Character Theory's

There are many different people that have come up with character theories for, the five main theories that are mainly used for different Medias are: Goffman, Propp, Bartle, Cambell Flectcher and Greenhill and Bishop’s character theory.

Each theory suggests different amounts of characters for each individual theory. Goffman’s character theory suggests four main types of characters either in a media production or text:

1. The protagonist (leading character)
2. The deuteragonist (secondary character)
3. The bit player(minor character who specific background the audience is not aware of)
4. The fool (a character that uses humor to convey messages)

Propp’s character theory has developed a character theory also for media texts and productions, but this theory instead indicates that there are seven characters instead of four.

1. The villain (struggle against the hero)
2. The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)
3. The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)
4. The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative)
5. The false hero (perceived as a good character in beginning but emerges as evil)
6. The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off)
7. The hero (reacts to the donor and weds the princess)

Bartle’s character theory instead of going for a large amount of characters he goes back to the first theory and goes for four main characters and this theory is also used for analysing early virtual worlds today.

1. Achievers (preferred to gain points, levels and equipment)
2. Explorer (preferred to be discovering areas, creating maps and learning about hidden areas)
3. Socializers (preferred to be interacting with other players)
4. Killers (preferred to depart from the normality of being “the good guy” who comes to save the day and play on the side of evil)

Bishops is a character theory for analysing online communities, including internet trolling, but like all of the other theory’s that have either had four or seven characters, this theory has twelve characters that revolve around this theory.

1. Lurker – Lurkers make silent calls by accident or modifying opinion polls.
2. Elder – an elder is an out bound member of the community, often engaging in trolling newer members of something
3. Troll – a troll takes part in trolling to entertain others and bring some entertaining to an online community
4. Big man – a big man does trolling by posting something pleasing to others in order to support their world view
5. Flirt – a flirt takes part in trolling to help others be sociable
6. Snert – a snert takes place in trolling to harm others for their own sick entertainment
7. MHBFY Jenny – a MHBFY Jenny takes part in trolling to help people see the lighter side of life and to help others come to terms with their concerns
8. E-venger – an E-venger does trolling in order to trip someone up so that their ‘ true colours’ are revealed
9. Chat room Bob – a chatroom Bob takes part in trolling to gain the trust of other members I order to exploit them
10. Ripper – a ripper takes part in self-deprecating trolling in order to build a false sense of empathy from others
11. Wizard – a wizard does trolling through making up and sharing content that has a humorous effect
12. Iconoclast – an iconoclast takes part in trolling to help others discover ‘the truth’ often by telling them things completely factual, but which may drive them into a state of consternation

Campbell, Fletcher and Greenhill’s character theory is also used for analysing online communities based on tribal typologies. In this type of character theory there are three character types that have been identified.

1. The Big Man (offer a form of order and stability to the community by absorbing many conflictual situations personally)
2. The Sorcerer (will not engage in reciprocity with others in the community)
3. The Trickster ( generally a comical yet complex figure that is found in most of the world’s culture)

Looking through all of these many different theories I would have to say that the one that would be the closest theory to my opening film would have to be the Goffman’s character theory as I play the protagonist who is trying to save his territory from a rival gang that is trying to steal it from him, Chris Tadd plays the deuteragonist, the secondary character who is the rival gang leader who is trying to steal the territory from the protagonist, so I would have to say that, that is the closest theory mainly because it doesn’t have that many characters in the theory, like our film opening only has two characters in it, which is close to the first two characters in the theory.