Propp's Theory Narrative
Vladimir Propp’s theory was formed in the early twentieth Century. He studied Russian fairytales and folk tales and discovered that in stories/media there were always eight different types of characters present. These are:
Protagonist (Hero) - The main character, who usually is casted to do good.
Antagonist (Villan) - Character(s) who blocks the protagonists goals on purpose by causing chaos.
Princess - Someone or something who has to be saved, protected/looked after throughout the story.
Helper(s) - Helps the protagonist achieve their goal.
Mentor/father figure/teacher - Gives guidance and wisdom towards the protagonist and other characters, to help them.
Gift giver/donor - Gives the protagonist an object, gift or gadget to help the protagonist achieve their goal.
Quest giver - Sets the protagonist off on their quest or mission in the movie.
Anti hero - Has characteristics that are un-heroic but their intentions are good.
False hero - Appears to be good but they turn out to be like an antagonist and do not pull through as a hero.
He did not state that these characters were all separate people e.g. the provider could also be the helper.
Protagonist (Hero) - The main character, who usually is casted to do good.
Antagonist (Villan) - Character(s) who blocks the protagonists goals on purpose by causing chaos.
Princess - Someone or something who has to be saved, protected/looked after throughout the story.
Helper(s) - Helps the protagonist achieve their goal.
Mentor/father figure/teacher - Gives guidance and wisdom towards the protagonist and other characters, to help them.
Gift giver/donor - Gives the protagonist an object, gift or gadget to help the protagonist achieve their goal.
Quest giver - Sets the protagonist off on their quest or mission in the movie.
Anti hero - Has characteristics that are un-heroic but their intentions are good.
False hero - Appears to be good but they turn out to be like an antagonist and do not pull through as a hero.
He did not state that these characters were all separate people e.g. the provider could also be the helper.
Batman (The Dark Knight) example
Propp’s Theory Narrative Roles: Batman - The Dark Knight
Protagonist: The Batman/Bruce Wayne
Antagonist: The Joker
False Hero: Harvey Dent (claims to be batman)
The Princess: Rachel (seeing Harvey Dent)
Helpers: Alfred the Butler and Gordon (police man)
Mentor: Alfred (butler)
Quest Giver/Dispatcher: Gordon (police man)
Gift Giver: Lucius Fox (gadget man)
Anti–Hero: The Batman
In More Detail -
False Hero:
The false hero takes some of hero’s limelight, making the hero look bad bycomparison. Harvey Dent is having relations with Rachel (who batman loves). Harvey also claims to be Batman but doesn’t do it for his personal gain. He is significant to the narrative but he is not as important as
the protagonist or the antagonist in terms of appearance.
The Princess:
She is shown to be an object wanted by multiple characters. Her role as the princess is made clear throughout the movie with some ‘damsel in distress’ moments. She is shown having intimate discussions with the Batman but it is easy to see that there isn’t a clear path for them because she is seeing Harvey Dent. She is the forth most showncharacter highlighting her importance and position to the narrative.
The Helper:
Alfred gives guidance and help to the protagonist (Batman) as his butler, not ashis sidekick. Alfred took care of Bruce and watched grow up from a baby to a crime fightinghero and therefore feels like a fatherly figure almost, and cares a lot for him. He is has a lotof influence on Bruce and always supports him with his crazy ideas, even if he does notagree with them.
Protagonist: The Batman/Bruce Wayne
Antagonist: The Joker
False Hero: Harvey Dent (claims to be batman)
The Princess: Rachel (seeing Harvey Dent)
Helpers: Alfred the Butler and Gordon (police man)
Mentor: Alfred (butler)
Quest Giver/Dispatcher: Gordon (police man)
Gift Giver: Lucius Fox (gadget man)
Anti–Hero: The Batman
In More Detail -
False Hero:
The false hero takes some of hero’s limelight, making the hero look bad bycomparison. Harvey Dent is having relations with Rachel (who batman loves). Harvey also claims to be Batman but doesn’t do it for his personal gain. He is significant to the narrative but he is not as important as
the protagonist or the antagonist in terms of appearance.
The Princess:
She is shown to be an object wanted by multiple characters. Her role as the princess is made clear throughout the movie with some ‘damsel in distress’ moments. She is shown having intimate discussions with the Batman but it is easy to see that there isn’t a clear path for them because she is seeing Harvey Dent. She is the forth most showncharacter highlighting her importance and position to the narrative.
The Helper:
Alfred gives guidance and help to the protagonist (Batman) as his butler, not ashis sidekick. Alfred took care of Bruce and watched grow up from a baby to a crime fightinghero and therefore feels like a fatherly figure almost, and cares a lot for him. He is has a lotof influence on Bruce and always supports him with his crazy ideas, even if he does notagree with them.
The Batman's Split Roles
The Batman is both the hero and the anti-hero in 'The Dark Knight'. This is uncommon and is a rare example of how one character can take on both roles. For example, Batman is the hero because he saves people on a daily basis, and also saves Gotham city. He also catches the villains and any helpers that are breaking the law. However, Batman is also the anti-hero in this movie. Although he is trying to do good, some of his morals are wrong. For example, he hurts and even kills the villains and this is illegal. This proves that he is the anti-hero too because even though he is carrying out these acts to make the city a better place and to keep other people safe, it is still ultimately illegal. He is breaking the law but with good intentions.
This video clip from 'The Dark Knight' is an example of how Batman is the Hero and an Anti-hero. He is stopping an illegal meeting/deal from happening, but he is doing it using violence and illegal weapons.
This video clip from 'The Dark Knight' is an example of how Batman is the Hero and an Anti-hero. He is stopping an illegal meeting/deal from happening, but he is doing it using violence and illegal weapons.