Stock Characters

Description of the Character Character Example and Film Narrative

Portrayal of the Character

Hero(Protagonist)

Generally, the Hero is one of the main characters within the plot of a film that overcomes the evil in the binary opposition of good vs. bad. In the Horror genre, this is often the last character standing after repeatedly experiencing dangerous scenarios that could potentially kill them. One of the major characteristics of the Hero is the need to prove themselves throughout the movie after being underestimated consistently. This quality makes them appear more personable to an audience as they in turn will route for their success and support the characters progression. As well as this, the Hero is usually a physically attractive individual. In terms of the male gaze theory, this is frequently the case as it allows the audience to view the main character in a sexualised way, which objectifies them in certain perspectives.

Clear Rivers – Final Destination (2000)A young male has a horrific physic vision that displays him and his friends in a plane crash. After warning his friends and preventing the accident from occurring, the group of friends find themselves being hunted down by ‘death’ one by once in a systematic way.

Rivers is clearly recognised as a hero as she is very attractive in her costuming and her enhanced beauty with the use of makeup. It is also made clear through the narrative that her character is underestimated as at first she is quiet and over time becomes strong willed in her options. Rivers is one of the two last characters that manages to escape her bloody death and even appears in the sequel of the film.

Villain(Antagonist)

As mentioned above, the villain portrays the evil in the binary opposition of good vs. bad, as the character continuously struggles against the hero and opposes their every move. The villain is mostly at fault for many of the disequilibrium’s that exist within the synopsis of a horror film. Within of the horror genre, this could be due to multiple reasons such as revenge, traumatic past experiences, supernatural beings or an evil nature. In terms

Freddy Krueger – Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Krueger displays all signs of the villain in many ways. Firstly, Krueger kills plenty of victims, most of them being children or teenagers. The audience would automatically sympathise for the children as their young age makes them appear more vulnerable). His background story suggests his motive of killing is revenge as he

Vladimir Propps Stock Characters

of a villain’s physical appearance, the character does not have a stereotypical depiction of their appearance. The villain can range from an animal such as ‘Cujo’ from ‘Cujo’ (1983) or a child such as ‘Samara Moran’ in ‘The Ring Series’ (2001). As a result, the villain character can end up dead, escape (which is the case with most horror films that tend to sequel) or overcomes the good and continues their evil/bad pursuit.

Krueger, a spectral murderer, kills children through their dreams due to the fact they are the children of the group that had in turn killed him in previous years.

tries to hurt people that murdered him over a misunderstanding. Krueger also physically fits the part as his face and body appear disfigured and covered in 3rd degree burn marks. His iconic red and black, tattered shirt include two colours that are stereotypically deemed as evil colours as they connote blood.

The False Hero

The False Hero throughout the narrative appears as if they are the hero and wrongly takes credit for the hero’s actions. Their artificial portrayal of the hero is usually made obvious near the end of the film where they are exposed or their true nature is revealed. Also, the false hero tends to seek the marriage of the princess and acts as competition for the hero and generally looses. The horror genre usually manipulates this character as it conveys them as being the villain at the end. The false hero’s physical attributes are very similar to the hero’s which is how they manage to maintain their false facade.

Mandy Lane – All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)After Mandy Lane becomes more attractive over summer, she catches the attention of the popular group of students, who invite her to a weekend party. As the party goes on, people go missing mysteriously.

Although Mandy Lane could be considered a villain after it is made known she is the reason behind the disappearance, I thought she would be a better example of a False Hero. This is due to her choices and characteristics in the film, which includes her concern for those missing and determination to find out who is behind them. Throughout the film, Mandy Lane appears to be the hero as she is very attractive with blonde hair and blue eyes. Also her costume makes her a more sexualised character as she is seen wearing revealing clothing. In addition, the lighting used throughout the film highlights her feminine curves.

The Donor The Donor is described as the character within the narrative that prepares the hero for the conquest through support or information or aids the hero with a magical object/s. Donors that appear in Horror films can range from mediums that help scenarios that include the supernatural or individuals that have studied the cases and prove knowledge and assistance. The fate of the Donor also varies but stereotypically the Donor can end their life to allow the Hero to continue their journey in conquering the evil.

Rham Jas – Drag Me To Hell (2009)Christine Browne, a loan officer evicts an old woman from her home and in return, the woman curses her. In desperation, Browne turns to a medium with aim to save her soul. As all attempts fail, the demonic lady eventually drags Browne to hell

Rham Jas assists Browne by advising her and giving her information on a Seer that could potentially save her life. Also, Jas introduces her to the cause of the problem and selflessly supports her journey. Rham does not specifically appear as the Donor but his actions display the characters description. Rham would be quite personable to an audience as he is dressed in modern attire.