Act One: Characterizations

Before Act One…

Before we delve into Act One, let’s first take the time to understand this module’s main focus; answering the question “what does Characterization mean?”. Officially, the term is described as being the process by which a characters personality is revealed to readers. In fact, there are two types of characterizations; Indirect and Direct Characterization.

Indirect Characterization

Indirect Characterization is defined by outside interaction. Instead of being told whether a character should be trusted or not, the reader makes that decision based on what has happened throughout the story. In other words, readers decide what a character is like based on the evidence given by the author throughout the story [Source]. An author can create indirect characterization by tweaking a characters speech, appearance, actions, private thoughts, and even through other character interactions [Source].

Direct Characterization

Unlike Indirect Characterization, Direct Characterization focuses on the authors decisions. Readers have no choice when exploring certain characteristics because the author no longer provides evidence. Instead, readers will be told how they should think about a character based on the decisions that an author has made.

Are the Characters Static or Dynamic? Flat or Round?

Figuring out a characters purpose can be just as important as figuring out their characterization type. Are the characters Static or Dynamic? If a character is static, it means they don’t change much throughout the story; dynamic characters are the complete opposite as they will change throughout the story precisely because of the events they’ve been made to experience [Source]. Another question you should consider is whether the characters are Flat or Round? A flat character only has a few traits and can be described in a few words; a character without depth would be considered a flat character [Source]. Round characters have many traits that define who they are; they more closely resemble reality because they portray a similar depth to real people [Source].

Activity 1: Character Reflections

Literary characters can all be defined by their specified traits and their different definitions; a flat and static character will have unchanging personalities and easy-to-understand traits [a cruel King or a compassionate Queen for instance] while round and dynamic character will change throughout a narrative and have more depth for readers to explore. Now that we’ve started A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we can begin to explore the ways in which William Shakespeare developed his large cast of characters.

In order to better understand the plays characterizations, you must first travel to our Character List page. Once there, you must select a character you would like to explore. Once chosen, you can use both the character’s info page and the events of Act One to write a half-page reflection about your first impressions. Refer to the traits and categories we’ve just discussed to express your ideas and ensure you give specific examples from the text to prove your reasoning’s. It is okay not to agree with Shakespeare’s initial characterizations, so consider reflecting on whether you agree or disagree with your chosen characters actions so far [Source]. Once you have completed your reflection, be sure to post it to this webpage to prove its been completed.