Character Types

1. Character Types

2. Introduction • This lesson is about the different types of characters found in literature. The different types I will cover in this lesson are the protagonist, antagonist, static, and dynamic characters. I will explain what each of these entail so that you can identify types of characters in stories that you read.

3. Protagonist/Antagonist • It is easiest to think of the protagonist and antagonist characters as the "good guy" and the "bad guy" respectively. • You can think of the protagonist as the hero and the antagonist as the villain. • Pro means good, or positive, ant means bad, or negative.

4. Protagonist • The protagonist is the central character of a story. • The protagonist can be male or female, and is written as being "good" most of the time, but in some instances can be "bad." • The plot of the story is often written in the protagonist's point of view. Consider the story The Three Little Pigs. In the original story, the three pigs are the protagonists and the wolf is the antagonist. • A new book titled The Real Story of The Three Little Pigs is written in the wolf's point of view and he becomes the protagonist and the pigs are the antagonists.

5. Antagonist • The character that causes or leads the conflict against the protagonist is called the antagonist. • The antagonist is not always human, but can be a group or force as well. (Conflicts) • The antagonist is the mirror of the protagonist. Whatever the protagonist does that is good, the antagonist will work to counteract.

6. Protagonist/Antagonist • When trying to identify the protagonist and antagonist in a story, think about which character is central to the story and which character (or what force) is acting against that central character. • In most instances, the good character is the protagonist and the bad, or opposing character, is the antagonist.

7. Static/Dynamic • The key word when dealing with the difference between static and dynamic characters is "change." • We are only concerned with internal changes; changes which occur within the character. These would include a major change in their personality, or a change in their outlook on life. • Another important change that a character may undergo is a change in values, or it could be an overall change in the nature of the character. • Do not focus on changes that happen TO a character, but rather, changes that happen WITHIN a character.

8. Static • In order for a character to be considered a static character, the character must remain basically the same throughout the entire story. The character does not undergo any internal changes. Think of static characterization like plastic surgery. The character may change in looks, but unless their personality is affected, the character is static.

9. Dynamic • A dynamic character is a character that undergoes an internal change sometime between the beginning and end of the story. The change in the character is usually crucial to the story itself. • Say a main character goes through a life-altering experience, such as a race car driver getting into an accident. If the driver's personality changes and he is no longer willing to take on the risk of driving a race car, the character would be dynamic.

10. Static/Dynamic • In order to distinguish static characters from dynamic characters, write down a description of the inner character at the beginning of the story, in other words, what do you initially learn about the character's personality? • Answer these three questions: • How does the character feel about his/her/itself? • How does the character act towards others? • What is the characters goal? • Do the same thing and answer the same questions at the end of the story. If there is no major difference, the character is static.