Topic Two (1.2): Characters and Characterisation

Introduction Icon.png Introduction

Characters are central to stories because the events of the story have to happen to – and be told by – someone, and in this topic, you will learn about different types of character and key methods of characterisation that writers may use. These include physical descriptions and also dialogue. You will consider some examples of characterisation in prose and will learn about the differences between ‘flat’ and ‘round’ characters.

Read & Make Notes Icon.png Read and Make Notes

Read Chapter Two, ‘Characters’ on pages 9 to 25 in Mastering English Literature and make careful notes.

Skills Icon.png Tasks

  • The novelist E.M. Forster gave a series of lectures in 1927 which identified seven key elements of novels. The lectures were later collected in a book, Aspects of the Novel. Forster famously identified two kinds of character: ‘flat’ and ‘round’. These are terms that you may wish to use when discussing characters in your essays.
  • The links below explain these two character types in more detail. Read these and make notes:

READ – Flat Character (LitCharts) Links to an external site.

READ – Round Character (LitCharts) Links to an external site.

  • The following website takes some famous examples of characters from Literature and explores ways in which they are described. Read through the examples carefully and pay attention to the devices used.
  • Add to your notes on the seven key ways to establish character.

READ – Character Description Examples: 7 Lessons from Famous Books (Now Novel) Links to an external site.

Stretch Icon.png Stretch Activity

  • Look at how characters are described in one or two novels or short stories you have read previously or are reading at the moment. Identify the methods of characterisation used by the author(s).

Glossary Icon.png Terminology Tip

  • Note that when you are writing about dialogue in a text, you need to understand the difference between direct and indirect (or reported) speech and be able to use these terms accurately. Here’s a reminder:

READ – Direct and Indirect Speech (EF Grammar) Links to an external site.

Make sure you understand any new literary terminology covered in this topic. You may like to make flashcards of key terms now, to help you with revision later on.