1. The Villain: The antagonist who seeks to stop the hero from completing his quest or is struggling with the hero.
2. The Dispatcher: A character who sets the hero upon his/her quest.
3. The Helper: The helper is someone who helps the hero in their quest. The helper could also be known as the deuteragonist (sidekick) someone who is the secondary hero who helps the hero complete his quest.
4. The Princess or Prize: The hero must complete his quest which could be either to safe the princess and be with her or to stop something that is preventing the hero and princess from being together happily ever after.
5. The Donor: Prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object. The donor is often someone who gives the hero something or tells the hero something that will give the hero an advantage, the donor could also train the hero and prepare them for the battles that he/she will face.
6. The Hero: The main protagonist, the hero is someone who the audience "root for" and the hero is the one who must complete a quest.
7. The False Hero/Blocker: The false hero is someone who tries to take credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess. Sometimes the false hero is replaced with the blocker who stands in the way of hero or distracts him from the main quest.
Below is an example of the character types applied to the film 'Star Wars' with two extra character types:
Character Type: Hero
Name: Luke Skywalker
Goal: Luke is the last hope for the Jedi Knights a sacred organisation dedicated to protecting the galaxy, however, after the Jedi were wiped out in a purge after his father Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) turned to the dark-side of the force. Luke is dedicated to defeating the Empire and helping the rebel alliance restore peace and trying to bring his father back to the light side of the force.
Character Type: Villain
Name: Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker)
Goal: Darth Vader once went by the name Anakin Skywalker, his mind was corrupted by The Emperor and he joined the dark-side of the force and ceased to be Anakin Skywalker. His goal is to destroy the rebel alliance and to turn his son Luke Skywalker to the dark-side so they can rule the galaxy as father and son.
Character Type: Princess/Prize
Name: Princess Leia
Goal: She is Luke’s brother but she does not know this until Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. She is very much involved in the rebel alliances’ quest to destroy the Empire. In Episode IV: A New Hope she has been kidnapped and has been taken to the Death Star, Luke and the gang rescue her and she begins her relationship with Han Solo.
Character Type: Mentor
Name: Yoda
Goal: Yoda is one of the last remaining Jedi and is in exile hiding from the Empire. Yoda is old but still very powerful with the force and once Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed he trains Luke in the ways of the force.
Character Type: Helper
Name: R2-D2/C3PO
Goal: These two characters are loyal to Luke et al. Throughout the Star Wars saga they assist Luke, Han, Leia and Chewbacca by repairing the ship and giving advice (although C3PO is often ignored to add humour to certain scenes).
Character Type: Blocker
Name: Jabba the Hutt
Goal: Jabba is a gangster whom Han Solo owes money to, Han Solo keeps on getting delayed on giving Jabba his money back and in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Jabba sends bounty hunter Boba Fett who captures Han and takes him to Jabba’s Palace where he is kept prisoner.
Character Type: Dispatcher
Name: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Goal: Obi-Wan Kenobi like Yoda is one of the last remaining Jedi knights and is hidden in exile watching over Luke as he grows older, when he finally crosses paths with Luke he sets him off on his journey to become a Jedi knight. Obi-Wan Kenobi is ‘killed’ in a duel between Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ghost still guides Luke.
Character Type: Redeemed Character
Name: Lando Calrissian
Goal: Lando is a friend of Han Solo’s and resides in Cloud City, his main concern is to keep the Empire out of the city. When Darth Vader arrives he is forced to turn in Han et al, but when he learns that Darth Vader plans on taking over Cloud City Lando then assists Chewbacca and the gang escape and eventually rescue Han and destroys the Death Star Mark II.
Character Type: Best Friend/Secondary Heroes
Name: Han Solo & Chewbacca
Goal: Han and Chewbacca are loyal intergalactic bro's who ride round the galaxy in the Millennium Falcon. These two characters assist Luke in his various adventures and are secondary heroes as they are working towards similar goals as Luke (destroy the Empire). Han and Chewbacca show their loyalty to Luke by saving him on multiple occasions, the first time being in the first Death Star attack and the second being on Hoth. Luke returns the favour by rescuing Han and Chewbacca from Jabba’s Palace.
Tzvetan Todorov is a Franco-Bulgarian philosopher, he suggests that stories begin with an equilibrium or status quo where any potentially opposing forces are in balance. This is disrupted by some event, setting in motion a series of events. Problems are solved so that the equilibrium can be restored.
Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1. A state of equilibrium at the outset
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action.
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption.
4. An attempt to repair the disruption.
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium or a new equilibrium is established.
Below is an example of Todorov's narrative theory applied to the film 'Star Wars'.
Equilibrium: Luke is a farm boy who is living a mundane life and seeks adventure.
Disruption: Luke's Auntie and Uncle are killed by the Empire who were looking for his new droids who have data on their battle station.
Recognition of Disruption: Luke sets off with Obi-Wan Kenobi to Mos Eisley where they meet a renegade solider of fortune named Han Solo and his sidekick Chewbacca whom he pilots the Millennium Falcon with. Luke and Obi-Wan pay Han Solo to take them to Alderaan to rescue the Princess.
Attempt to repair disruption: When the characters arrive at Alderaan they find it has been destroyed and are soon pulled into the 'Death Star'. Han, Chewie and Luke et al. find and rescue the Princess. Meanwhile Obi-Wan Kenobi is seemingly killed in a duel with Darth Vader. The heroes escape.
A return or restoration of NEW equilibrium: Luke leads an attack on the Death Star with the rebel alliance. Luke with the help of Han and Chewie destroy the Death Star. The film ends with Han and Luke receive a medal for their efforts in a ceremony hosted by the Princess, Chewbacca is shunned. The new equilibrium being that Luke has achieved what he wanted by leaving home and joining the Rebel Alliance with his new friends.
Final Girl Theory
The final girl theory is a convention of the Horror and Thriller genre(s). This refers to the last woman or girl alive who must confront the killer. The final girl has become a cliché of the genre as woman are seen as more vulnerable characters than males who are stereotyped as the strong protectors. Carol J. Clover coined the term 'Final Girl' in her book. According to Clover, the final girl in may films share common characteristics: she is a typically sexually unavailable woman or virginal, the girl may have a shared history with the killer, for example in the film 'Halloween' Michael Myers is revealed to be the brother of the 'Final Girl' Laurie Strode, the same can be seen in the 'Scream' franchise where the character Sidney Prescott is constantly threatened by the killer. Clover suggests that the final girl is no longer the damsel in distress and during the final girl's confrontation with the killer she becomes masculinized by taking up arms and attacking the killer, the final girl's innocence is destroyed when they take up these typical masculine traits in order to survive.
No comments:
Post a Comment