"Morphology of the folktale" lecture

The lecture today discussed the ideas and theories of Vladimir Propp (1895-1970), a theorist of the last century who decided to analysis the core narrative structure of Fairy-tales and Folk Lore. In his influential work ‘Morphology of the folktale’, he states that folk tales can be analysed; ‘according to the functions of its dramatis personae’. He then gives a number of small examples, each sharing a basic structure where in a Hero is given an object by another narrative element (be it character or inanimate object), which then acts as a means of transport to another world.  In each example the characters change from princesses to eagles to rings, but never the less their function remains the same.

 This makes reference to his previous statement; analysing the folktale in regards not to the characters but rather the actions that are taken – stripping the narrative down to the pure components.  He continues in his book to explore this and lists several different “Spheres of action” for the “dramatis personae”:

The Villain – Main Antagonist

The donor – a giver of an integral item for the hero

The helper- helper of the protagonist

The princess, and her father – (only role that was difficult to explain)

The dispatcher – Sends the hero on a quest

The hero (seeker-hero, victim-hero) - Protagonist

The false hero – Beginning as a “hero”, is proven to be false by actions

These spheres of action can be applied to many modern narratives, be it film, novel or Video game and so I decided to break down a few contemporary games and their characters into these roles:

Fable

The Villain – Jack of Blades

The Donor – Maze

The Helper – The Guildmaster

The Princess and her father – Albion? (Not sure of meaning however if it is the idea of what needs to be saved then it would be between Albion and Theresa)

The Dispatcher – Guild Map

The Hero – The player

The False Hero – Maze / The player

Maze and the Player character - both examples of how more than one Sphere of Action can apply to the same character

Dragon Age

The Villain – Arch Dragon

The Donor - Duncan

The Helper – Party Members

The Princess and her father -

The Dispatcher – Flemeth

The Hero – The Player

The False Hero – Loghain

But for a more complex narrative such as Nine Doors Nine Hours Nine Persons for the Nintendo DS, this model falls away slightly and those spheres of action do not fit. However the role of the lecture, and the exposure to Propp’s work was not as to give a definitive structure for which all narratives should be based but rather show an example of the useful nature of the pure act of stripping a game or narrative down to its core. By identifying “spheres of action” in characters, objects and settings in a narrative, one can then identify it within their own worlds that they are aiming to create. In doing this the roles of a character can be defined and it can then be worked out what elements are working/ aren’t working, what needs to be changed and what keeps the narrative progressing. There is no use in having a set of characters or objects which look aesthetically pleasing but don’t have any role in the narrative – especially if they were to be the central figures of a plot.

http://images.wikia.com/fable/images/2/2b/Hero_And_Maze.jpg (accessed 20/10/2011)