Characterization

Literature
I. What is Characterization?

Characterization is a writer’s tool, or “literary device” that occurs any time the
author uses details to teach us about a person. This is used over the course of a
story in order to tell the tale.

Aristotle first defined characterization in the 15th century, speaking of the

importance of plot over character in Poetics, “Tragedy is representation, not of

men, but of action and life.” What he means here is that “tragedy” (or drama,
meaning a story) is not centered on the thoughts, and histories, and dreams of
the characters. The story is centered on what happens to them (the plot), so
writers employ characterization to relay information about those thoughts,
histories, and dreams, without drifting away from the action.

II. Examples of Characterization

The way a character speaks can inform us of their background and personality,
like how educated they are, or what they consider to be important. Even the
way other characters speak to and about our characters is a form of
characterization.

Example 1
In the Harry Potter series, Dobby refers to Potter as “the noble Harry Potter,” or
“good Harry Potter,” which shows us how the house elf adores the young wizard.
It might also be a hint of how Dobby would show affection for other people he
admires.

Example 2
The way a character reacts to a certain scene also teaches us about them. For

example, a character who snubs a beggar has is different from a character who
opens their wallet and hands over a wad of hundreds, and still there are more
differences from a character who works directly with the homeless population in
a city. Characterization can happen in many, many ways.

III. Types of Characterization

a. Direct/Explicit
This is clearly informative, and often uses the narrator, the protagonist, or the
character themselves. The narration, “Clara had always been a smug, wicked
little princess,” is a form of direct or explicit characterization, as is the line of
dialogue, “Nicholas will never stop until he gets what he wants! He’s crazy!”

b. Indirect/Implicit
This more subtle method of characterization relies on you, the reader, to decide
for yourself what it means. Indirect or implicit characterization uses behavior,
speech, and appearance, as well as the opinions of other characters. Although
other characters can be used to make direct characterization (“Nicholas is
crazy!”), they can also be used to make indirect characterization about
themselves.

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Figuring out what it all means is most of the fun, and it’s the reason fans of

certain books, shows, and movies can argue about whether or not a certain
character is good, or evil, or in love. They’ve interpreted the characterization
differently.

c. The Importance of Characterization

Modern storytelling usually emphasizes characterization even more than

classical literature. This is because characterization is a major tool in the

plot-driven narrative. They can quickly connect the reader to the character,
without taking them out of the action. When you’re busy moving characters
from one place to another, making things happen to them, it’s clumsy to
suddenly stop, get inside of Tom’s head, and drift around with his thoughts for a
while. On the other hand, no one is going to truly care about a story if they
don’t care about its characters, whether by love or hate or even just
amusement or pity.

So, it’s very useful to balance these two areas of development. Plot and

character should be developing side by side and rely upon each other, which
reflects the human experience. After all, how much of our own “plots” are
related to our decisions (our character), and how much of it is totally random
and disconnected from what we do?

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IV. Characterization in Literature

Many of the most famed manuscripts are beloved for their “strong characters,”

which is another way of saying characterization. Harry Potter has already been
mentioned and has many beloved characters such as Hermione or Hagrid. From
The Great Gatsby to A Christmas Carol, characterization is a major facet of both
classical and popular fiction.

Example 1

In The Great Gatsby, the location of lower upper-class characters (East Egg)
compared to the location of upper upper-class characters (West Egg) serves to
characterize their financial boundary.

Example 2

In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge tells a charity collector that, if the poor would
rather die (than go to poor-houses), they’d better do it, and “decrease the
surplus population.” This line tells us a lot about how Scrooge sees both other
people and his own good fortune.

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V. Examples of Characterization in Pop Culture

Characterization, like many elements of storytelling technique, is an invisible

tool to most casual readers. Many craft books and classes are devoted to the
subject; they help build and portray strong, flawed, and realistic characters. The
main source of characterization in pop culture comes from writers, actors,
directors, and other types of artists that create scripts or skits. These mediums
usually help the actors form the characters seen in plays, movies, TV shows,
and other similar mediums. Here are a few examples:

Example 1

Even Progressive commercials, which use the recurring salesperson Flo, could
be said to use this skill.

Janice Bought a House | Progressive Insurance Commercial

Example 2

Comedians can be said to use characterization for their stage personalities,

because of its intentionally staged format, which details a certain personality.

Comedians like Jeff Dunham actually create multiple characters. Using his
ventriloquist skills and characterization, he jokes about different subjects
relevant to the character.

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Example 3
In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, we see best-known movie characters that is a
product of characterization. In the excerpt from the movie, his monologue
introduces us to him, his opinions, and his plan of skipping school. More than
likely, the monologue was scripted this way in order to give the audience an
idea of the main character and what’s to come.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Opening Monologue

Keep in mind that although sometimes real people may seem like fictional
characters—for example, rock stars or those on reality television—they are not
agents of characterization unless they are being featured in a written work, such
as in a magazine article, or a biographical book or film. Only in this scenario
would the artist then use characterization to show personality in a manner
which does not detract from the narrative (plot) itself.

VI. Related Terms

Flat, or unidimensional

These terms are used to criticize characters who are poorly characterized, or
poorly developed. Oftentimes, they speak in ways that don’t sound realistic, and
are considered to be stereotypes. For example, the busy housewife could easily
be called unidimensional. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have characters who
seem to be stereotypes, but it does mean that they need to not be stereotypes
upon closer examination. Perhaps the busy housewife loves to blow off steam

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with hiking and camping, instead of with a “spa day” that might just reinforce
the stereotype.

