16. Struggle: Hero and villain do battle

Disciplines > Storytelling > Propp's Morphology of the Folk Tale > 16. Struggle: Hero and villain do battle

Description | Discussion | See also

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Description

Symbol: H

The hero now meets the villain, usually face-to-face, and they do battle. The hero is now being tested fully and there is no way out, other than victory or defeat. The villain is a worthy opponent and the hero may falter and nearly fail at many points.

Example

In Star Wars, Luke and Han fight the storm-troopers whilst Obi-Wan fights Darth Vader.

Discussion

This is a central scene in the story and is usually told in blow-by-blow detail, spinning out the excitement and helping the reader vicariously experience the danger of the situation.