Terms Related to Character
Caricatures –
a character presented with an exaggeration of prominent features
Character –
a person in a piece of literature
Dynamic character –
a character that changes during the story
Static –
a character that does not change during the story
Flat character –
a character described with only one or two personality traits; a superficial character
Round character –
a character whose personality is multi-dimensional; a complicated character
Motivation –
the reasons a character takes or does not take action
Foil –
a character created as a contrast to another character as a way of focusing attention on the traits of that other character such as a character taking an unethical approach in order to focus attention on another character taking the ethical approach.
Sidekick –
a character subordinate to another character; often used for comic relief
Stock characters –
stereotyped characters such as the good doctor, the determined detective, the kindly old neighbor lady
Tragic hero –
a character of elevated status who is a good person but for a tragic flaw which brings about his or her downfall
Tragic flaw –
an undesirable personality trait that results in the fall of an otherwise good person
Hubris –
arrogance; an attribute where a character (or a person) has an exaggerated sense of him or herself or his or her importance
Dialogue –
a conversation between or among characters
Monologue –
a long speech-like expression by one character where the other present characters are silent; used more commonly in plays than fiction; a dramatic monologue is a particularly emotional expression
Asides –
where a character makes a comment to the audience which is supposedly not heard by the other characters; used in drama
Soliloquy –
where a character shares his or her feelings or thoughts with the audience where no other character can hear them.
