personnages

A character is a person, creature, or being represented in narratives across literature, theatre, film, comics, and games. Characters may be human or nonhuman, real or fantastical, and they are defined by their traits, goals, actions, and relationships. They serve as the focal points through which a story unfolds and its themes are explored.

Characters are often classified by their roles: the protagonist is the main character whose goals drive the plot; the antagonist opposes the protagonist; supporting and minor characters populate the world and influence events. A foil is a character whose qualities contrast with the protagonist to highlight particular attributes.

Characterization is how a character is presented. It can be direct, through explicit statements about features and motives, or indirect, inferred from actions, dialogue, appearance, and interactions. Through sequence of events, a character may be described via backstory, temperament, values, and growth.

Character development, or arc, describes how a character changes in response to the narrative’s conflicts. Some characters are static, remaining essentially the same, while dynamic characters undergo meaningful transformation. In drama and film, authors use point of view and voice to shape audience sympathy.

In analysis, the study of characters considers consistency, believability, and representation. Characters reflect cultural contexts, ethical questions, and symbolic functions, sometimes serving as vehicles for themes or critique. In French-language contexts the term is personnage; in English texts the equivalent is character.