Purpose

Tropes

They provide a shorthand or framework that creators can use to convey ideas quickly or to play with audience expectations. Tropes can be subverted, played straight, lampshaded, or inverted to create different effects in storytelling.

Memes

They are primarily for entertainment and are often used to convey humor, satire, or social commentary. They can also serve as a form of shared cultural knowledge or inside joke among internet users.

Evolution

Tropes

While they can evolve over time, the evolution of a trope is generally slower and is influenced by broader shifts in culture, storytelling techniques, and media consumption.

Memes

They can change rapidly, with variations appearing within hours or days. The lifespan of a meme can be very short, with some memes becoming outdated or "dead" within weeks.

Examples

Tropes

"Love Triangle," "Villain's Monologue," "The Mentor's Death."

Memes

"Distracted Boyfriend," "Mocking SpongeBob," "Two Buttons."

Medium

Tropes

Found in literature, film, TV shows, video games, and other forms of media.

Memes

Primarily spread via the internet, especially on social media platforms, forums, and meme specific websites.

In essence, while both tropes and memes are elements of shared cultural knowledge, tropes are tools used in storytelling across various media, while memes are bite-sized pieces of culture that spread virally online. However, it's worth noting that in the age of the internet, the line between them can blur, with memes sometimes becoming tropes in online storytelling and vice versa.