A journey, usually undertaken by a hero, has been a common theme in stories for thousands of years. The protagonist of the story, the "hero", is commonly a person of great strength, courage or outstanding abilities who undertakes journey of mind, body or spirit. Many stories with the journey theme also possess moral undertones, larger-than-life circumstances, supernatural forces and allusions to the society and government of the time and place it which was written. The journey theme is widely popular throughout history, found in many classic and mainstream works of literature, and when used in a story often appeals to the reader on the levels of humanity, personal growth and overcoming insurmountable odds. Famous works of literature which use a great journey include "The Iliad," "The Odyssey," "Tortilla Flat," and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."
Revenge themes are popularly found among dramas and tragedies, especially during the Elizabethan era. The revenge story usually contains some kind of murder or betrayal initially, causing the protagonist to seek revenge for a loved one or family member against the villain who wronged them. Stories with revenge themes play dramatically upon human emotions such as hate, jealousy and love which in turn fuel the justification and necessity for the revenge that becomes the focus of the story. Revenge themed stories typically contain more murder and violence than stories with alternate themes, and can explore topics such as morality, duty and justice from an emotionally driven standpoint versus a logical standpoint. Some famous works of literature which use revenge as a theme are "Hamlet," "Titus Andronicus" and "The Revenger's Tragedy.
One of the most classic and commonly used story themes dating back to biblical times is that of good versus evil. Heavily influenced by religions like Christianity, the battle between good and evil almost always favors the side of "good", especially when the "good" is outmatched by "evil" and triumphs regardless. Many other themes can easily be incorporated into the good versus evil themed story, thus making it adaptable to nearly every situation and story type. Common attributes of good versus evil themed stories include debates of morality, right versus wrong, the nature of man and environmental factors that cause a person or persons to turn "evil". It is much more common to cast the protagonist of the story as "good", the "evil" being another person called an antagonist or nemesis, an institution or an ideology. Famous works of literature which contain the good versus evil theme include the Bible, "The Lord of the Rings," "Ivanhoe" and the Harry Potter series.