We have all heard of fairy tales, but the question is, whether or not we know the major characteristics that define them.
In fairy tales, there are different types of characters. Referred to as the protagonist, this character is good, and often the main character in the story. Called the antagonist, this character is evil, and is often in opposition to the protagonist, or main character. Characters are almost always clearly stated as good or bad, and when not, they are usually helpers.
The setting of fairy tales doesn’t usually have a specific time period that it is set in. This is why fairy tales tend to have beginnings like, “once upon a time” and “a long time ago”. Fairy tales often take place in castles and kingdoms, and have a type of royalty in it, usually kings and queens, but princes and princesses appear periodically, as well as lower classes of royalty.
Modern fairy tales almost always have happy endings, but older versions, and stories tend to differentiate. For example, the original version of Rapunzel involved her being locked up in a tower, and when the prince tried to save Rapunzel, he was blinded by the which. This kind of fairy tale was created to show a moral, and prove to listeners (often children) that a certain behavior is incorrect, or unacceptable in some way.
Fairy tales don’t have to include a fairy, but they usually have magical elements. These could include talking animals, transforming materials, and unrealistic beings of incredible power. For example in the story of Rumpelstiltskin, he used magic to turn three rooms of straw into gold.
In conclusion, those are some major characteristics of fairy tales.