36 character types (extracted from Georges Polti's "The Art of Inventing Characters")

Georges Polti (1867-1946) compiled long classifications of different types of literary devices. His most famous book is "The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations", a description that was also taken as a prescription by future authors. He also did a similar work on character types, "The Art of Inventing Characters". In it, he outlines 36 types of literary characters.

36 you say?

THAT'S A D66 TABLE OF COURSE!

So I took the e-text of the 1922 English translation (available on archive.org!) and turned it into a random table. There are also freakin' subtables for each of the 36 entries, with a dozen or so types.

Warning: Mind, though: the source text is quite awful. It's essentialist, moralizing and misogynistic. It's naive in how the author thinks that a classification of things (including literary constructs) is the revelation of the true nature of the whole world, and a key to understanding human psychology.

Nevertheless, here's a random table!

Good for melodramatic RPGs?

			CHARACTERS
1	1	VESTA	The Pious
	2		The Wise
	3		The Faithful
	4	JUNO	The Jealous
	5		The Vengeful and Just
	6		The Strict and Severe
2	1	NEPTUNE	The Avaricious and Grasping
	2		The Despotic
	3		The Ambitious
	4	MINERVA	The Daring and Romantic
	5		Adventurers
	6		The Eloquent and Boastful
3	1	VENUS	The Seductive and Seducing
	2		Courtesans
	3		The Vicious
	4	APOLLO	The Impassioned
	5		The Chimerical
	6		The Intellectual
4	1	MERCURY	The Shrewd
	2		The Traitorous
	3		The Knavish
	4	JUPITER	The Arrogant and Insolent
	5		The Haughty and Dignified
	6		The Majestic and Protecting
5	1	CERES	The Generous and Prodigal
	2		The Gay and Sensual
	3		The Vulgar and Practical
	4	VULCAN	The Earnest and Serious
	5		The Deluded and Discouraged
	6		The Unselfish and Devoted
6	1	MARS	Murderers and Assassins
	2		The Violent and Rebellious
	3		The Bold and Fearless
	4	DIANA	The Tender and Sentimental
	5		The Weak
	6		The Pure

Subtables for each type:

