rdfs:comment
| - A character who walks into a scene, says a few lines at most, and departs. Essentially, an extra with a line. But hey, it's a part. You have to start somewhere, and they wouldn't give away a part this small unless it served some purpose in the story, however small. Plus it's usually enough to get you a card in one of the actors guilds. Bit Character is the next step up. Compare with the Almost-Dead Guy, who walks into a scene, delivers a message, and dies horribly. A Herald is usually more dramatic and foreshadows The Call. Examples of Spear Carrier include:
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abstract
| - A character who walks into a scene, says a few lines at most, and departs. Essentially, an extra with a line. But hey, it's a part. You have to start somewhere, and they wouldn't give away a part this small unless it served some purpose in the story, however small. Plus it's usually enough to get you a card in one of the actors guilds. Bit Character is the next step up. Compare with the Almost-Dead Guy, who walks into a scene, delivers a message, and dies horribly. The word may come from Greek tragedy; when a play dealt with members of the nobility, their military entourage would usually serve as messengers -- often with bad news. It is also the standard term for an operatic supernumerary, one of several silent extras of either sex who may carry anything from a flagon to a kidnap victim. (See here.) A Herald is usually more dramatic and foreshadows The Call. Compare The Cameo and Pursued Protagonist. Not to be confused with the native assistant of the Great White Hunter, or with literal wielders of spears. Can sometimes result in a One-Scene Wonder. Examples of Spear Carrier include:
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