Literary Elements
Character Development
Character
 People created by the writer
 Protagonist
 Antagonist
 Foil
 Static character
 Dynamic character
 Explicit Judgment
 Implied Judgment
Protagonist
Major character at
the center of the
story
Antagonist
A character or force
that opposes the
protagonist
Foil
A character who provides a
contrast to the protagonist
Static Character
•A character who
remains the same
throughout the story
Dynamic Character
•A character who
changes in some
important way
Characterization
 How writers reveal the
personalities of the
characters

Bless my soul
Herc was on a roll
Person of the week in every
Greek opinion poll
What a pro
Herc could stop a show
Point him at a monster and you're
talking SRO
He was a no one
A zero, zero
Now he's a honcho
He's a hero
Here was a kid with his act down pat
From zero to hero in no time flat
Zero to hero just like that
When he smiled
The girls went wild with
oohs and aahs
And they slapped his face
On ev'ry vase
(on ev'ry "vase")
From appearance fees and royalties
Our Herc had cash to burn
Now nouveau riche and
famous
He could tell you
What the Greeks should earn.
Say amen
There he goes again
Sweet and undefeated
And an awesome 10 for 10
Folks lined up
Just to watch him flex
And this perfect package
packed a pair of pretty pecs
Hercie, he comes
He sees, he conquers
Honey, the crowds were
Going bonkers
He showed the moxie brains, and
spunk
From zero to hero a major hunk
Zero to hero and who'da thunk
Who put the glad in gladiator?
Hercules!
Whose daring deeds are great
theater?
Hercules
Isn't he bold?
No one braver
Isn't he sweet
Our favorite flavor
Hercules, Hercules,
Hercules, Hercules
Hercules, Hercules
Bless my soul
Herc was on a roll
Undefeated
Riding high
And the nicest guy
not conceited
He was a nothin'
A zero, zero
Now he's a honcho
He's a hero
He hit the heights at breakneck
speed
From zero to hero
Herc is a hero
Now he's a hero
Yes indeed!
Homework
 Pick a Movie
 Identify the character types in the movie and explain why
 Protagonist
 Antagonist
 Foil
 Static Character
 Dynamic Character
Slim: Characterization
 A tall man stood in the doorway. He held a crushed Stetson hat under his
arm while he combed his long, black, damp hair straight back. Like the
others he wore blue jeans and a short denim jacket. When he had
finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a
majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen,
even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of
killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt with a bull ship without touching the
mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all
talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great that his word
was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five
or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech
had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. His
hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a
temple dancer.
Crooks: Characterization
 Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a
big alarm clock and a single-barreled shotgun. And he had books,
too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil
code for 1905. There were battered magazines and a few dirty
books on a special shelf over his bunk. A pair of large gold-rimmed
spectacles hung from a nail on the wall above his bed. This room
was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He
kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs. His
body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine, and his eyes
lay deep in his head, and because of their depth seemed to glitter
with intensity. His lean face was lined with deep black wrinkles,
and he had thing, pain-tightened lips which were lighter than his
face.
Characterization: Campbell Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
By action of the character
By speech of the character
By effect of the character upon other characters
By the character’s own reactions to persons, things, and
surrounding circumstances
By reporting what other characters say about the character
By explaining the traits and motives of the character
By describing the character (five senses)
By analyzing the psychological processes of the character
Campbell Method
Action:
1.

Pete slunk out of the battle.
Speech:
2.

“Hiya, pardner!”
Effect on others
3.

Her beauty was breath-taking.
Character’s own reactions
4.

John adored her, especially in blue.
What other characters say
5.

Said Tom, “Of course Sam is a genius!”
Traits and motives
6.

He loved good food.
Describing (5 senses)
7.

He had blue eyes, spoke with a Southern accent, smelled of the smokehouse, and his muscles were hard as nails.
Psychological processes
8.

He was unable to overcome his shyness, which was the result of his being
the son of a famous and terribly egotistical father.
#1 Describe in terms of action
#2 Describe in Speech
#3 Describe effect on others
#4 Characters own reactions
#5 what other characters say about
them
#6 traits and motives
#7 Describe in the 5 senses
#8 Describe in Psychological processes
Group Work
 Get in groups of eight
 Each person has a number from 1-8
 Each group only uses one piece of paper
 A picture will be on the board, Each person describes the
character according to their prescribed number.
 For example: If you are #3 you will write a sentence
describing the character in terms of his affect on others.
 Write your sentence and then pass the paper to the next
number.