Why Learn the Types of Characters in Movies and in Fiction?
This is a fascinating question. In many respects learning about the different characters can be beneficial as it can help you to understand how good films work and why bad films don’t. They help to give structure and help you understand how stories work.
There is often a debate about whether story is more important than character. The truth is both are necessary. This does not mean all stories have to be epic or require all questions to be answered by the time the film is over.
To put it broadly there are certain types of character that are necessary. You need a protagonist or group of protagonists who are affected by the story events. Ideally you should also have an antagonist (although this may not necessarily be a physical person it could equally be a traumatic event or a disaster). In between are the people that may or may not aid the protagonist.
In mythical terms you may have a mentor figure. These are the people that dispense advice, wisdom or magic powers. However they appear in other forms too. For example in a romantic comedy it could be the witty friend who provides sage advice when needed.
You do not necessarily need to study key texts in order to understand this. However they can often aid your enjoyment as you begin to understand more about why you like certain films and why you don’t like others.
• It enhances your investment in the characters – you understand them better, you know what makes them tick, and feel more for them, thus having a more enjoyable experience. • You get to see the different types (especially interesting when it’s your own type) in different lands and worlds from our own (whether it’s a cartoon world or in outer space) or in our own world. Either way we get to see them in unique, dangerous, loving, exciting, funny situations, and how they react. • Its fun to try to figure out the types of the different characters. As the movie or book plays out and unfolds, you start to notice characteristics and motives that help us figure out the person’s type. Figuring out the types of others enhances the experience of good movies; and it gives you something to do in bad movies – making them not as bad by keeping you somewhat interested and entertained. • You get to see how the different types interact with each other. • You get to see extreme versions of the different
