Hero
Ted- Ed. (2012, December 4). What makes a hero? – Matthew Winkler [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA
- Hero. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://school-eb-com-au.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/levels/high/article/hero/40188
These legendary heroes belong to a princely class existing in an early stage of the history of a people, and they transcend ordinary men in skill, strength, and courage. They are usually born to their role. Some, like the Greek Achilles and the Irish Cú Chulainn (Cuchulain), are of semidivine origin, unusual beauty, and extraordinary precocity. A few, like the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and the Russian Ilya of Murom, are dark horses, slow to develop.
Villain
The Closer Look. (2016, October 2). How to make a great villain [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga0rs2G8BGI
- Literary Terms. (n.d.) Villain. Retrieved from https://literaryterms.net/villain/A villain is the bad guy, the one who comes up with diabolical plots to somehow cause harm or ruin. It is one of the archetype characters in many stories. The villain may truly believe that he/she is helping society, but causes harm in the process. In the old days, the villain (usually a man) would somehow be harming the damsel-in-distress (helpless female), who needed the hero (the strong he-man) to save her. Nowadays, we are seeing more women as villains and heroes, and the damsel-in-distress may be a man or a community. However, the archetype characteristics remain the same, only the gender changes.
Protagonist
Rockall-Schmidt, G, (2017, September 9). What makes a compelling movie hero or protagonist? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQzxE3hPw9U
- Author Learning Centre. (2019). Characters 101: What is a Protagonist and Antagonist - article. Retrieved from https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/character-development/1941/characters-101-what-is-a-protagonist-and-antagonist---articleThe protagonist is your book’s main character, or the one driving the story. He or she will be the lens through which your readers see everything—so your protagonist has to be interesting enough to sustain an entire book.
Often, your protagonist will begin the story with some kind of goal or wish. Then, early on in your book, something or someone will call your character to action, allowing them a way to accomplish their goal.
For example, in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins’s goal is to destroy the ring and defeat Sauron. In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Captain Ahab’s goal is to kill the whale.
Without a goal, your protagonist has no story. Giving him or her a strong desire or need is essential to developing an interesting main character that can sustain a book.
Antagonist
LFTS. (2016, August 23). The dark knight – creating the ultimate antagonist [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFUKeD3FJm8
- Author Learning Centre. (2018). Characters 101: What is a Protagonist and Antagonist - article. Retrieved from https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/character-development/1941/characters-101-what-is-a-protagonist-and-antagonist---articlehe antagonist is the person or force that will move your protagonist toward growth and change throughout the story. The antagonist often takes the form of a villain, or someone who directly opposes the main character in many ways.
Just like the protagonist, an antagonist should have a clear goal and motivations for achieving it—but these goals will be in direct contrast to the goals of your main character. That’s what makes things interesting!
For example, in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Voldemort is intent on becoming the most powerful wizard and taking over the world.
Without an antagonist, your main character will face no opposition, and therefore your story will have no conflict.
Stereotype (stereotypical)
Mad English TV. (2017, October 21). English vocabulary – stereotype [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=volAf36kZbY
- Literary Terms. (n.d.) Stereotype. Retrieved from https://literaryterms.net/stereotype/Stereotyping is assuming that “they’re all alike.” It’s looking at a whole group of people and assuming that they all share certain qualities. For example, when you meet an elderly lady, you might assume that she has certain traits – that she likes to knit, or is a grandmother. But these assumptions are stereotypes, and there’s no guarantee that they are right! After all, the lady might not have any grandchildren or might prefer dancing. Stereotypes are very common in popular culture, and can be found in literature as well – mostly due to a lack of information or awareness on the part of the writer but also for comedic effect.
Atypical
Pop Culture Detective. (2017, May 29). The fantastic masculinity of Newt Scamander [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4kuR1gyOeQ
- Vocabulary.com (n.d.) Atypical. Retrieved from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/atypicalTypical means what you would expect—a typical suburban town has lots of neat little houses and people. Atypical means outside of type—an atypical suburban town might be populated by zombies in damp caves.
Fictional
Mysimpleshow. (2017, February 7). Fiction. This video is going to explain: What is fiction. Definition of fiction. Types of fiction [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX-hUAqB0rk
- Hoover Public Library. (2019). What is the difference between "fiction" and "nonfiction"? Retrieved from http://www.hooverlibrary.org/faq/fiction_vs_nonfiction“Fiction” refers to literature created from the imagination. Mysteries, science fiction, romance, fantasy, chick lit, crime thrillers are all fiction genres. Examples of classic fiction include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 1984 by George Orwell and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Our Fiction Department also has a large selection of popular movies and television shows on DVD.
“Nonfiction” refers to literature based in fact. It is the broadest category of literature. The Nonfiction Department has books and videos in many categories including biography, business, cooking, health and fitness, pets, crafts, home decorating, languages, travel, home improvement, religion, art and music, history, self-help, true crime, science and humor. We also have a section of popular and award-winning documentary DVDs.
