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Characters in Horror

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80 views13 pages

Characters in Horror

nnnnnnn

Uploaded by

ppatel29
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Characters in Horror

Propp
Vladimir Propp, a Russian scholar, identified seven characters
which fit in with the typical narrative of a film.
1. The Hero: This character will usually be a male character who
attempts to restore the disruption and bring back normality, often
by taking on dramatic chain of events in order to save the victims.
2. The Villain: This character will be the one who creates the
disruption for victims and often makes it harder for the hero to
restore normality by hindering his efforts.
3. The Donor: This character will help the hero by providing
something such as key information that will help him to save the
victims and bring him closer to restoring normality.
4. The Helper/Sidekick: This character will typically be seen
alongside the hero as they help them at every stage to bring back
normality, though, he will typically be less credited by the victims.
5. The Princess: This character could also be the damsel in
distress who suffers the most threat from the villain and needs the
hero to save her. Also, she could be the love interest for the hero
who longs to be with her.
6. The Dispatcher: This character is the one who informs the hero
of the disruption and what he needs to do to help everyone and
sends the hero out to restore normality.
7. The False Hero: This character is rather cunning as they hide
their evilness behind their false good act until their evil behaviour
is revealed to the rest of the people.

Example: Scream 4

Levi-Strauss: Binary Opposites


Claude Levi-Strauss, a French anthropologist and ethnologist,
created his theory of binary opposites. The definition of this
term is quite basic as it simply connotes the complete opposite
to one another. Levi-Strauss identified that in all narratives,
there is a conflict between binary opposites.
Examples of binary opposites found in film narratives are:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Good vs Evil
Peace vs War
Young vs Old
Domestic vs Foreign

Example:

Stereotypical Characters

The Antagonist

This character will be usually be the one who is behind the evil
on-goings or in other words, 'the killer'. It may be revealed later
on in the film that this character has had an unforgiving past
that has led them to be the way they are. In addition, if they are
human, they will typically wear masks, such as Ghost Face from
the Scream franchise, to hide their true identity. This could
suggest that it acts as a barrier to allowing them to stop
sympathy. Also, if the sub-genre is supernatural, then the
antagonist will be a ghost or spirit who is demonic in their
ways.

The Protagonist

This character is the victim and is usually the one the villain
goes after the most but fails to kill them. Also, the protagonist
may also be the hero who is trying to save everyone and
typically is turned to for rescuing. In addition, the protagonist
will usually remain till the end of the film as they will be the
one to defeat the evil and bring back normality. In some cases,
there may be two protagonists.

Sacrificial Lamb

This particular type of character is mainly seen in Slasher


films. They are the first to die and signify to the rest of the
characters that this is just the beginning and that there's
something to come. This character will typically be female as
to fit the stereotypes of a female character, she is presented as
weak and incapable to save herself which therefore makes her
the first victim

Gender Stereotypes

Women

They are portrayed as victims and are usually oppressed and weak. Therefore,
there's a need for a man to protect them. As a result, the hero will aim to protect
her as typically; she may be his love interest. On the other hand, even if a
woman is in a threatening role, the man is shown as being more powerful. Also,
with changing stereotypes, a female can be seen as the hero in particular films.

Men

They are portrayed as the popular one amongst everyone and are typically held
in high regards due to their popularity. Also, the male will stereotypically be the
hero who is presented as strong. Additionally, the villain may also be male
which once again shows them as being powerful and strong.

Age Stereotypes

Young Characters

In films with central characters who are older and younger, the
younger characters will typically be seen as the less powerful as they
have a lack of knowledge and are seen as more vulnerable as they are
unable to stand up for themselves. However, young characters can
also be seen as the threat as they can have an upper hand than the
older characters as they have more knowledge on technology that can
be helpful for them. Therefore, they can be the antagonists who are
out to get the older characters.

Older Characters

The older characters will tend to be the heroic characters as it is up to


them to protect everyone especially the younger characters as they are
able to be more defensive, such as parents. Although, older characters
will more likely be the antagonists who pose as a threat to everyone as
well as the younger characters.

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