Vladimir Propp
(b. 1895 - d. 1970)
Vladimir Propp was a Soviet folklorist.
What are the Character Archetypes?:
Propp studied 100s of folk tales and identifies seven archetypes, defined through their "spheres of action" or role they play in the progression of a narrative. The seven archetypes are: the hero, the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, and the false hero.
In this post I will break down and explain the different
archetypes using the contemporary comparisons of
Shrek (2001) and
Shrek 2 (2004).
The Hero: According to
Propp, there are two types of heroes:
the seeker, and
the victim. The
seeker "agrees to liquidate the misfortune" and aids a suffering character on his quest to defeat the evil. The other type is the
victim, who
"directly suffers from the action of the Villain", and then has to solve their own misfortune. In
Shrek, Shrek is a
seeker and
victim, who agrees (
seeker) to complete the
Villains quest in order to have the fairytale characters return back home and leave his swamp (
victim). The narrative then follows him as he progresses on his
hero's journey, helped by the other characters, and marries the
Princess.
The Villain: To develop the narrative, the
Villain initially causes a
"form of misfortune, damage, or harm", and leads to a struggle with the
Hero. In
Shrek, this would be Lord Farquaard, who kicks the fairytale creatures out of his kingdom, and forces Shrek to risk his life and rescue Princess Fiona so that he can marry her.
The Donor/Provider: In order to defeat the
Villain, the Hero needs a
Donor to complete his quest. Often, the
Hero must make a sacrifice and meet the
Donors request, in order to be assisted by them. In
Shrek 2, this is seen when the Muffin Man makes a giant gingerbread man in order to help Shrek defeat the Fairy Godmother, and Prince Charming.
The Helper: The Helper aids the Hero in their journey, often providing company, or using their powers to aid the Hero. At the end, their journey with the Hero, the Helper represents the hero's journey and progression within the narrative. In Shrek, although he is met by protest from the Hero, Donkey joins him on his quest, and in return, Shrek receives his company. At the end of the film, Donkeys relationship with Shrek shows his evolution in the story.
The Princess/Prize: Often, the
Hero sets off on his journey in order to rescue a
Princess. She often aids the
Hero in providing an object for defeating the
Villain, and the narrative ends when she is married by the
Hero. The
Princess is also seen as a sought after character, such as a missing person, or simply someone of the title. In
Shrek, the
Princess is Fiona, who he seeks out to rescue, aids him in defeating the
Villain, and ends up marrying.
The Dispatcher: Once the
Villain commits his crime, the
Dispatcher calls for help, and often promises the
Hero a reward. In some cases, the
Dispatcher offers the
Hero a release, in order to complete the quest. In
Shrek, the
Dispatcher is played by Donkey and Lord Faarquad. Donkey initially calls Shrek for help, and Lord Faarquad then sends Shrek on his quest.
The False Hero: The
False Hero takes credit for the
Hero's victory, once the quest is completed. In
Shrek 2, Prince Charming is the
False Hero, as he pretends to be a human Shrek, in order to marry Princess Fiona.
Possible influences for my film:
Using the Character Archetypes in my narrative, combining them with the slasher archetypes.
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