The Pious	1.    The Constant 2.    Religious Scholars, Theologians 3.    Mystics 4.    The Superstitious 5.    Bigots 6.    The Ardently Devout 7.    Fanatics 8.    Hypocrites 9.    Prudes 10. Hypocrite by Necessity 11.  Tragic Hypocrites
The Wise	1.    The Impious 2.    Sarcastic Philosophers 3.    Sceptics 4.    Jovial Sages 5.    Aesopic Sages 6.    Adventurous Sages 7.    Soothsayers and Good Counsellors 8.    Healers 9.    Venerable Sages 10. Sad or Stern Sages 11.  Feeble Sages 12. Sages of Comic Aspect 13. Simple Sages 14. Sages of Deep Understanding 15. Intellectual Sages 16. Prudent Sages 17.  Home-lovers
The Faithful	1.    Spouses 2.    Spouses Faithful from Duty alone, without Love 3.    Faithful even to Sacrifice 4.    Constant Fiancees 5.    Sacrificed Mistresses 6.    Obstinately Faithful Widowhood 7.    Misunderstood Fidelity 8.    Fathers and Mothers 9.    Relatives 10. Adoptive Parents 11.  Disciples 12. Friends
The Jealous	1.    Wives and Husbands 2.    Lovers 3.    Jealous Adulterers 4.    The Scorned and Revengefully Jealous 5.    Jealousy without the Desire of Possessing 6.    Love through Jealousy 7.    Retrospective Jealousy 8.    Jealousy of a Pure Affection 9.    Jealousy of Friends 10. Jealousy of a Mother's New Loves 11.  Jealousy Of a Father's New Loves
The Vengeful and Just	1.    The Passionately Revengeful 2.    Righteous Avengers of their Cause 3.    The Irascible 4.    Avengers of their Honor 5.    Avengers of the Honor of Relatives 6.    Avengers of Kindred 7.    Avenger of a Mistress 8.    Avenger of Friends 9.    Avenger of Compatriots 10. Judges or Enforcers of Justice
The Strict and Severe	1.    Unmerciful Scolds 2.    Grumblers and Faultfinders 3.    Misanthropes 4.    Misogynists 5.    Puritans 6.    Scathing Critics 7.    Malcontents 8.    The Morose and Churlish 9.    The Harsh and Resolute 10. The Sarcastic 11.  The Litigious 12. Vixens and Scolds 13. The Uneven-tempered 14. The Headstrong 15. The Singular Man
The Avaricious and Grasping	1.    The Selfish 2.    The Covetous 3.    Speculators, Stock-jobbers, etc. 4.    Unscrupulous Rascals 5.    The Criminally Covetous 6.    Cajolers of Parents or Rich Masters 7.    Go-betweens and Procurers 8.    Keepers of Gaming Houses 9.    Keepers of Opium Dens 10. Saloon-keepers 11.  Usurers 12. Misers 13. Luxurious Misers
The Despotic	1.    Domestic Despots 2.    Imperious Despots 3.    Tyrannical Subordinates 4.    Tyrannical and Lustful Subordinates 5.    Despotic and Fanatical Subordinates 6.    Fanatical and Intolerant Tyrants 7.    Tyrants 8.    Pitiless Parents 9.    Evil Geniuses 10. Base Despots 11.  Voluptuous Tyrants
The Ambitious	1.    Ordinary Ambition 2.    The Ambitious Troubled in Mind, or Already Guilty 3.    Presumptuous Ambition 4.    Forceful Ambition 5.    Hard Ambition 6.    Unbecoming Ambition 7.    Infatuated by Ambition 8.    Murderers through Ambition 9.    Vague Comic Ambitions
The Daring and Romantic	1.    Daring by Circumstance 2.    Greatly Daring Men 3.    Conspirators 4.    Daring Conquerors 5.    Knightly Adventurers 6.    The Chevaleresque 7.    Explorers 8.    Travellers 9.    The Curious and Imprudent 10. The Romantic 11.  Daring in Love 12. The Daring by Nature
Adventurers	1.    Adventurers Painted by their Enemies 2.    Adventurers by Nature 3.    Corsairs, etc. 4.    False Pretenders 5.    Criminal Adventurers 6.    Mysterious Strangers 7.    Intellectual Adventurers 8.    Plotters 9.    Occultists 10. Tragic Sorcerers 11.  Liars
The Eloquent and Boastful	1.    Imaginative Story-tellers 2.    The Loquacious 3.    Fluent and Ready Talkers 4.    The Garrulous 5.    The Witty 6.    Jesters and Banterers 7.    Mystificators and Mockers 8.    Brazen Boasters 9.    The Eloquent 10. Adventurers Luring and Misleading by their Language
