Types of Characters

Types
of Characters

Mini Lesson on Seven Types of Characters
Students Will Encounter in Fictional Texts

Objectives

After this lesson, students will be able to:

●

Analyze the methods authors use to develop and
reveal character.

●

define character types (protagonist, antagonist, foil,
round, flat, dynamic, static and related terms

●

compare and contrast different character types

Seven Common Character

Types

1.

Protagonist

2.

Antagonist

3.

Foil

4.

Flat

5.

Round

6.

Dynamic

7.

Static

Protagonist

The central or main character in a story

Example
The boy in "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
Cinderella in "Cinderella"

Sometimes the protagonist can be considered a
"good" person, but not always.
Can you think of a story where the main character is not necessarily "good"?

Antagonist

The character, group of characters, or institution that opposes (goes against) the protagonist.

Example
The Wolf from "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"
Cinderella's wicked stepmother from "Cinderella"

The antagonist is usually considered to be unlikeable or evil, but this is not always the case.  The antagonist only needs to oppose the central character(s).

A character that opposes (goes against) the main
character, but is not the main antagonist and may
sometimes be helpful to the main character in a story.

A foil character is…
• a special kind of character who is used to enhance another character through

contrast (being different from them).

• As opposites, they highlight qualities of a central character.

• Examples of foil characters from film include:

- the mean step-sisters contrast to Cinderella’s character

- Anna and Elsa as a siblings in Frozen

• They are not always focus characters. (They help us learn more about another

character or aspect of a story.)

Foil

Examples of foil

characters

How do authors decide the amount of detail they include about each character?
ROUND OR FLAT

Round Character

Characters that are described in depth, with many details,
that demonstrates multiple sides, traits, and emotions.

Example
Ernie doesn't want to cheat on the test, but his Dad will punish
him severely if he fails. Ernie knows that cheating is wrong, but
he thinks it may be a wrong that he's willing to live with. After all,
he'd rather have his conscience beating him up than his dad.
Ernie considers studying for the test instead. There isn't much
time, but he has pulled off some feats of concentration in the
past.

Ernie demonstrates multiple, realistic sides to his personality.
This makes him a round character.

Examples of round

characters

Flat Character

• Characters that are not described fully —that you are

not given much information about

Example
Ricardo had an evil plan. First, he would rob the bank to get
money. Then he would buy weapons and raise and army.
Then he would kidnap the princess and tie her to some train
tracks. Lastly, he would twist the ends of his long mustache
between his thumb and forefinger while laughing.

Ricardo is a villain with little depth. We know that he is evil,
but we do not learn why. No internal struggle with his morality
is revealed; therefore, he is a flat character.

Flat Character Examples

Static
or Dynamic?

How do characters change or
remain the same throughout a
story?

Static Character

A character that does not change significantly throughout the story. Character does not learn a lesson.
Static = not moving or changing
the character remains the same throughout the entire story.

The character does NOT undergo any internal changes.

Example:
John's mother loves and supports him, but John is going through a difficult
time. He tore his ACL playing football and now his dreams of a college
scholarship are finished. John's mother helps him find a different path by
encouraging his academic interests and taking him to the library weekly. By the end of his senior year, John manages to win an academic scholarship.

Did you notice that John's mother did not change throughout the course of the text? This makes her a static character.

EXAMPLES OF STATIC

CHARACTERS

DynamicCharacter

A character who undergoes a significant (major) inner change between the beginning and end of the story. They learn a lesson and make a change. The change can be good or bad.

Example
At the beginning of the story, Jason has low self-esteem and no
friends. He is very depressed. Then he tries out for the baseball
team and gradually develops skills and confidence. By the end of
the story he has completely changed. He now has many friends and is much happier.

Notice that Jason didn't just change his clothes or something minor? He underwent a major change in the course of the story; therefore, he is a dynamic character.

Dynamic
EXAMPLES

• 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.

Static or Dynamic?

• The key word when dealing with the difference between

static and dynamic characters is change.

• The type of change, though, is specific. We are only

concerned with internal changes—changes that occur within the character herself/himself/themself.

• Dynamic character internal changes include a change

in…
• personality;
• outlook/point of view towards an issue;
• values; OR
• an overall change in the nature of the character.

Practice

Read the short story, analyze the characters, and then answer the questions.

When Vince got to the party, he was a little bit worried that he couldn't find his friends. Vince wasn't really an awkward person, but he found it a bit awkward to stand around at a party with a bunch of people he hardly knew.
Then he bumped into one of the football players, Greg. Greg was a big guy with red hair and he always gave Vince problems. "Hey, Vince? Want a beer?" Vince
looked down at his soda. "No thanks, Greg. I've got to drive." Greg walked closer to Vince and puffed out his chest. "C'mon Prince Vince, you're going to turn me
down?" Vince’s cousin had died in an alcohol related car accident, and he wouldn't make the same mistake. ”I’m going to have to. Not tonight, Greg," Vince said as he walked passed Greg, noticing that some of his friends had arrived. Greg crushed a beer can in his hand and grunted.

The Party

Multiple Choice

Vince is the

• Protagonist

• Antagonist

• Foil

Multiple Choice

Greg is the

• Protagonist

  
  

• Antagonist

• Foil

Multiple Choice

Greg is a ________character

• Dynamic

• Static

Answer

Greg is a static character because he does not make any significant changes in the course of the story.

Multiple Choice

Vince is a _______character

• Dynamic

• Static

Answer

Although most protagonists are dynamic, in this short scene, Vince is a static character because he does not make
any significant changes in the course of the story.

4

Is Greg a flat character or a round character?

Multiple Choice

Greg is a ______ character

• Flat

• Round

Answer

Greg is a flat character because he appears as a
single-sided bully who shows little depth.

Multiple Choice

Vince is a _______character

• Flat

• Round

Answer

Vince is a round character because he displays multiple
character traits and life-like reasoning. He appears both
nervous and confident. He is nervous that he is at the
party alone, but he confidently resists Greg's peer
pressure. Readers also learn a little bit about his past
and why he declines Greg's offer.