Archetype
Coined by Carl Jung, this refers to a set of twelve character types which
(supposedly) exist across cultural boundaries and eras of time. Many writers
consult these archetypes, but don’t rely on them alone. The twelves archetypes
are: the Hero, the Caregiver, the Explorer, the Rebel, the Lover, the Creator, the
Jester, the Innocent, the Sage, the Magician, the Orphan, and the Ruler.

VII. Conclusion

Characterization is one of the main building blocks of fiction today, no matter

what genre or media the story uses. Anything that teaches the audience about
your character is characterization, but the most common methods are through
concrete action, dialogue, description, and the actions, thoughts, and words of
the other characters in regards to the characterized character.

Discuss the following questions in groups and share.

King Lear:

● a tragic hero? (does he recognise his flaws and gain self-knowledge?)

● his nobility (is he a good man? / strengths & weaknesses / virtues & flaws)

● his relationship with his daughters & treatment of / by them

● the extent to which he is responsible for the tragedy which occurs

● our level of sympathy for him

Gloucester:

● his nobility / is he a good man? / strengths and weaknesses / virtues and flaws

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 ● our level of sympathy for him

● his relationship with his sons & treatment of / by them

● his dramatic function in the play

Lear & Gloucester:

● how and why their stories mirror each other

● the extent to which they bring about their own downfall

● our level of sympathy for them

Cordelia:

● too good to be true or a believable character?

● virtues and flaws / our level of sympathy for her

● dramatic function in the play?

Goneril and Regan:

● treatment of their father

● extent to which they present a very negative view of women

Edmund:

● an admirable villain? or a sociopath?

Edmund and Edgar:

● contrast in their characters and personalities

Kent and The Fool

● dramatic function and believability

All characters:

● contrast the extremes of good and evil presented in the characters in the play

● the play is very pessimistic about human nature

● the play is very pessimistic about human relationships / family / parent – child dynamics

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THEMES:

The major themes in the play are:

● Justice

● Family

● Loyalty & Betrayal

● Blindness

● Appearance vs Reality (Deception/Manipulation)

● Madness

● Love

● Good and Evil

● Suffering

● Forgiveness

● Kingship

For each theme – no matter what the wording – ask yourself

WHO does this theme apply to?

HOW / WHY does this character have to deal with this issue?

Do they CHANGE over the course of the play?

Are there any SCENES which highlight this theme specifically?

What are our FINAL IMPRESSIONS of this issue?

OPEN QUESTIONS:

● Relevance to a modern audience

● Pessimistic play?

STYLE QUESTIONS:

● Language & Imagery

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 ● Dramatic Irony

● Compelling Drama – scene or scenes

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

In each case you are given a statement which you can fully agree with, partially agree with or
completely disagree with. In the most recent Chief Examiner’s Report, students were advised to
avoid taking an overly simplistic approach (“I agree 100% that…”). It’s understandable that this
would be your first instinct under exam conditions, but remember that a single sentence rarely
sums up accurately the complexity and nuance of an entire play. Yes, you’ll look for evidence that
supports the statement, but you’ll also need to display an awareness that different phases in the
play contain different truths. Your attitude to a character, theme, relationship in the play will
change and morph as the play unfolds and the plot develops…

King Lear

“King Lear is a man more sinned against than sinning” – Discuss

“Lear is a ‘foolish fond old man’ who deserves everything he gets” – Discuss

“Lear embarks on a harrowing journey through suffering to self-knowledge. At the end of the play
he is a better and wiser man“

“The play King Lear is a realistic tragedy that depicts the tragic consequences of one man’s folly“

“King Lear is not a tragic hero, but rather a victim of circumstances“

Gloucester

“Gloucester is a weak and gullible man, but at heart, a decent one”

“Gloucester serves an important dramatic function in making Lear’s circumstances more credible”

“Discuss the dramatic significance of the Gloucester story in the play King Lear”

Lear and Gloucester

“Neither Lear nor Gloucester are deserving of the love and service they receive from their
followers”

Cordelia

“Cordelia shares with her father the faults of pride and obstinacy”

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“Cordelia’s dramatic function in the play is twofold: her wisdom highlights her father’s foolishness;
her goodness highlights her sisters’ malevolence”

Goneril and Regan

“Lear’s evil daughters allow Shakespeare to present a very negative view of women in the play”

Edmund

“Edmund is a sociopath: a charming liar, incapable of remorse, who views men and women
merely as obstacles or aids to his ambition”

“Edmund is an admirable villain. At the beginning of the play he has nothing; by the end he is
almost King”

Edmund and Edgar

“Gloucester’s sons represent the very best and the very worst in human nature”

Minor characters: Kent & The Fool

“The Fool serves as Lear’s conscience in the play. When he disappears, it is because Lear no
longer needs him”

“The fool is an unnecessary distraction in the play King Lear”

“Kent is too loyal to be believable as a real human being”

General character questions

“The play King Lear offers characters who represent the very best and the very worst in human
nature”

“Shakespeare’s King Lear presents a dark and pessimistic view of humanity”

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