Vladimir Jakovlevic Propp (1895-1970)

Morphology oI the Folktale (1928)

7 Roles
hero
villain
dispatcher
donor
helper
sought-Ior person (and her Iather)
Ialse hero

31 Functions
Preparatory Section:
l. One oI the members oI a Iamily absents himselI Irom home.
2. An interdiction (ban) is addressed to the hero.
3. The interdiction is violated. (The villain usually enters the
story here.)
4. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance.
5. The villain receives inIormation about his victim. (The
villain gets an answer.)
6. The villain attempts to deceive his victim by using
persuasion, magic, or deception.
7. The victim submits to deception and thereby unwittingly
helps his enemy. (Hero sleeps.)
Villainy / Lack (Plot set in motion):
8. The villain causes harm or injury to a member oI a Iamily.
8a. One member oI a Iamily either lacks something or desires
to have something.
9. MisIortune or lack is made known: the hero is approached
with a request or command; he is allowed to go or he is dispatched.
10. The seeker (hero) agrees to or decides upon counteractions.
11. The hero leaves home.
12. The hero is tested, interrogated, attacked, etc. which
prepares the way Ior his receiving either a magical agent or helper.
(The donor usually enters the story here.)
13. The hero reacts to the actions oI the Iuture donor.
14. The hero acquires the use oI a magical agent.
15. The hero is transIerred, delivered, or led to the whereabouts
oI an object oI search.
Path A: Struggle and Victory over Villain; End oI Lack and Return:
16. The hero and villain join in direct combat.
17. The hero is branded.
18. The villain is deIeated.
19. The initial misIortune or lack is liquidated.
20. The hero returns.
21. The hero is pursued.
22. The hero is rescued Irom pursuit.
Path B: Unrecognized Arrival, Task, Recognition, Punishment,
Wedding:
23. The hero, unrecognized, arrived home or in another
country.
24. A Ialse hero presents unIounded claims.
25. A diIIicult task is proposed to the hero.
(Trial by drink, Iire, riddle, test oI strength.)
26. The task is resolved or accomplished.
27. The hero is recognized, oIten by a mark or an object.
28. The Ialse hero or villain is exposed and / or punished.
29. The hero is given a new appearance.
30. The villain is punished.
31. The hero is married and ascends the throne.
Vladimir Propp
The
Iunctio
ns are
not
prescri
ptive,
rather
they
are a
templat
e Irom
which
narrativ
es
choose
element
s.
Accord
ing to
Propp,
a tale
may
skip
Iunctio
ns but
it
cannot
shuIIle
their
unvaryi
ng
order.
Some
narrativ
es
subvert
the
Iunctio
ns
(althou
gh the
Iunctio
ns need
to be
identiIi
able in
order to
be
subvert
ed.)
8 Characters
The hero or victim/ seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess

The villain (struggles against the hero)

The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)

The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)

The princess (person the hero marries, oIten sought Ior during the
narrative)

Her Iather

The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the
hero oII)

The Ialse hero/ anti-hero/ usurper - (takes credit Ior the hero's actions /
tries to marry the princess)
These characters are not exclusive - Ior instance, the
Ialse hero can also be
the villain in disguise; the dispatcher can also be the
donor
31 Functions
Preparation
1. A member oI a Iamily leaves home/ the hero/ victim is
introduced
2. A prohibition/ rule is imposed on the hero (e.g. don't do x
because...)
3. The hero breaks the rule
4. The villain tries to Iind out inIormation about the hero/
victim
5. The villain learns something about the hero/ victim
6. The villain tries to deceive the hero/ victim in order to get
possession oI him / his belongings.
7. The hero is deceived/ the victim is deceived into helping the
villain
Complication
8. The villain harms a member oI the Iamily/ steals a desired
object, which must be retrieved
or
A member oI the hero/ victim's Iamily lacks or desires
something.
Either oI these becomes "The Lack", the
satisIaction oI which is the Iocus oI the
narrative.
9. The lack/ misIortune is made known; the hero is given a
request or command and is sent/ goes on a mission / quest to satisIy the situation.
10. The hero/ seeker plans action against the villain
TransIerence
11. The hero leaves home
12. The hero is tested/ interrogated and as a result prepares to
receive either a magical agent or a helper.
13. The hero responds to the test/ actions oI the Iuture donor
14. The hero gets/ uses the magical object/ helper
15. The hero is transIerred to the general location where "the
lack" can be resolved.
ConIlict
16. The hero and villain in direct combat
17. The hero is branded.
18. The villain is deIeated
19. "The lack" is set right: the object oI the quest is obtained by
the hero (oIten the tale ends here, but can continue.)
Return
20. The hero sets out Ior home
21. The hero is pursued.
22. The hero is rescued Irom pursuit (the tale sometimes ends
here)
23. The hero arrives home or elsewhere and is not recognised
24. A Ialse hero arrives making Ialse claims.
25. A diIIicult task is set Ior the hero.
26. The hero resolves the task
Recognition
27. The hero is recognised
28. The Ialse hero/ villain is exposed.
29. The hero is transIormed
30. The villain is punished
31. The hero marries and is crowned
Vladimir Propp
The 31 Narratemes
Here are the 31 elements oI stories that Propp identiIied, plus their symbol,
interpretations and discussion. Note that some oI these Iunctions generally occur in
pairs, such as departure and return. They may also be repeated.
Few stories contain all elements, but where they do contain elements, they will very
largely occur in the sequence given here.
0. Initial situation
1st Sphere: Introduction
Steps 1 to 7 introduce the situation and most oI the main characters, setting the
scene Ior subsequent adventure.
1. Absentation: Someone goes missing
2. Interdiction: Hero is warned
3. Violation of interdiction
4. Reconnaissance: Villain sees somet!ing
". #eli$er%: &!e $illain gains information
'. &ricer%: Villain attem(ts to decei$e $ictim
). *om(licit%: +nwitting !el(ing of t!e enem%
2nd Sphere: The Body oI the story
The main story starts here and extends to the departure oI the hero on
the main quest.
,. Villain% and lac: &!e need is identified
-. .ediation: Hero disco$ers t!e lac
10. *ounteraction: Hero c!ooses (ositi$e action
11. #e(arture: Hero lea$e on mission
3rd Sphere: The Donor Sequence
In the third sphere, the hero goes in search oI a method by which the
solution may be reached, gaining the magical agent Irom the Donor.
Note that this in itselI may be a complete story.
12. &esting: Hero is c!allenged to (ro$e !eroic /ualities
13. Reaction: Hero res(onds to test
14. Ac/uisition: Hero gains magical item
1". 0uidance: Hero reac!es destination
1'. Struggle: Hero and $illain do battle
1). 1randing: Hero is branded
1,. Victor%: Villain is defeated
1-. Resolution: Initial misfortune or lac is resol$ed
4th Sphere: The Hero`s return
In the Iinal (and oIten optional) phase oI the storyline, the hero returns
home, hopeIully uneventIully and to a hero's welcome, although this
may not always be the case.
20. Return: Hero sets out for !ome
21. 2ursuit: Hero is c!ased
22. Rescue: (ursuit ends
23. Arri$al: Hero arri$es unrecogni3ed
24. *laim: 4alse !ero maes unfounded claims
2". &as: #ifficult tas (ro(osed to t!e !ero
2'. Solution: &as is resol$ed
2). Recognition: Hero is recognised
2,. 56(osure: 4alse !ero is e6(osed
2-. &ransfiguration: Hero is gi$en a new a((earance
30. 2unis!ment: Villain is (unis!ed
31. 7edding: Hero marries and ascends t!e t!rone