Characterisation is the construction of characters within a text. Authors create characters in many different ways. We get clues about a character through the way they dress, speak and act in a story.

When we are reading a narrative, we need to think about the different characters that are presented and what they are trying to tell us about the world. 

Have a look at the infographics below for the different types of characters. 

Activity 2: Character Analysis

In pairs, your teacher will give you a character from a well known TV show, movie or book. Using each character, think about the ways the characters are constructed. Use the below STEAL infographic to help you. Discuss as a class.

Activity 3: Harry Potter (Memorable Person Creative Writing Activity)

After you have read the Harry Potter extract and completed the Character Analysis table, complete the below creative writing activity:

Write about a memorable person in your life.

• Try to choose someone who is dramatic and engaging.

• You can either write a description of the person or describe an incident that you had with them.

• Try to include all elements of characterisation to create a character portrait that engages the reader... don’t be afraid to embellish a little (all great story tellers do).

• Have fun and be creative!

When you’ve finished writing, create an accompanying character portrait for your memorable individual.

• A portrait focuses on a person from the waist up so focus on those details.

• Try to capture their physical appearance AND their personality in your portrait. Be creative with your image – if they’re a scary character or a joker, this should shown in their portrait.

Activity 4: Create your own Character

Time to get creative! Create a character that shows your understanding of the elements of characterisation. 

You need to illustrate your character's appearance, write some dialogue into the speech bubble, create a character profile including aspects of the personality and describe what other characters think about your character. 

Make sure to use colour!