Vladimir Propp's Theory On Character

Russian Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp's character theory (1895)
Propp analyzed 100 tales, and notices the characters in each narrative there are definitely as identified 8 characters that definitely appear. 

• The Villain 
• The Donor
• The (Magic) Helper
• The Princess 
• Her Father
• The Dispatcher
• The Hero
• The False Hero/Anti Hero 

The Villain 
This is the character that's seen to struggle against the hero


The Donor
This character prepares the hero or may give the hero a magical object


The (Magical) Helper
The character who helps the hero on his 'quest'


The Princess/prize
This is the character whom the Prince will marry, it brings forward the idea that the hero deserves her throughout the narrative but is unable to have her because of the role of a villain or evil in general. The narrative usually ends on a happy not, with the marriage of the hero and his lover which indicates the victory. 


Her Father 
This character takes the role of giving he hero the task and also identifies the false hero, but however his role in the narrative is not always clearly identified.


The Dispatcher
This character will encourage the hero to do whatever it is, he is to do(quest), and send him on his way.


The Hero
Simply the hero, also perhaps a victim who will eventually marry the princess. 


False Hero
Any character who claims falsely any of the hero's action as their own, and attempt to marry the princess instead. 


So, according to Propp all narratives had the same characters that carried out similar roles. Also traditionally appropriate to the time period he is from, Propp believed that the hero could only be a male, hence the categorization of 'princess' and not prince.