Vladimir propp’s theory:

Vladimir Propp was a folklorist researcher interested in the relationship between characters and narrative . Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.

Vladimir Propp claimed characters could be defined by their “spheres of action” and the role they played in the progression of the story. After studying 100 fairy tales in tremendous detail, he identified seven archetypes: the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero.

His 8 character types:

• The Hero – 2 types = seeker hero and victim hero
• The Helper – Helps the hero along the way
• The Villain – fights the hero and becomes defeated
• The False Hero – who appears to act heroically and may even be initially mistaken for the real Hero.
• The Donor – who gives the Hero something special, such as a magical weapon or some particular wisdom.
• The Dispatcher – Sends the hero on the mission
• The Princess – Is the hero’s reward
• The Princess’s Father.