TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02
THEORY ASPECTS
Character or What things should we
characterization look at?

03 04
TIPS EXERCISE + HW
archetypes
 DEFINITIONS
• A character refers to a person,
animal, or any other entity that is
presented in a story.

• Characterization: the process by

which an author creates and
develops a character in a story.
Characterization
This involves using various techniques
such as description, dialogue, actions, and
thoughts to reveal a character's
personality, traits, and motivations.

By understanding how an author uses

characterization, readers can gain a
deeper insight into a character's role in
the story and how they contribute to the
overall themes and message of the
literary work.
 ROLE OF THE CHARACTER
● A character's role refers to their function or purpose in a story.
● A character's role can vary depending on the plot, themes, and other
characters in the story.
● A protagonist is typically the main character of the story who faces conflict
and drives the plot forward
● An antagonist is a character who opposes the protagonist and creates
obstacles for them to overcome.*
● Other character roles include:

○ Supporting characters: who assist the protagonist

○ Minor characters: who add depth to the story

○ Foils: who contrast with the main character and highlight their traits.

○ Symbolic characters: who represents something beyond their literal

existence in the story. They are often used by authors to convey
abstract ideas, themes, or concepts through a concrete character that
embodies them.
 WHAT IS THEIR MOTIVATION?

WHAT INFLUENCES GOALS, HOPES AND

VIEWS AND VALUES
THEM? DREAMS
Opinions, culture Is it their past? What makes them act?
Their context?*
 ACTIONS
HOW DOES THEIR
BEHAVIOUR ACTIONS IMPACT
OTHERS?

IS THERE AN INNER
ATTITUDES STRUGGLE?
 TRAITS
STRENGTHS
01 What are they good at?

FLAWS/ WEAKNESSES
02 What are they bad at?
RELATIONSHIPS
● Support network
● Families
● Acquaintances
● enemies

Interact with How others How they How does society

others? view them? view others? sees them?
 DEVELOPEMENT
DO THEY CHANGE?
Always compare a character’s initial
version to the current one.

WHAT MADE THEM CHANGE?

CAN THEY GO BACK?
 How do they say what they say?
What dont they say?
Make a list of representative quotes
AUTHOR’S INTENTION

• What are they trying to say?

• What purpose does the character serve in
the story?
• Does the character help show and idea?
• How do they want us to feel about the
character?
Archetypes
● Character archetypes
refer to recurring
patterns or types of
characters that appear in
literature, film, and other
forms of storytelling.

● These archetypes are

often based on universal
human experiences and
behaviors, and they can
help us understand and
relate to the characters
in a story.
 IN PAIRS PRACTICE
1. Watch the video
2. On a piece of paper draw the 9 part
diagram
3. Think about a character with your
partner
4. Analyze the character