Characterisation & character development​

Overview

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Sample learning outcomes ​​​

By the end of this unit, students will:​

  • Know key concepts about character  including common character archetypes, protagonists and antagonists, dynamic and static characters, round and flat characters, contrasts between characters, and internal and external conflict​
  • Be able to discuss characters in texts they read using appropriate terminology​
  • Analyse how authors/creators use language to create strong characters in a range of studied and unfamiliar texts, using appropriate meta-language​
  • Use knowledge of visual and multi-modal texts to support reading of written literary texts, and vice versa​
  • Respond to and re-represent written texts as visual and multimodal texts, and vice versa​
  • Compare and contrast how language is used to create characters in different texts​
  • Be able to write short essays in which they compare characterisation within single and across multiple texts​
  • Use their increased knowledge to create memorable characters in their own creative writing

Character vocabulary toolbox​​​​​

Characterisation​

Antagonist​

Flat characters​

Action verbs​

Character development​

Dynamic characters​

Stereotypes​

Contrast​

Character archetypes​

Static characters​

Narration/​

narrator (as character)​

Dialogue​

Protagonist​

Round characters​

Proper nouns​

Modal verbs​

Key concepts

Characterisation ​​​​​

Characterisation is the way an author or an actor describes or shows what a character is like​. (www.collinsdictionary.com) ​

Character questionnaires​​​​​​

Authors know more details about the character than they ever show.

Name, nickname, d.o.b., gender, height, ethnicity, suburb/town, favourite books,foods/tv/sports/music, password, pet peeves, secret ambition, relationships with caregivers/siblings, situations they feel most and least comfortable in,what’s in their pocket, tabs they have open ….​

https://www.novel-software.com/character-questionnaire/#questions​

Padlet 上的创作

Character Archetypes​​​​​​​

The hero​
The mentor​
The ally​
The nemesis​

    Protagonists & Antagonists​​​​​​​

    The protagonist is the main character. We often see story events from their point of view and are encouraged to empathise with them.​
    The antagonist is a character who stands against the protagonist.​

      Dynamic vs static characters​​​​​​​​

      Dynamic characters: ​Change or develop during the course of the text

      Static characters: ​Stay the same throughout the text

      Round vs Flat Characters​​​​​​​​​

      Round characters are life-like, three dimensional characters. We learn lots of details about different aspects of their lives and personalities, their back-stories, their motivations etc.

      Flat characters are two-dimensional – the author only reveals a limited range of fairly superficial details about them.

      “Characters sit on a continuum”.

      Contrasts between characters​​​​​​​​​​

      Predator ​

      vs​

      victim​

      Wants one thing​

      vs​

      another​

      Thinking​

      vs​

      feeling​

      Talking​

      vs​

      acting​

      Sociable​

      vs​

      solitary​

      Contradictions within character​​​​​​​​​​

      • Says one thing/does another​
      • Sacrifices something important to pursue a goal of their own​
      • Wants TWO opposing things (e.g. Romeo wants to have relationship with Juliet AND keep the peace with their families) 

      Conflict​​​​​​​​​​

      External conflict: between characters e.g. two characters fighting because they both want the same thing.
      ​Internal conflict: within a character e.g. overcoming a mental obstacle.​

      How do authors use language to create strong characters?​

      Characterisation​​​​​​​​​​

      Dialogue (speech)​

      Physical appearance​

      Actions (verbs)​

      Facial expressions​

      Reactions​

      Body language​

      Movement​

      Names (proper nouns)​

      Costume / clothing​

      Inner thoughts​

      Exposition (telling)​

      Possessions​

      What other characters (including narrator) say about them​

      How other characters react to them​

      Colourful action verbs​​​​​​​​​​​

      Action​

      Colourful verbs​

      Walk​

      Saunter, stumble, stride, creep, hurry, march, amble​

      Run​

      Bolt, tear along, dash, jog, hurtle, fly​

      Sit​

      Slouch, slump, plonk down, perch, settle​

      Speak​

      Whisper, mumble, murmur, drawl, demand, prattle, preach, declaim​

      Laugh​

      Snigger/snicker, giggle, chuckle, roar, scoff​

      Eat​

      Nibble, google, scoff, slurp, pick at​

      Smile​

      Beamed, smirked, grinned​

      Look​

      Stare, glance, examine, eye-ball, study, peek​

      Frown​

      Scowl, glare, pout, grimace, wince​

      Verbs for characterisation: activities​​​​​​​​​​​

      • Student identify all the action verbs used in relation to a character and organise them into groups/find patterns & discuss​
      • Students rewrite a scene from an existing text by replacing verbs with one type of connotation, with verbs with a very different connotation​
      • Students identify “dull” verbs in their own writing and replace some of them with more colourful connotative verbs​
      • Do drama activities where students act out different verbs e.g. walking to show they are ‘marching’ versus ‘ambling’​

      Character voice​​​​​​​​​​​​

      We can infer a lot from the way that characters speak. Look closely at the types of language used by characters in dialogue (or in first-person narratives).​

      Aspects of voice can tell us about social and cultural background, age, education level, whether they have more or less power than who they are talking to, tics or mannerisms, vocabulary, sentence structure.​

      Learning Activities​​​​​​​​​​​​

      • Give students pieces of dialogue from a text they are studying without indicating who said it. Have them say who said it and why they think that.​
      • Have students write a script or scene that develops characters only using dialogue​
      • Draw students’ attention to characteristic features of a character’s speech e.g. sentence structures, word choices, use of slang.​

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