Vladirmir Propp

Vladimir Propp analysed folk tales and from this he identified eight key character roles in these stories.

1. the hero (good character)
2. the villain (evil character)
3. the donor (provider)
4. the helper
5. the father figure (caring character)
6. the dispatcher
7. the princess (the female that needs to be saved)
8. the false hero

Propp argued that characters could fulfil more than one of these roles and that there can be more than one of each character type.