Characterization is the way characters, such as people, animals, or other beings, are described in stories and plays. It is sometimes called character development. This description can use direct methods, like explaining a character's traits through words or comments, or indirect methods, where readers learn about a character's traits by observing their actions, words, or looks. A character is a person or creature in a story. Character is a part of literature.
History
The term "characterization" was first used in the 19th century. Aristotle, a famous ancient thinker, believed that the events of a story were more important than the characters themselves. In his work Poetics, he wrote that tragedy focuses on actions and life, not on people. This idea changed in the 19th century, when stories began to center more on characters. This shift was first seen in realist novels and later became stronger as psychology, the study of the mind and behavior, developed further.
In drama
Characters in theater, television, and film are different from those in novels because actors can interpret a writer’s descriptions and dialogue in their own special way to add more details and make them more interesting. This is visible when critics compare how different actors portray characters, such as Lady Macbeth or Heathcliff. Another key difference is that in drama, it is not possible to show what a character is thinking directly, as is done in novels. Additionally, in drama, characters are shown and heard directly, and they do not need to be described in words.
In mythology
Mythological characters are often shown in a pattern and belong to a group of basic types called archetypes. These archetypes are parts of a larger system that includes other story elements. When these parts, like archetypes, are combined, they create a structure that forms a complete myth. These structures can be changed and combined in different ways to make new myths. People have always used these structures in their myths. This idea is called the kaleidoscopic model, which shows how myths can change and mix. Another view suggests that people do not break myths into separate parts when they read or hear them. Instead, they see the whole story as a single unit. Since people and their cultures change over time, myths and characters also change and develop new forms.
Mythological characters influence modern stories. The poet Platon Oyunsky uses the myths of his homeland, the Yakut region in Russia, and the Sahka people in his writing. In his stories, he creates main characters who follow examples of heroism from history but also use examples from the Soviet era, including real people like Stalin and Lenin, to form new myths. These characters often appear in sad stories that focus on sacrifice. For example, one character named Tygyn believes that peace can only be achieved through military strength. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, myths are used to compare characters and show their roles in the story, such as the myth of Niobe and the twin sister of Gertrude.
Character archetypes
Psychologist Carl Jung discovered twelve basic types of the human mind. He thought these types are found in the shared unconscious part of the mind across different cultures and backgrounds. These twelve types, called archetypes, are often used to describe characters in stories. Flat characters are often seen as simple because they only follow one archetype and don't change much. Complex or realistic characters use more than one archetype, with some being stronger than others, just like real people. Jung's twelve archetypes are: the Innocent, the Orphan, the Hero, the Caregiver, the Explorer, the Rebel, the Lover, the Creator, the Jester, the Sage, the Magician, and the Ruler. However, Jung's ideas about character archetypes have been criticized for several reasons. For example, using these archetypes can simplify characters too much and isn't helpful for writers, as it often leads to common and overused character types.
Character's voice
A character's voice is the way they speak. Different characters use different words and speech patterns. For example, some characters talk a lot, while others say very little. The way a character speaks can show a lot about their personality. A reader should be able to tell which character is speaking just by how they talk. If a character's voice is unique and clear, the writer doesn't need to use many tag lines to show who is speaking.
A character's way of speaking is like an actor's clothes and look in movies. In stories, both what a character says and how they say it leave a strong impression on readers. Each character should have a unique voice. To tell characters apart, the writer should show them doing and saying different things. A character's identity shouldn't depend only on one topic or accent. They might also have other interests or habits.
Even though a character's personality has the biggest influence on what they say, other factors matter too. Writers can make dialogue more real and interesting by thinking about factors like age, culture, where they're from, education, and other things that affect how people talk. Words can be described by how they're chosen, how they're said, how complex they are, the speaker's attitude, and how well they're spoken. Using certain habits or repeated phrases can also help. Thinking about how formal the language is can also be helpful.
Introverts often use more formal language, while extroverts usually speak more casually. Characters who live in formal environments often use formal language all the time, while others use casual language. How a character speaks, including tone, how loud they are, how fast they talk, the words they use, how they stress words, their pitch, what they talk about, and the phrases they use—all show who they are inside. A character's way of speaking should come from their true personality. Speaking shows their true personality to others, but it's not everything about them.