I will be relating Propp's theory of characters to “Cinderella”

1) Hero - who seeks something (love, to solve a crime, to get his parents back together and return to the future)

2)  Villain - who opposes the hero

3) Princess - who needs protecting and saving by the hero, and is their reward on successful completion of the mission

4) Helper - who helps the Hero

5) Donor - provides the hero with a magical object so that they can complete their quest

6) False Hero - assumes the role of the hero but is unable to complete the mission


1) The hero is the Prince who saves Cinderella.

2) The villain is Cinderella’s step mum, who is horrible and treats Cinderella like her slave.

3) The princess is Cinderella herself, who needs rescuing from the evil step mum.

4) The helpers are the mice, who transforms into horses for Cinderella’s carriage.

5) The donor is the Fairy Godmother, who tries to help Cinderella.

6) The false heroes are the evil step sisters, because they try and get in the way and marry the Prince.