all treasure is silver and gold.” Will’s treasure was Elizabeth Swan. He would do anything to rescue her, even give his own life. Jack’s treasure was a ship, which symbolized freedom. Captain Barbosa and his crew, on the other hand, sought to break the curse that they had endured for many years.

In Gladiator Maximus has all three motives. By surviving gladiatorial combat, he seeks his freedom and plots to defeat the wicked Emperor Commodus.

Similarly, Harry Potter seeks various things in the novels: the sorcerer’s stone, Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, all of the tasks in the Triwizard Tournament, a prophecy, and horcruxes. In the process he faces plenty of danger as he pursues his ultimate goal of defeating Voldemort.

The treasure in whodunits is the truth. Hopefully by finding out “whodunit” the detective also defeats the killer.

In the Iliad the Greeks seek to recover Helen and defeat the Trojans. In the Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew try to get home.

The rebels in Star Wars set out to defeat the evil Empire.

In Die Hard John McClane tries really hard not to die (hence the name), but he also attempts to stop the terrorists.

The kids in The Sandlot recover a baseball signed by Babe Ruth.

In the world of sports the offense seeks points while the defense attempts to stop their opponents.

Why Should You Care?

I think there are at least two reasons why you should care. First, it allows you to get a sense of the overall story arc. You can then judge for yourself whether or not the motives that drive the main characters are compelling. It also helps you keep the big picture in mind when you a plot becomes convoluted. Sometimes characters go on so many side quests that the audience can lose sight of what they are really trying to accomplish.

Second, these categories can help us live out our own stories. If you wake up and imagine that you are the hero of a story, what would you do? What good are you seeking? Money? Love? Friendship? Approval? Comfort? Success? I have used this mindset when on the treadmill. Whatever goal distance I have for the day, I imagine that there is treasure on the other side. This mindset can also help you discern whether or not the things you are doing are getting the results you want.

On the other hand, what evil are you trying to defeat? Maybe it is conquering a sink full of dishes or overcoming an illness. Maybe you are working to overcome an internal struggle or addiction. Mastering the dragon within is often our biggest obstacle.

As we get older we tend to lose our childlike wonder. Days start to feel monotonous and the grind of life with our never-ending to-do lists can wear us down. Understanding the hero’s motivations can help you reframe your tasks as steps on a quest and can add a sense of grandeur to the day.

It is also useful to know that there are seasons when you will be in survival mode. If you find yourself facing a tragedy, it is okay for your goals to take a backseat for a time while you process and heal. Just as Frodo took time to recover in Rivendell, so do we need room to heal when tragedy strikes. If not, we won’t have the strength to pursue the quests we set out to accomplish.

Remember, if you want to get the gold, you have to face the dragon. We live in a world of both abundant treasure and abundant evil. May we have the courage to get out of the Shire.