·
Vladimir Propp
identified seven character types, or, “spheres of action”:
1. The villain: individual whose
task is to disrupt equilibrium
2. The donor: individual who gives the hero something (advice, help, information, an object)
3. The helper: individual who helps the hero in the task
4. The princess (or ‘sought-for-person’): individual who needs help, protecting and/or saving.
5. The dispatcher: individual who sends the hero in his/her quest
6. The hero (seeker or victim): individual who’s quest is to restore equilibrium
7. The false hero: individual who pretends to aid the hero in the quest, but is usually unmasked in the end.
2. The donor: individual who gives the hero something (advice, help, information, an object)
3. The helper: individual who helps the hero in the task
4. The princess (or ‘sought-for-person’): individual who needs help, protecting and/or saving.
5. The dispatcher: individual who sends the hero in his/her quest
6. The hero (seeker or victim): individual who’s quest is to restore equilibrium
7. The false hero: individual who pretends to aid the hero in the quest, but is usually unmasked in the end.
·
Propp's 31 Narratemes
1st Sphere: Introduction: Steps 1 to 7
introduces the situation and most of the main characters, setting the scene for
subsequent adventure.
2nd Sphere: The Body of the story: The main story
starts here and extends to the departure of the hero on the main quest.
3rd Sphere: The Donor Sequence: In the third sphere, the hero goes in search of a method
by which the solution may be reached, gaining the magical agent from the Donor.
Note that this in itself may be a complete story.
4th Sphere: The Hero’s return: In the final (and
often optional) phase of the storyline, the hero returns home, hopefully
uneventfully and to a hero's welcome, although this may not always be the case.
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