Characterization
Ms. Ward and Ms. Rubin
FDA VIII
Fall 2012
Learning Objective:
 After defining character traits, scholars will utilize a
STEAL chart to analyze traits.
Ink-Pair-Share
 Ink

Write 5 things that you KNOW about Robin Hood
(based on the story Ms. Ward read to you)
 Pair
 Discuss
 Share
 Share
you
your answers with your neighbor
your ideas when the teacher calls on
What is characterization?
 Characterization is the way writers
create and describe a character for the reader.

Are they
 Nice?
 Mean?
 Rude?
 Smart?
 Resourceful?

Have you ever heard of character traits?
What Character Traits Might Each of These People
Have?
How Do You Know?
3
1
2
How can I tell for sure?
 Writers most often use hints to show
(not tell) things that reveal the
personality of a character:
The
character’s speech,
The character’s thoughts,
The effect the character has on others,
The character’s actions,
The physical “looks” of the character
STEAL
So, What Do I do?
 Read the text
Speech
 Fill out a STEAL chart
Thoughts
 Look at all of the different
aspects of the character and
 Make a decision on what word
BEST fits the personality of the
character!
Actions
Effect on
Others
Looks
Personality
For Example: clever, sneaky, heroic, rude, willful,
sullen, generous, stubborn, obnoxious, helpful
Copy This Chart Into Your Binder (NOTES)
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on Others
Actions
Looks
Character Trait
“STEAL”
“S” stands for SPEECH
What does the character say?
For Example:
“I’ll give you these pieces of gold for your
hat and your cloak and your tattered old
breaches.”
“STEAL”
“T” stands for THOUGHTS.
What does the character think?
For Example:
“As we walked, he pondered* how to save the
widow’s sons.”
*thought
“STEAL”
“E” stands for
EFFECT ON OTHERS
How do other characters react around this
character? How does he/she make them feel?
For Example:
“But at that moment a hundred men in green
streamed into the square for Robin’s men
had heard the blast of his horn.”
“STEAL”
“A” stands for ACTIONS.
What does the character do?
How does the character behave?
For Example:
 Tricks the old man into giving him his
clothes
 Gets the sheriff to give him the hang-man
job
 He whispers his plan to the prisoners
 He frees the widow’s sons.
“STEAL”
“L” stands for LOOKS.
What does the character look like?
How does the character dress?
For Example:
“He was dressed in the colors of green and
brown.”
“A fine figure he made as he wandered down
the lane towards Nottingham.”
“He tucked his arrows under his clothes and
leaned upon it as a staff.”
Put It All Together
 Take all of the information we have collected.
 Add it together like a puzzle and then decide which
of the following character traits BEST describes
Robin Hood.
clever
sneaky
heroic
willful
rude
sullen
generous
stubborn
obnoxious
helpful
Speech
“I’ll give you these pieces of gold for your hat and your
cloak and your tattered old breaches.”
Thoughts
“As we walked, he pondered* how to save the widow’s sons.”
Effect on
Others
“But at that moment a hundred men in green streamed into
the square for Robin’s men had heard the blast of his
horn.”
Actions
Tricks the old man into giving him his clothes
Gets the sheriff to give him the hang-man job
He whispers his plan to the prisoners
He frees the widow’s sons.
Looks
“He was dressed in the colors of green and brown.”
“A fine figure he made as he wandered down the lane
towards Nottingham.”
“He tucked his arrows under his clothes and leaned upon it
as a staff.”
Character Trait