Types of Characters and Conflict

Types of Characters and Conflict

Types of Conflict & Characters

By then end of today’s lesson you will know:

●When authors tell a story, they build their narrative around a conflict, or
problem, that the characters must overcome.
* An author uses a variety of character types to move the plot along.

●The six types of conflict found in most stories include: person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. supernatural, and person vs. technology.
* There are four main types of characters: round, dynamic, flat, and static.

Conflict

Conflict

●

A narrative element involving a struggle between opposing forces
A problem that the characters seek
to overcome throughout the story

Internal Conflict

Internal
Conflict

●

A conflict, or problem, that is inside
of a character

●

Example:
1.

Man vs. Self

External Conflict

External
Conflict

●

A conflict, or problem, that is
outside of a character

●

Examples:
1.

Man vs. Man

2.

Man vs. Nature

3.

Man vs. Society

A character clashes with another character.

​​Person vs. Person

​A character struggles with themself. Usually it involves making a decision.

Person vs. Self

A character fights to overcome mother nature.
Mother nature = animals, sickness, weather, insects, etc

​​Person vs. Nature

A main character challenges laws, rules, traditions of a group of people.

​​Person vs. Society

​A character goes against forces that are not of this world.

​​Person vs. Supernatural

A character struggles against technological forces.

Person vs. Technology

Problem 1

What is the Type of Conflict:

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Society

Problem 2

What is the Type of Conflict:

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Society

Problem 3

What is the Type of Conflict:

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Society

Problem 4

​I did not sleep at all last night.

Why not?

​I kept hearing strange noises from the closet.

Oh my goodness! Something just called my name!

People around town say your house is haunted.

It's a ghost for sure. Get out of there!

​What type of conflict is this?

Match

Match the type of conflict to the example.

• August is making a decision about going to school or staying homeschooled.

• Type of conflict that happens inside a characters heart or mind.

• Type of conflict that happens outside of the character

• A robot decides that humans are a terrible species and starts to destroy all humans.

• A man runs a red light, gets pulled over, and receives a ticket for breaking the law

Person vs. self

internal conflict

external conflict

Person vs technology

person vs society

• Person vs. self

• internal conflict

• external conflict

• Person vs technology

• person vs society

Types of Characters

Drag and Drop

The main character of the story is​ ​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

the protagonist

antagonist

Drag and Drop

The character of force in conflict with the protagonist is​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

the antagonist

the protagonist

Round characters r3efer to the character we know a lot about. They are usually the main characters.

Flat characters refer to characters we don't know much about. They usually don't have an impact on the plot.

Dynamic characters refer to the character that undergo an internal change throughout the story. They are usually round characters.

Static characters refer to characters that don't experience much change. They are usually flat characters.

Match

Match the type of character to the definition.

• A character that is complex and 3 dimensional.

• A character who does not change from the beginning to the end of a story

• A character who undergoes a change over the course of the story

• A character who is two-dimensional and we do not know much about

• A character of force in conflict with the main character

Round character

Static character

Dynamic character

Flat characters

antagonist

• Round character

• Static character

• Dynamic character

• Flat characters

• antagonist

Fill in the Blank

Dynamic characters are usually ____ round characters.

Fill in the Blank

Flat characters are usually ____ characters.