Examples of Fairy Tales in Video Games:
The Studio of Tale of Tales use old folklore and fairy tales in many of their games to provide a new twist on them. One of their most talked about games called The Path is a moody and strikingly poignant game inspired by the tale of Little Red Riding hood.
Disney has turned many fairy tales into classics and the game Kingdom Hearts has taken all of these fairy tale characters and integrated them into multiple plots that sees the most unlikely of characters to cross paths in their respective story worlds.
Vladimir Propp:
Vladimir Propp was a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar who wrote Morphology of the Folktale. In this book Propp looks at the study of narrative structure and by breaking down a large number of Russian Folktales, depicted 31 functions of a tale.
These functions are:
- ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
- INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action (given an 'interdiction').
- VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.
- RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc.; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
- DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.
- TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim). The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining collaboration.
- COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people (perhaps the villain has persuaded the hero that these other people are actually bad).
- VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc.). There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story. In the first option, the villain causes some kind of harm, for example carrying away a victim or the desired magical object (which must be then be retrieved). In the second option, a sense of lack is identified, for example in the hero's family or within a community, whereby something is identified as lost or something becomes desirable for some reason, for example a magical object that will save people in some way.
- MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc./ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
- BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
- DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home;
- FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
- HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);
- RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
- GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
- STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat;
- BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
- VICTORY: Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
- LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);
- RETURN: Hero returns;
- PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
- RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
- UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;
- UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims;
- DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
- SOLUTION: Task is resolved;
- RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
- EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed;
- TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc.);
- PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished;
- WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).
The Villain - one who struggles against the hero
The Donor - prepares the hero or gives them a magical item
The Helper - helps the hero in the quest
The Princess or Prize - The hero often deserves this but can not have it because of an unfair evil
The Father - gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero
The Dispatcher - character who sends the hero off
The Hero - the seeker who reacts against the villain and dispatcher
The False Hero - disrupts the hero's quest (by taking credit for the hero's actions or marrying the princess etc)
Examples in Classic Fairy Tale: Little Mermaid
The Villain - Ursula
The Donor - Ursula
The Helper - Flounder and Sebastian
The Princess/Prize - Prince Eric
The Father - King Triton
The Dispatcher - King Triton's outrage sends Ariel off
The Hero - Ariel
The False Hero - Ursula (Human Form)
Examples in other media: Shakespeare's Hamlet
The Villain - Claudius
The Donor - The King
The Helper - Horatio
The Princess/Prize - Ophelia
The Father - The King
The Dispatcher - The King, Hamlets father
The Hero - Hamlet
The False Hero - Laertes
Example in a Video Game: Zelda:Ocarina of Time
The Villain - Ganondorf
The Donor - Saria: Gives Link the Ocarina/ Shiek: Gives Link Melodies to play
The Helper - Navi: Aids Link in his quest by constantly telling Link what to do next/ Epona
The Princess/Prize - Princess Zelda
The Father - Princess Zelda
The Dispatcher - The Deku Tree
The Hero - Link
The False Hero - Shiek
Bibliograohy
http://tale-of-tales.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp#Characters
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