What a Character
Let's start with analyzing characters. When we analyze characters in literature, we look at several different aspects of the character:
- What the character says
- In dialogue – characters conversing with other characters
- In monologue – characters delivering speeches to other characters
- In soliloquy – characters delivering speeches to themselves or the audience
- In asides – characters speaking to the audience where it is understood that the other characters cannot hear what is said
- What the character does
- What other characters think/say about the character
- How other characters treat the character
- What the character wants (objective)
- Why the character wants it (motivation)
- What is standing in the way of the character getting what he wants (obstacle)
From there, we determine if a character is flat or round:
| Character Type | Definition | Examples |
| Flat | Having a single motivation or a character trait that defines all of the character's actions and reactions | The Hero – Superman The Villain - Voldemort |
| Round | Having complex motivations and reactions which make the character realistic | The characters from "Lost" or "Heroes" |
Remember: characters fall on a continuum from Flat to Round, so most are somewhere in the middle. Flat or Round is not an either/or choice. You must ask yourself how flat or how round a character is.
We also determine if a character is static or dynamic.
| Character Type | Definition | Examples |
| Static | Remaining the same at the beginning and end of the play; unchanged by the events | Gaston, the rough suitor of Beauty's in Beauty and the Beast |
| Dynamic | Changed by the events in one of two ways: physically(bodily) changed or psychically(mentally) changed | The Beast is physically dynamic and Beauty is psychically dynamic in Beauty and the Beast |
Dynamic characters can change in two ways:
- Gradually through the course of the plot
- Suddenly through an epiphany (a sudden and dramatic moment of clarity and understanding)
Remember: characters are either static or dynamic.
Now go on to test your skills with analyzing for character in The Crucible.
