Characters are people or animals who take part in the action of a story. These are three types of characters whom we may meet in any story. Major Characters.

Literary Elements

Characterizati

on

SYMBOLISM

Theme SETTING

Characters and

Characterization

• Characters are people or animals who take part in the action of a story. These are three types of characters whom we may meet in any story.

• Major Characters • Minor character • Extras

Characters

Major characters include the protagonist, the antagonist, and other characters who have a large role in the story.

Major Characters

Protagonist: (the main/central character) The most important character in a story, poem, or play. The action of the story revolves around the protagonist. AKA: leading , central, or main.

Major Character

Major CharacterAntagonist: The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

They can provide the viewpoint of a story. They can also have their own subplot within

a story.

Other Major Characters

Minor characters: are characters who take place in the action but are not the focus of attention; they have a small role.

Minor Characters

Extra Characters : novels and movies need extra characters to create a realistic scene. Extra characters become part of the setting; therefore, we don’t mention them when discussing characters in a novel.

Extra Characters

• Static characters are characters that do not undergo any change from the story’s inception to its conclusion.

• Dynamic characters are characters that undergo change over the course of a story as a result of their experience. Most protagonists are dynamic.

Static and Dynamic Characters!

Characterization: The ways in which an author reveals the traits of characters to his audience.

Characterization

• Direct Characterization: a method wherein the author tells his readers about the character.

• Indirect Characterization: a method of characterization that requires the reader to conclude facts about a character’s traits. Indirect characterization include actions and words of a character; a physical description of a character; the thoughts of a character; and the thoughts, actions, and words of other characters.

Two Types of Characterization

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. • Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were

both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.”

• Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Parts of Speech Connection! • ***The author is using adjectives to describe the

character.

Direct Characterization

The malevolent queen was a venomous, cold-hearted witch, who consumed by jealousy.

Why is this direct characterization?

Direct Characterization

Direct CharacterizationYou Try It!

Indirect Characterization: a method of characterization that requires the reader to infer facts about a character’s traits.

Indirect characterization includes :• Speech: What does the character say? How does the character

speak?• Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private

thoughts and feelings? • Effect on others toward the character: What is revealed through

the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?

• Actions: What does the character do? How does the character behave?• Looks: What does the character look like? How does the character

dress?

Parts of Speech Connection***The author uses verbs to detail the character.

Indirect Characterization

The people in the village feared the malevolent queen because she slaughtered everyone in her path. Due to her overwhelming jealousy and desire for beauty, she sent a huntsman to cut out Snow White’s beating heart. After many failed attempts to kill Snow White, the evil queen disguised herself as a poor old woman, and poisoned Snow White with a red apple.

Why is this indirect characterization?

Indirect Characterization

Indirect CharacterizationYou Try It!