The Seductive and Seducing	1.    Seductive and Persuasive Talkers 2.    Seduction and Base Conduct 3.    Ingenuous Impurity 4.    Lofty Allurement 5.    The Pretentious 6.    Tender Coquetry 7.    Coquettes in Love 8.    Coquettes par excellence 9.    Fickle Triflers 10. The Immodest and Provocative 11.  Great Seducers 12. Fops and Coxcombs 13. Fatal Seductions 14. Machiavellian Seducers
Courtesans	1.    Cold and Selfish 2.    Dangerous and Perfidious 3.    Hypocritical Parasitic Men 4.    Profligate Girls 5.    Powerful Courtesans 6.    Courtesans of Antiquity 7.    Humble, Tender or Innocent Girls 8.    Amorous Courtesans 9.    Affectionate Girls
The Vicious	1.    The Inhumanly Vicious 2.    The Infatuated 3.    Gross Libertines 4.    Mature Sensualists 5.    The Disgraced and Degraded 6.    Cruel Debauchees 7.    The Insatiable 8.    Perfidious Debauchees 9.    Impious Debauchees 10. Pedantic Debauchees 11.  The Abnormal 12. Morphomaniacs and Opium-eaters 13. Masochists and other Bizarre Cases
The Impassioned	1.    Hysterical Temperaments 2.    The Incestuous 3.    Adulterers 4.    Impassioned Profaners of Religion 5.    Generous Sacrifices of Love 6.    Brisk Gallants 7.    Noble Hearts 8.    Sinners Redeemed by Love 9.    Unfortunate in their Loves 10. Proscribed Lovers 11.  Forsaken or Forlorn Lovers 12. Lovers of Married Women, not less Unfortunate
The Chimerical	1.    Vowed to Unhappiness for the Sake of Love 2.    Shamed by their Children 3.    Victims 4.    The Sorrowful 5.    Victims of Courts 6.    The Morbidly Scrupulous 7.    Vanquished by Weakness 8.    Tormented by an Obligatory Crime 9.    Consequences of an Involuntary Sin 10. Remorse 11.  Vanquished by Misery or Social Injustice 12. Pessimists 13. The Unlucky 14. Stricken by Madness 15. The Eccentric and Insane 16. Chimerical Lovers 17.  Superstitious but not Religious 18. Utopians 19. Sincere Occultists 20.Chimerical Philosophers 21. Collectors and Statisticians
The Intellectual	1.    Savants 2.    Sham Savants 3.    Pretentious Patrons of the Arts 4.    Enthusiastic Dilettantes 5.    Theorists of Art 6.    Pedantic Scribblers 7.    Professional Pedants 8.    Sham Intellectuals 9.    Intellectual Natures 10. Fatal Intellectuality 11.  Heroes of an Idea
The Shrewd	1.    Physical Adroitness 2.    Valets or Slaves 3.    Mental adroitness 4.    The Subtle 5.    Wise Diplomats 6.    Keen Diplomats 7.    Odious Diplomats 8.    The Witty and Adaptable 9.    Flattering Demagogues 10. Courtiers 11.  Too Crafty Counsellors 12. The Cunning 13. The Insinuating 14. Deceivers and Cheats 15. The Artful 16. The Unscrupulous
The Traitorous	1.    Informers 2.    Spies 3.    Spies of War 4.    Traitors through Cupidity 5.    Treachery of Mean Natures 6.    Traitors from Jealousy or Scorned Love 7.    Revengeful Treachery 8.    Traitors to Love 9.    Ingrates 10. Betrayers of Friends or Brothers 11.  The Envious
The Knavish	1.    Evil Speakers and Backbiters 2.    Calumniators 3.    Degraded by Cupidity 4.    The Base and Mean 5.    The Sinister 6.    Knaves 7.    Daring Rogues
The Arrogant and Insolent	1.    Parvenus 2.    Pedants (the parvenus of the intellectual life) 3.    The Impious 4.    Vanity of Connections 5.    Naive Insolence 6.    Insolent Beggars 7.    The Haughty and Harsh 8.    The Proud 9.    The Vain 10. Exaggerated Pretensions 11.  Vain Imitators 12. The Self-important
The Haughty and Dignified	1.    Haughty by Nature 2.    The Haughty and Ambitious 3.    Sorrowful Pride 4.    Lofty Dignity 5.    Sham Distinction 6.    Old Beaux of Fine Manners
The Majestic and Protecting	1.    Royal Protectors 2.    Severe Majesty 3.    Scorned and Buffeted Majesty 4.    Majestic by Nature 5.    Lofty Bearing 6.    The Venerable 7.    The Calm 8.    The Merciful 9.    Generous Tenderness 10. The Hospitable 11.  Protectors 12. Protection by the Weak
The Generous and Prodigal	1.    Benevolent Good-nature 2.    The Charitable 3.    The Generous 4.    The Liberal 5.    The Sumptuous 6.    The Ostentatious 7.    The Prodigal 8.    Gamesters