Myths, Legends, Fables and Fairytales.
Mometrix Academy. (2017, December 19). Intro to myths, fables, legends, and fairy tales [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=hps4nnNbLFc
- Knowledge Nuts. (2013). The Difference Between Legends, Myths, And Fairy Tales. Retrieved https://knowledgenuts.com/2013/12/23/the-difference-between-legends-myths-and-fairy-tales/Legends, myths, and fairy tales are all various types of folklore, most of which have been passed down through generations. Legends are usually based on some sort of historical fact and have had their characters or events embellished over the tellings and retellings. Fairy tales generally have some sort of fantastic element, and might feature magic, imaginary creatures, and often a conflict between sides that are clearly good and evil. A myth has its basis in religion, often telling stories of supernatural beings or creators, and usually explaining some sort of natural phenomenon.
Myth
CrashCourse. (2017, February, 24). What is a myth: crash course world mythology #1 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=HeX6CX5LEj0
- Knowledgenuts. (2019). The difference between legends, myths, and fairytales. Retrieved from https://knowledgenuts.com/2013/12/23/the-difference-between-legends-myths-and-fairy-tales/Legends, myths, and fairy tales are all various types of folklore, most of which have been passed down through generations. Legends are usually based on some sort of historical fact and have had their characters or events embellished over the tellings and retellings. Fairy tales generally have some sort of fantastic element, and might feature magic, imaginary creatures, and often a conflict between sides that are clearly good and evil. A myth has its basis in religion, often telling stories of supernatural beings or creators, and usually explaining some sort of natural phenomenon.
Legend
ALC Curriculum. (2013, August 13). What is a legend? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSHVXtJJwHQ
- Exemplore. (2018). 10 of the World's Most Famous Legends. Retrieved from https://exemplore.com/legends/Famous-LegendsHistory is full of legends that have mystified and entertained people for millennia. Legends hail from different cultures around the world—some are still held as strong beliefs; however, some of them have faded away with time.
Fairytale
Lee, N. (2017, October 15). Fairy tale elements. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlWCG78Bm2w
- Myth. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://school-eb-com-au.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/levels/high/article/myth/108748he term fairy tale, if taken literally, should refer only to stories about fairies, a class of supernatural and sometimes malevolent beings—often believed to be of diminutive size—who were thought by people in medieval and postmedieval Europe to inhabit a kingdom of their own; a literary expression of this belief can be found in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The term fairy tale, however, is normally used to refer to a much wider class of narrative, namely stories (directed above all at an audience of children) about an individual, almost always young, who confronts strange or magical events; examples are “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella,” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The modern concept of the fairy tale seems not to be found earlier than the 18th century in Europe, but the narratives themselves have earlier analogues much farther afield, notably in the Indian Katha-saritsagara (The Ocean of Story) and in The Thousand and One Nights.
Fantasy
Molding Minds. (2015, December 12). Fiction book genres – what is fantasy [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_cqszvdTqk
- Find me an Author. (n.d.) Fantasy Fiction Genre. Retrieved from http://www.findmeanauthor.com/fantasy_fiction_genre.htm
The definition of this fictional genre could be described as something that contains rudiments that are not realistic, such as magical powers, talking animals, etc. Fantasy is often characterized by a departure from the accepted rules by which individuals perceive the world around them; it represents that which is impossible (unexplained) and outside the parameters of our known, reality. Make-believe is what this genre is all about.
Another description of a Fantasy Novel is any book that contains unrealistic settings, or magic, often set in a medieval universe, or possibly involving mythical beings or supernatural forms as a primary element of the plot, theme, or setting. Something magical is almost always part of fantasy and magic may be seen in the setting or in the plot. It may even be practiced by the characters.
Fantasy usually describes those stories that could not happen in real life. Fairy tales by known authors, such as those by Hans Christian Andersen, are considered modern fantasy and have no problem relating to young children; in fact most adolescents grow up believing in fantasy. They wish on candles, wait for tooth fairies, talk to their stuffed animals and play with imaginary friends.
quintessential
Iswearenglish. (2016, January 6). Quintessential - quintessentially - vocabulary builder 3 - ESL British English pronunciation[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS1HC0GYQm8
- Oxford University Press. (2019). Quintessential. Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/quintessentialRepresenting the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
‘he was the quintessential tough guy—strong, silent, and self-contained’
Essential
Marvel Entertainment. (2016, August 19). Marvel top 10 super hero attributes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny-_gYREv0g
- Vocabulary.com. (2019). Essential. Retrieved from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/essentialTypical means what you would expect—a typical suburban town has lots of neat little houses and people. Atypical means outside of type—an atypical suburban town might be populated by zombies in damp caves.