Film Theorist - Propp

Propp looked at folk tales and saw some structures they shared in common. He found 8 character roles and 31 functions that move the story along.

The 8 character roles can also be types of action because they are not the sort of roles which appear in the cast list. One character in the film or play can occupy several of his character roles or types of action. They are:

1. The villain
2. The hero (not always good but always carries the story along, the central character and not always male)
3. The donor (who provides an object with some special property)
4. The helper (who helps the hero)
5. The princess (the reward for the hero and object of the villain’s schemes)
6. Her father (who rewards the hero)
7. The dispatcher (who sends the hero on his way)
8. The false hero

The 31 functions include events such as:

The hero is prohibited from doing something

The villain learns something about the victim

The villain is punished, etc.