It's a literary genre that dates back to late classical Greece and which typically charts the trials and tribulations of a hero, in many cases the trials and tribulations of a virginal heroine.

它是一种文学流派，可以追溯到古典希腊时期,这种流派规划了一位英雄了考验和磨难，许多情况下是给一位童贞的女英雄的考验和磨难。

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选