Madania Secondary School
Grade 9 English Handout
Characters
Name: ________________________________ Class: 9 __ Date: __________
A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a work of art.
The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterization.
Characters may be entirely fictional or based on real, historical entities. Characters may be
human, supernatural, mythical, divine, animal, or personifications of an abstraction.
Some ways of classifying characters
The following are some ways in which readers sometimes classify characters:
MAIN CHARACTER VS MINOR/SUPPORTING CHARACTER
Main character is the central of attention of a story where the story happens because of
that particular character. Minor/Supporting Character is not the central of the attention
but they help the plot of a story to flow gently and well-made. The supporting character
usually has no complexity of personalities.
PROTAGONIST VS ANTAGONIST
The Protagonist is the central or main figure of a story. The terms protagonist can usually
be also identified as the main character. The word “protagonist” derives from the Greek
πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistes), “one who plays the first part, chief actor.”
So a character is called protagonist because that character is being the main character. It
doesn’t depend on their personalities. Reading a story written from the villain’s point of
view means that the villain is the main character, and we can say that the villain is the
protagonist. So a protagonist doesn’t have to be a character with good or positive
personalities. It depends on the story. The term protagonist is defined to be either always
synonymous with the term main character, or it is defined as a different concept, in which
case a single character still may (and usually will) serve the function of both the protagonist
and main character, or the functions may be split.
An Antagonist is a character or group of characters, or, sometimes an institution of a
happening that represents the opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend.
The word “antagonist” derives from the Greek ανταγωνιστής (antagonists), "opponent,
competitor, rival".
Contrary to popular belief, the antagonist is not always the villain, but simply those who
oppose the main character. Writers have also created more complex situations. In some
instances, a story told from the villain’s point of view, and any hero trying to stop the villain
can be regarded as an antagonist.
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ROUND VS FLAT CHARACTERS
Round characters are characters that are complex and realistic; they represent a depth of
personality which is imitative of life. They frequently possess both good and bad traits, and
they may react unexpectedly or become entangled in their own interior conflicts. These
characters have been fully developed by an author, physically, mentally, and emotionally,
and are detailed enough to seem real. A round character is usually a main character, and is
developed over the course of the story. A flat character is its opposite, having hardly any
development whatsoever. Protagonists are normally round characters, though notable
exceptions exist. Antagonists are often round as well, though comedic villains may be
almost ridiculously flat.
Examples of round characters from various genres include Humbert Humbert of Nabokov's
Lolita, Frodo Baggins of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Hannibal Lecter from The
Silence of the Lambs, Buffy Summers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Professor Snape from
Harry Potter and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
A flat character is distinguished by its lack of a realistic personality. Though the
description of a flat character may be detailed and rich in defining characteristics, it falls
short of the complexity associated with a round character. Supporting characters are
generally flat, as most minor roles do not require a great deal of complexity.
Gollum from Lord of the Rings is a wonderful character who is absolutely flat in that his
character is determined by his obsession with the recovery of the ring...."
STATIC VS DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
A dynamic character is the one who changes significantly during the course of the story.
Changes considered to qualify a character as dynamic include changes in sight or
understanding, changes in commitment, and changes in values. Changes in circumstance,
even physical circumstance, do not apply unless they result in some change within the
character's self.
By definition, the protagonist is nearly always a dynamic character. In coming-of-age
stories in particular, the protagonist often undergoes dramatic change, transforming from
innocence to experience. Examples of dynamic characters include Luke Skywalker from the
original Star Wars Trilogy is an example. Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens's A
Christmas Carol, is also a classic example. When we first meet him, he is mean, bitter, and
avaricious. Through his experiences with the three ghosts, he becomes generous, kind, and
beloved.
A static character does not undergo significant change. A static character is a literary
character that remains basically unchanged throughout a work. Whether round or flat, their
personalities remain essentially stable throughout the course of the story. This is commonly
done with secondary characters in order to let them serve as thematic or plot elements.
Supporting characters and major characters other than the protagonist are generally static,
though exceptions do occur. Elizabeth Bennet of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Harry, Ron
and Hermione in the Harry Potter series, and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit are the examples.
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