DUTCHESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE—WRITING CENTER
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Character Analysis vs. Character Sketch:
Before you begin writing your character analysis, be sure you understand the difference between
ANALYZING a literary character (as found in a character analysis) and merely DESCRIBING
one (as found in a character sketch). Description focuses on the physical or external qualities of a
character, whereas analysis focuses on the internal workings of a character- motivation,
personality, and how these factors shape/determine the events and ultimate outcome of the work.
To some extent, analysis means treating the characters as if they are real people who think, act,
and feel as we do. It is important, however, when analyzing literary characters, to limit ourselves
to what can be supported (i.e.—we can only cite as evidence WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE
TEXT). Just as in class, when a question arises about an idea or issue expressed in the work, say
to yourself "Go to the text!"
Round and Flat, Dynamic and Static:
One of the most basic distinctions made when evaluating literary characters is the difference
between ROUND and FLAT or STATIC and DYNAMIC characters. STATIC characters are
those whose personalities do not significantly change throughout the course of the piece;
DYNAMIC characters are those who either learn from or are otherwise transformed by what they
have experienced. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, for example, the character of Hamlet is dynamic
because his attitudes and actions at the end of the play stand in direct contrast to those at the
play's beginning; in the same work, Polonius is static because his character is consistent and does
not change. Dynamic characters provide the most material for a character analysis. The
circumstances and events surrounding them push and pull them in different directions, and (as
readers and analysts) we are able to comment on how the character is affected, and the process of
how and why they change.
The terms "round" and "flat" relate to the amount of substance a character is given. In this way,
flat characters are Picasso-like two-dimensional figures, and round characters are figures which
are able to jump from the canvas into the real world, vividly three-dimensional, and ultimately
more "real." Though Polonius is static and Hamlet dynamic, for example, both are arguably fully
realized, complex, and therefore "round" characters.
Two important notes to remember:
1. Simply proving a character's "roundness" is not enough for an analysis—it is merely the
starting point of determining whether or not a character is even worth analyzing.
2. If your character is a "stock" or "stereotyped" character who is flat or static (unchanging)
rather than round or dynamic (changing), you will probably not find enough substance for
analysis.
Ways in Which Character is Disclosed:
Round (and flat) characters alike reveal personality through thought, speech, and action, or lack
thereof. Personality is therefore disclosed by:
-What a character says
-What a character does
-What a character fails to say
-What a character fails to do
-What others say about a character
