Functions
After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence of 31 functions:[3]
- A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);
- An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place');
- The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);
- The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);
- The villain gains information about the victim;
- The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);
- Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;
- Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, comits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);
- Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);
- Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;
- Hero leaves home;
- Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
- Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);
- Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
- Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
- Hero and villain join in direct combat;
- Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
- Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
- Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revivied, captive freed);
- Hero returns;
- Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
- Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
- Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;
- False hero presents unfounded claims;
- Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
- Task is resolved;
- Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
- False hero or villain is exposed;
- Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);
- Villain is punished;
- Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).
Occasionally, some of these functions are inverted, as when the hero receives something while still at home, the function of a donor occurring early. More often, a function is negated twiced, so that it must be repeated three times.
Characters
He also concluded that all the characters could be resolved into only 8 broad character types in the 100 tales he analysed:
1. The villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4. The princess — marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative.
5. Her father — Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father can not be clearly distinguished.
6. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
7. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
8. False hero/anti-hero/usurper — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.[5]
Sometimes, it is easier to see the characters in 7 roles, they still correspond to Propp’s theory:
1. The Hero - who is seeking something
2. The Villan - who tries to stop the hero from achieving his goal
3. The Donor - who gives the Hero an item of power
4. The Helper - Who aids the Hero
5. The Princess - This could be a person or thing, which acts as an award for the hero. The Dispatcher - Who sends the hero on his Journey
6. The Father - Who rewards the Hero
Sometimes, some of the characters do not fit into certain films, which is one of the theory's main downfalls.
I will use Star Wars as an example.
- The Hero - Luke Skywalker
- The Villan - Darth Vader
- The Donor - Obi Wan
- The Helper - Obi Wan
- The Princess - Leia
- The Dispatcher - Obi Wan
- The Father - Leia
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