What is a Character?

What role do characters play in a story?

A character is a person in a story; either a human, a fantasy character, mythical character, or even an animal. It can be anything from a human to an inanimate object. Whether it's Little Red Riding Hood or the Big Bad Wolf that you're describing, these characters play an important part within their story.

We categorize characters by the role they play within the story, how they progress the plot, and what part they play in relation to the other characters and the plot itself.

What are the different types of characters?

• Protagonist: the main character in a story, and the person that the story is usually written about. The writer usually develops the plot around the protagonist, for instance with some problem that needs solving.
• Antagonist: this is a person that opposes or fights against another character (usually the protagonist).
• Love interest: a person whose main role in the story is their romance with the protagonist.
• Foil: a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight their qualities or progress the plot.

How you can teach about characters at KS2

Teaching children about character descriptionplays an important role in developing vocabulary, comprehension and literacy skills at this level.

Learning about characters within stories will help children develop positive attitudes and stamina towards writing through writing narratives (both real and fictional). Gaining an understanding and appreciation for characters can help them with their own writing skills.

You can use helpful resources like this Character Description Worksheet to encourage students to check that they’ve included the key features of a character within their writing.

As part of the curriculum aims, they should be encouraged to use character vocabulary in their descriptive writing, to develop their understanding of character and how it adds quality and depth to a story.