Character

“The character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story; an opponent of the protagonist, such a s Claudius in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet (Meyer 2124).”
 * Antagonist:**

**Anti-Hero:**

“A protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero. He or she may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely pathetic. Often what antiheroes learn, if they learn anything at all, is that the world isolates them in an existence devoid of God and absolute values. Yossarian from Joseph Heller’s //Catch-22// is an example of an antihero (Meyer 2124)".

**Hero/Heroine/Protagonist:** The central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.

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"A static charachter does not change throughout the work, and the reader's knowledge of that character does not grow, whereas a dynamic character undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot (Meyer 2126)."======

**Static character:** The character, Paris, from //Romeo and Juliet//, does not change throughout the novel. He does not gain any knowledge or experience that would help him grow, and his opinion of Juliet remains constant from the beginning to the end.

**Dynamic Character:** Kuzco, from //The Emperor's New Grove//, goes through a dramatic change in this movie. At first, Kuzco is a self-centered, heartless ruler. However, after experiencing for himself what it is like to live as a commoner, he realizes how cruel he had been acting. Kuzco learns a lesson in this movie and ends up changes for the better.

"A flat character embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary. They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers. Round characters are more complex than flat or stock characters, and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. They are more fully developed, and therefore are harder to summarize (Meyer 2126)." **Flat Character:** Chuckie Finster, from "The Rugrats," has a distinct personality that can easily be explained. In this television cartoon, Chuckie plays the role as the "chicken." He is always suffering from allergies including a stuffy nose, and is the last one to join in on one of the baby's plans. Shy and scared easily, Chuckie knows when something is dangerous.
 * Flat vs. Round Characters:**



**Round Character:** Darth Vader, from the book and movie series //Star Wars//, is a complex character. He switches his views and beliefs and goes between the "light side" and the "dark side." Although Darth Vader appears to simply be evil to some, he struggles within himself to make the choice between good and bad. In the movie series, Darth Vader begins as a Jedi in training, changes to a villian, and then redeems himself by killing the evil emperor in the end.


 * Stock Characters** – “Some flat characters are recognized as stock characters; they embody stereotypes such as the ‘dumb blonde’ or the ‘mean stepfather.’ They become types rather than individuals (Meyer 2126).” Sam from the movie //I am Legend// is an example of this as she was a typical animal companion.




 * Foil** – “A character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist). In Shakespeare’s //Hamlet//, Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet, because his willingness to act underscores Hamlet’s inability to do so (Meyer 2131).”

Works Cited // Courage the Cowardly Dog //. Digital image. //ShareTV//. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. . Epic Squidward Frown. Digital image. //Know Your Meme//. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. . Heath Ledger as Joker. Digital image. //Brainstorm//. Web. . Odie licking Garfield. Digital image. //Wordpress//. Web. 02 Feb. 2012. []. // Darth-Vader //. Digital image. //Playstation//. 2012. Web. . // It's All About Me //. Digital image. //Wikimedia//. 7 Jan. 2012. Web. . // Paris-Romeo and Juliet //. Digital image. //Mrdclassroom//. Web. . // Rugrats+Chuckie (my Favorite) //. Digital image. //Neebeep//. Web. .

//Sam and Robert Neville//. Digital image. Web. 5 Jan. 2012. . //Holmes and Watson//. Digital image. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. .