ALL types of CHARACTERS: in novels, in short stories, in narration ...

When we are faced with a narrative, one of the key elements are the characters, that is, those in charge of receiving the action that the text tells us. This character can be in multiple ways and fulfill different functions throughout the text, therefore, there are different types of characters that play very different roles in the plot.

In this lesson from a TEACHER we want to review the different types of narrative characters that exist: protagonists, antagonists, round characters, planes, archetypes... If you want to delve deeper into the lesson, keep reading!

Index

1. Characters in a narrative: definition
2. Main character or protagonist
3. Types of characters: secondary and tertiary
4. Types of characters according to their role in the narrative
5. Historical figures, a character typical of historical literature
6. Characteristics of the characters in the narrative

Before getting to know the different types of narrative characters that exist, it is important that we pay attention to their definition. When we speak of a character we are referring to a

Character can be real or fictitious and his role is essential in the future of the plot. Take part in the action and influences, to a greater or lesser extent, the development of history. The character does not have to be a human being: an animal, a fantastic being or an object can become characters in a narrative.

Depending on the function that the character has in the plot, we find that it is of one type or another. In the following sections we are going to discover the most common types of characters in Narrative texts.

We are now getting to know the most prominent types of characters that exist in the narrative. The protagonist is the main character, that is, the character on which the plot is centered and that receives the great burden of the actions that are explained in the text.

The protagonist is the one is found throughout the story, the character that mobilizes the whole story. He has a goal and must go from one situation to another, therefore, he has an evolutionary arc that will make it not the same character who begins that who ends the story.

It is important to note that it may be the case that there are two protagonists, two characters that are essential in the plot and that influence its evolution at all times. In this case, we are talking about co-stars.

EYE: Let's not confuse the protagonist with the hero or the good guy, because this is not always the case. It may be that our main character is an antihero.

Antagonist character

Together with the protagonist, the vast majority of the time we find a antagonist character. It is a type of character whose function is oppose the objective that the main character has. With this element, it is possible to create greater tension and make the conflict more interesting.

The antagonist does not have to be the bad guy: he can be a good person who has an interest or a goal that conflicts with the protagonist. In addition, it may be the case that the antagonist is not anyone in particular, but is something abstract such as society, laws, and so on.

We continue to know the different types of characters in the narration to tell you, now, about the characters secondary that, although his name may lead us to confusion, They are very important in a novel. Their presence in the text is less than that of the protagonist, but they serve to help both the main character and the antagonist throughout the plot.

The secondary can perform different functions in the text: it can be a tool that helps us to get to know the protagonist in a deeper way, as well as help him solve the plot or find the road. Are the ones complement the main one and those that help us to know the protagonist in a more global way.

Tertiary characters

The tertiary They are also other characters in the novel that usually appear. Unlike the previous ones, the tertiary ones appear in a lesser way and their importance is also less. But they also meet a crucial role in the future of the story and, in fact, they are essential to be able to finish closing the plot or to better outline the protagonist.

All the characters in a novel have to fulfill a function, none appear just because. All, although they are very little prominent, exercise a clear and important role for history. In the event that you are writing a book and you see that there is an unimportant character, delete it or give it a specific meaning.

We have known the types of characters depending on their role in the novel; However, there are also other categorizations that help us to detect the different characters that usually exist in a story. Next, we are going to analyze the characters that exist depending on their role in the novel. They are as follows.

Round characters and flat characters

• Round. They are the most complex characters that have a inner conflict and that, throughout the plot, will present a evolution. Of course, the protagonist has to be round, as well as the antagonist.
• Plains. On the other hand, the plains or flat characters are those who do not have such a well-defined psychological profile and who do not have an internal conflict. They are the companions or those who support the protagonist, but their definition is simpler and has few characteristics. They do not usually present evolution, therefore, they begin and end in a very similar way.

Dynamic and static characters

• Dynamic. They are the characters that undergo a transformation during the text. They are never still, they are always in some process of change and they advance as the plot progresses. As we read, we will discover him and understand more of his psyche.
• Static. These characters are introduced by the narrator and we can meet them thanks to the information offered in the text, therefore, they do not get to know each other as the plot evolves, because they do not usually experience any change in the narration.

Archetypes and stereotypes

• Archetypal character. It is a character that brings together characteristics and elements that we can easily define with a reference model. They are characters that are based on behavioral models, such as it would be Ulysses in The odyssey, a character who is now an archetype of the hero.
• Stereotype. Instead, a stereotype is a type of character that embodies a recognizable type of person in society. It is characterized by a specific quality such as, for example, the jealous boyfriend, the rich greedy, the drunkard, and so on.

We are going to make an aside with a type of narrative character that is typical of a literary subgenre: historical literature. We talk about the historical figures, a type that usually appears in this subgenre, but that can also appear in fantasy, poetry, and so on.

These characters are characterized by mix fact and fiction. They are characters inspired by real people in our history who are located in a novelistic environment and, therefore, fictional. Although their image is inspired by someone real, they are still characters because they appear in a narrative that has non-historical elements.

There are many historical characters that have been part of multiple literary works: Cleopatra, Napoleon, Hernán Cortés, Christopher Columbus, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc and a very long etcetera.

We finish this review of the different types of characters to talk, now, about the general characteristics that these essential narrative elements have in any literary text. Here is a summary:

• Role in the plot. As we have already commented, each and every one of the characters that appear in a novel or narrative are there for some reason. They fulfill a function that the author has given them and, therefore, their presence is essential. The novel wouldn't do well without that character.
• Background. They may or may not be explained in the novel, but all the characters have a story, they have their antecedents, and that defines them and makes them act as they do. The author has to know where her characters come from so that their way of acting is coherent.
• Psychological profile. The protagonist and the antagonist are the characters that best define their psychological profile, However, all the characters that appear in the plot must have elements that define. The secondary and tertiary ones will have fewer characteristics, but they still have to be defined to be credible.
• Own voice. It is also important that, especially to the main characters, you give them a voice of their own. That is, that they express themselves with concrete vocabulary that helps us better understand their psychological depth. A twenty-year-old doesn't speak the same as a forty-year-old, right? Well, the characters cannot speak the same either.
• Physical features. And finally, another feature that often takes a back seat is giving your characters a physical description. If you don't want to be very explicit, you don't need to give too many details, but there are certain elements that help the reader to better imagine the character.

If you want to read more articles similar to Character types, we recommend that you enter our category of Literary concepts.

• Alonso, F. S. (1998). Theory of the narrative character (Application to Love in times of cholera). Didactics. Language and literature, 10, 79.
• Rojas, M. (1980). Typology of the character's speech in the narrative text. Device, 5 (15/16), 19-55.
• García Jiménez, J. (1994). The narrative image. Auditorium. Madrid.