Friday, 16 October 2015

Task: Define Character Types

You need to be able to recognize the character type from the silhouette alone.

Character Types

Symbolic

"A symbolic character is any major or minor character whose very existence represents some major idea or aspect of society." (Types of Characters in Fiction: http://learn.lexiconic.net/characters.htm)

Foil

The foil is the character who with their opposite personal qualities provides a contrast with (usually) the protagonist in order to get deeper into the personality of the other character and show them through a wider perspective.

Anti-Hero

The hero or heroine who doesn`t conform to the norms. They`re on the good side but they take the route less travelled to get to the end. The type appeared as a contrast for the traditional hero. The audience is attracted to the antihero because they are not perfect and therefore much more relatable.

Antagonist

Situation or character the protagonist has to encounter for the story to develop. It or he or she is the problem or difficulty in the story. They do not need to be a villain or evil, they just oppose the protagonist.

Protagonist

The main character. The protagonist is who the story is about. Can be the hero or the anti-hero, as long as they attract the audience's involvement and preferably empathy.

Stock

Stock characters are the stereotypes we have seen so many times that we have come to expect them. The website lists for example the following: the femme fatale, the cynical but moral private eye, the mad scientist, the geeky boy with glasses, and the faithful sidekick.

Round

Like the name describes, the round type has a wide and complex personality, like an actual human being does. There are many sides to them, even conflicting ones.

Static

The static character's personality remains the same throughout the story, they do not grow or evolve.

Dynamic

Opposite to static, the dynamic personality changes as the story arch proceeds. They're not immune to the moral of the story.

Minor

Minor characters are not what the story is about but they're there to help it along and offer different perspectives.

Central

What the story revolves around. The antagonist could not be encountered if it weren't for them.