31. Wedding: Hero marries and ascends the throne

Disciplines > Storytelling > Propp's Morphology of the Folk Tale > 31. Wedding: Hero marries and ascends the throne

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Description

Symbol: W

At last the hero gets the final and just rewards for all of their actions. In classic tales this may well be marrying the beautiful princess and ascending to rule as king, living 'happily ever after'. In other stories, the accolade of heroism is enough and they retire to quiet lives or even go adventuring again.

Example

In Star Wars, Luke and Leia exchange happy glances at the medal ceremony where they are confirmed as heroes.

Discussion

'Boy gets girl' is a classic ending to many stories and reflects true-life romantic endeavors.

At the end of the story, all outstanding themes and unresolved tensions are usually completed, and a strong sense of closure is engendered. Things may be left open sometimes to allow subsequent stories of the hero's next adventure.