Learning About Characters
Let’s Begin!
Hello there, I’m Arthur!
My friends and I want to
help you learn about
characters today!
What is a character?
Characters
Let’s learn about
Characters together!
Characters
Characters are the most important element of
literature. Without characters, there would be no
story! Have you ever thought about what the
word “character” means?
Let me tell you!
A character is a person created by the
writer.
See an example!
Read the following short story carefully, paying attention
to the characters involved.
Muffy and Binky decided to take my dog
Pal on a walk one afternoon. They were
strolling along; when suddenly Pal broke lose
from his leash! They chased after him but
were not fast enough.
They ran all around the neighborhood with no
luck. Hours later, they gave up and walked back to
my house. They went inside and looked at other
with sighs of relief. There in my living room, was
Pal, playing with my little sister Kate!
POP Quiz!
How many characters were in this story?
a)2, Muffy and Binky
b)3, Muffy, Binky, and D.W.
c) 1, Pal
d)4, Muffy, Binky, D.W., and Pal
OOPS! Wrong answer, try again.
See a hint!
HINT:
Muffy and Binky were walking Pal.
Then, they saw Katie.
GREAT WORK!
There were 4 characters in that
story; even Pal is a character!
4
I hope you had fun learning about what a
character is! Now, let’s learn about the different
roles characters can have.
Where would you like to begin?
• What is a protagonist?
• What is an antagonist?
• What is a minor character?
• Take the final quiz!
Protagonists
Hi there, I’m Buster!
Let’s learn about
protagonists!
There are different types of characters within a
story. The protagonist is a very important one.
Learn more!
What is a protagonist?
A protagonist is the major character at the
center of this story.
(You can think of protagonist as the main character.)
How can I remember this?
I always use a trick to remember what
protagonist means.
Protagonists are the main part of the Plot.
Protagonist  Plot
Read this short story, paying close
attention to the roles of the
characters.
Binky woke up Monday morning at 6:30 to
get ready for school. He took a shower,
brushed his teeth, and placed his books into
his backpack. His mom made him his favorite
breakfast, bacon and eggs. Binky watched
some cartoons as he enjoyed his meal.
Binky then thanked her and then ran out
the door to catch the bus. He saw his good
friend Sue Ellen and they high-fived each
other as she passed. Binky then got on the
school bus, ready to start a great day at
school.
POP Quiz!
Who was the protagonist of this story?
a)The backpack
b)Binky
c) Sue Ellen
d)Binky’s mom
OOPS! Try again.
Hint
Hint:
Think of who the plot was based on.
(Remember, Plot  Protagonist.)
GOOD JOB!
Binky was the main character, since the plot
revolved around him, he was the protagonist!
I hope you had fun learning about
protagonists!
Isn’t learning FUN?
What’s next?
Hello there, I’m Muffy! Would you like
to learn about antagonists with me?
Of course!
There are different types of
characters within a story. The
antagonist is a very important one!
Do you know what an antagonist is? If not,
you came to the place!
An antagonist is a character or force that opposes the protagonist.
(To oppose means to go against!) Sometimes remembering this word can
be tricky though. Luckily, I have a way to remember it by!
Learn Muffy’s Trick!
Anti means against, and antagonist starts with
an a.
The antagonist is against the protagonist.
Antagonist  against
Read the following short story, paying close
attention to the roles of the characters.
Arthur had a long day and could not wait to
go to bed once he finished his homework one
Thursday afternoon. He had a headache, and
all he could think about was sleep. Finally, he
finished, got ready for bed, and laid down.
Suddenly…
He hears Mary Moo Cow blasting from the
TV! He storms out to the living room to find
D.W. sitting on the floor, singing along.
POP Quiz!
Who was the antagonist of this story?
a)Arthur
b)D.W.
OOPS! Wrong answer.
GREAT WORK! D.W. went against what
Arthur, the main character, wanted
(sleep). This makes her the antagonist!
That was fun learning about antagonists!
What now?
Hi! My name is Prunela. Let’s learn
about minor characters!
As you know, there are many different types of
characters within a story. Although minor
characters are MINOR, they still play an
important role.
What in the world is a minor character?
A minor character supports the protagonist.
Minor characters are not the focus, they exist in the background of
a story. For example, a close friend of the main character.
Read the following short story, paying close
attention to the roles of the characters.
Arthur has a big baseball game coming
up. He has been practicing every single day,
but has not improved at all! Arthur even
bought a movie on how to improve your
baseball playing skills.
After weeks of not getting any better,
Arthur decides to ask for some advice. His
good friend Buster coached and practiced
with him for a day, and Arthur already noticed
improvement. The game day arrived, and
Arthur played amazing!
POP Quiz!
Who was the minor character of this story?
a)Buster
b)Arthur
CORRECT! Awesome job!
Arthur was the main character (the
protagonist), and Buster was the minor
character!
OOPS! Wrong answer!
Try again.
I sure am glad that we learned about minor characters!
What’s next?
You’ve learned a lot today! Now it’s time to
see what you remember!
1. A character is a person created by the writer.
a) True
b) False
CORRECT!
OOPS! Try again.
2. What was the hint given to help remember
what a protagonist is?
a)Pineapple
b)Profit
c) Plot
OOPS! Try again.
CORRECT! Great!
3. What is another name for the protagonist?
a)A main character
b)A background character
CORRECT! Good!
OOPS! Wrong answer. Try again.
4. What is the way to remember what an
antagonist is?
a)Also
b)Against
OOPS! Try again.
Great Job!!
5. In the story of the 3 little pigs, the wolf tries
to knock down the 3 pigs’ houses. The wolf
would be the…
a)Plot
b)Protagonist
c) Antagonist
SORRY! Try again.
YES! Wonderful Job!
Last question!
6. Minor characters are not important in stories
because they play small roles.
a)True
b)False
OOPS! Try again.
Hint: ALL characters contribute something to the
story.
YES! Great Job!
YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE ENTIRE
CHARACTER ACTIVITY! GREAT JOB!