Prop’s Character
Theory:
Vladimir Prop was a literary critic and a scholar who founded the
idea that a certain type of character was to be used in every narrative
structure; this also was applied to fairy tales. Prop’s character theory says
that all characters fall into 7
broad character types, all of which can be found in a variety of
different media. These types are; the villain, the donor, the helper,
the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero.
·
The villain: Usually locked in a constant struggle with the hero, often
trying to harm princess. It is often seen, more so in current days, that the
villain has some kind of mental or physically disability, from James Bond’s
Scar Face all the way to Disney’s Captain Hook.
·
The donor: Gives the hero an object or
a piece of information that helps them prepare for what is
to come. An example of this would be Lucas Fox in Batman, this was most
recently displayed by Morgan Freeman; He is the man who provides batman with
all his weapons and gadgets.
·
The helper: Assists the hero with their quest, often referred to
as their 'sidekick'. An example of this is again in batman, this would be
Robin, arguably the most well known ‘sidekick’
·
The princess: Needs assistance from the hero, usually because they are
in some form of danger, typically the princess is the victim within
the narrative. An example of the princess would be Gwen in Spider man,
often the goal or reward for the hero and is manipulated by the villain.
·
The dispatcher: Is the character that sends that hero
on their mission or quest. An example of this would be Nick Fury in
The Avengers. The dispatcher is often the leader and does not get heavily
involved in the action.
·
Hero: Reacts to the donor and saves the princess, often resulting in them
falling in love with the princess. The example for the hero is Batman or
Superman, often the face franchise.
·
False hero: May appear good but has an ulterior motive, or attempts to
take credit for the hero's actions.
No comments:
Post a Comment