The Gay and Sensual	1.    The Gay 2.    Optimists 3.    Quiet Epicureans 4.    Bohemians 5.    Buffoons 6.    Kindly Old People 7.    Jovial Drunkards 8.    Estimable Drunkards 9.    Degraded by Drunkenness 10. Sinister Drunkards 11.  Drunken Rogues 12. Gluttons 13. Gourmands and Epicures 14. Parasites
The Vulgar and Practical	1.    The Lazy 2.    Egoists 3.    The Too Prudent 4.    The Pusillanimous 5.    The Craven 6.    Comic Poltroons 7.    Moral Cowardice 8.    The Rustic and Simple 9.    The Vulgar-souled 10. The Squalid and Dirty 11.  The Stupid 12. Good Sense 13. Vulgar Common Sense
The Earnest and Serious	1.    Narrow Professionals 2.    The Clumsy and Awkward 3.    The Resigned and Stoical 4.    The Just and Upright 5.    The Honest and Straightforward 6.    The Inflexible 7.    The Austere and Correct 8.    The Grave and Laborious 9.    The Pious and Honorable 10. Laborious Enthusiasts 11.  The Physically Strong, often Weak in Character
The Deluded and Discouraged	1.    The Weak 2.    The Forgiving 3.    Victims of Perfidy 4.    The Unloved 5.    Ridiculous Young Wooers 6.    Ridiculous Old Wooers 7.    The Deceived 8.    Deceived and Unlucky 9.    Deceived but Repellant 10. Deceived Philosophers 11.  Cuckolds 12. The Flouted and Derided 13. Hypochondriacs 14. The Ingenuous
The Unselfish and Devoted	1.    The Ingenuously Unselfish 2.    Purses and Foster-fathers 3.    Unselfish Devotion 4.    Devotion to the Point of Sacrifice 5.    Devotion for Love of God 6.    Artful Devotion 7.    Important Guardians or Servitors 8.    Devotion Freely Given 9.    Devotion because of an Unrealizable Love 10. Disciples 11.  Zealots
Murderers and Assassins	1.    Hired Murderers 2.    Bravos and Assassins 3.    Poisoners 4.    Vindictive Murderers 5.    Slayers of Children 6.    Fratricides and Parricides 7.    Unconscious Murderers 8.    Cunning and Cynical Murderers 9.    Murderers through Desire of Wealth and Advancement 10. Murderous but Ridiculous Brigands 11.  Sinister Brigands 12. Furious Bandits 13. Cold-blooded Murderers
The Violent and Rebellious	1.    Rebels against the Law 2.    The Brutal and Primitive 3.    The Quarrelsome 4.    "Mousquetaires" 5.    Braggarts 6.    Cruel Warriors 7.    Savage Hunters 8.    The Abusive 9.    The Uncivil 10. The Shrewish or Surly 11.  The Irascible 12. Ravishers 13. The Impulsive 14. Revolutionaries by Temperament 15. Tyrannicides
The Bold and Fearless	1.    Heroines of Sacred History 2.    Patriot Heroes 3.    Intrepid Warriors 4.    Calm and Noble Courage 5.    Moral Rebels 6.    Enthusiasts 7.    Ridiculous Enthusiasts 8.    The Generous and Honest 9.    Comic Audacity
The Tender and Sentimental	1.    The Indiscreetly Sentimental 2.    Easily Disposed to Follow the Beloved 3.    The Tender 4.    Amorous Adolescents and Children 5.    Passionate Friendships of Childhood and Adolescence 6.    Lover-friends 7.    Pure Lovers 8.    Tender Visionaries 9.    The Silently Tender 10. Tender Self-sacrifice 11.  Humble Lovers 12. The Seduced and Betrayed
The Weak	1.    Tenderness to Terrible Rivals 2.    Beloved by Formidable Men 3.    Espoused by Imposing Men 4.    Victims of Husbands 5.    Persecution by Rejected Suitors 6.    Pure and Gentle Victims 7.    Helpless Children or Young Girls 8.    Youthful Victims 9.    Victims of Social Corruption 10. Moral Weakness 11.  Weak Parents 12. The Shy 13. The Hesitant 14. Boobies 15. The Capricious 16. The Null and Banal 17.  Weak in Mind, but nevertheless superior 18. Madness 19. Artless Simpletons 20.The Heedless and Absent-minded 21. The Ingenuously Sensible 22. The Humble and Pathetic
The Pure	1.    Ingenues 2.    Purity Despite Impure Environment 3.    Purity of Soul Despite Physical Impurity 4.    Purity Sweetened by Tenderness 5.    The Pure 6.    The Simple 7.    The Upright 8.    The Chaste