Editing Stock character (section)

{{short description|Literary or social stereotype used to create characters or determine their role in a story}}
[[File:Brewtnall - Sleeping Beauty.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Stock characters play an important role in fiction, including in [[fairy tale]]s, which use stock characters such as the [[damsel in distress]] and [[Prince Charming]] (pictured is ''[[Sleeping Beauty]]'').]]
A '''stock character''', also known as a '''character archetype''', is a type of [[Character (arts)|character]] in a [[narrative]] (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a [[storytelling]] [[tradition]] or [[Convention (norm)|convention]]. There is a [[List of stock characters|wide range of stock characters]], covering people of various ages, [[social class]]es and demeanors. They are [[archetypal]] characters distinguished by their simplification and [[flat character|flatness]]. As a result, they tend to be easy targets for [[parody]] and to be criticized as [[cliché]]s. The presence of a particular array of stock characters is a key component of many [[genre]]s, and they often help to identify a genre or subgenre. For example, a story with the stock characters of a [[knight-errant]] and a [[witch]] is probably a [[fairy tale]] or [[fantasy]].

There are several purposes to using stock characters. Stock characters are a time- and effort-saving shortcut for story creators, as authors can populate their tale with existing well-known character types. Another benefit is that stock characters help to move the story along more efficiently, by allowing the audience to already understand the character and their motivations.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title=stock character | encyclopedia=The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | access-date=22 January 2014 | author=Chris Baldick | year=2008 | pages=317 | isbn=9780199208272 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mp0s9GgrafUC&q=%22stock+character%22&pg=PA317}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title=stock character | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Identity | publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] | access-date=22 January 2014 | author=Kamesha Jackson | editor=Ronald L. Jackson II | year=2010 | url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageidentity/stock_character/0}}</ref> Furthermore, stock characters can be used to build an audience's expectations and, in some cases, they can also enhance narrative elements like suspense, irony, or [[plot twist]]s if those expectations end up subverted.