2. TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
• To identify the typical traits of the hero and
villain in a crime drama programmes
• To evaluate the extent to which the hero
and villain in Luther are conventional
• To provide analysis of micro elements to
support ideas
3. RE-CAP
• What is genre?
• What is a sub-genre?
• What is hybrid-genre?
• What is a symbolic code?
• What is iconography?
• What is a stock character?
• What are the different ‘hero’ stock characters we might see in a crime drama?
4. PROPP’S CHARACTERS
• Hero: goes on a quest or is looking for something, trying to solve something.
• Villain: stops the hero from succeeding and will do whatever it takes to stop
him/her
• Dispatcher: sends the hero on his/her mission
• Donor: gives the hero something e.g. a special power or weapon, to help him/her
• Helper: literally helps the hero, maybe a sidekick, working alongside him/her
• False hero: takes credit for the hero’s actions, tries to make out they’re a good guy
but they aren’t
• Princess: used as the prize or reward for the hero
• Father: an authority figure and the one whom rewards the hero at the end of their
mission
5.
6.
7. Propp’s Theory
Propp suggested that every narrative has eight
different character types.
Hero: Seeks
something
Villain:
Obstructs the
hero
Princess:
Hero’s
reward
Father: Gives rewards
Helper: Helps the heroDispatcher: Sends
the hero on a quest
Donor: Gives hero
something special
False Hero: Acts
heroically, mistaken
for real hero
8. Propp’s Theory
Propp suggested that every narrative has eight
different character types.
Hero: Seeks
something
Villain:
Obstructs the
hero
Princess:
Hero’s
reward
Father: Gives rewards
Helper: Helps the heroDispatcher: Sends
the hero on a quest
Donor: Gives hero
something special
False Hero: Acts
heroically, mistaken
for real hero
9. PROPP’S FUNCTIONS IN LUTHER
• How many of Propp’s characters can you
identify?
• How many Crime Drama stock ‘good guys’ can
you find?
• Note their names in the grid.
19. MARK YOUR WORK
• 1 mark for identifying the denotation
• 1 mark for exploring the connotation
• =2 marks per point
• 8 marks total
• Luther’s costume in the extract of a shirt and tie connotes his official status and
authority as a police detective
• Luther’s costume in the extract of an undone top button and loosened tie
connotes that he is not conventional and doesn’t conform to rules
• Alice Morgan’s long, red hair in the extract connotes that she is volatile,
dangerous and sexual.
• It contrasts with her short, messy hair at the beginning of the extract when she is
pretending to be innocent connoting that she is manipulative and conniving
• Alice Morgan is wearing a smart jacket, trousers and boots in the extract. This
gives her a business-like appearance which connotes that she is an efficient and
ruthless criminal
20. TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THESE TWO CHARACTERS
TYPICAL OF THE GENRE?
Editor's Notes
10:55-11:00
Explain Propps 8 character types and re-affirm knowledge from the mind-map created as a class, where they said ‘side-kick’ say this is known as the helper… I will say we are looking at harry potter film…can you guess what character will come up for each type? Each image will pop up as a transition
Some will be easy, for some I will give hints.
Question: Why do you think it is not as frequent as before?
10:55-11:00
Explain Propps 8 character types and re-affirm knowledge from the mind-map created as a class, where they said ‘side-kick’ say this is known as the helper… I will say we are looking at harry potter film…can you guess what character will come up for each type? Each image will pop up as a transition
Some will be easy, for some I will give hints.
Question: Why do you think it is not as frequent as before?
