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Character 101
This is a crash-course in dramatic structure.
I didn’t like how the textbook did it, so I am deviating from it. There are some definitions you need from the book, but otherwise, everything you need is on these slides.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
All characters have goals.
The character with the goal you’re supposed to follow for the whole play/movie/tv show is called the ‘protagonist’.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The goal is something tangible that has an immediate effect on the protagonist.
“Being happy” is a horrible goal. It is a piece of an Artistic Goal, but a very poor character goal.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The goal is something tangible that has an immediate effect on the protagonist.
“I will kill forty people and get away with it” is a GOOD character goal. It is very specific.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The goal is something tangible that has an immediate effect on the protagonist.
“I will ruin John’s life because he passed me up for a promotion.” Is a GOOD character goal. It gives a reason for the goal, but we are unsure of how we will achieve it.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The goal is something tangible that has an immediate effect on the protagonist.
“I will find the cause of the Plague and rid Thebes of it, because Thebes is my home and I love all of you.”Is GREAT. It is specific, and there’s a reason.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
If there was nothing that got in the way of the protagonist, it would be VERY boring.
But sometimes things get in the way, and it is STILL boring.
Why?
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Because the writer didn’t understand conflict.
Conflict is when two things are trying to exist in the same place at the same time.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
We will be using the story of the Starbelly Sneetches, from Dr Suess:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3yJomUhs0g
It starts at 50 seconds.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The goal is to become special by getting a star and enjoy all of the great parties together.
The goal for the star-bellies is to stay special, so they have to do the opposite of what the NS does.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
They can’t exist in the same place at the same time. If one of the NS got a star, then the S can’t take it and something HAS to change.
Conflict than escalates. In this case, with quicker and quicker enterings into the machine. We feel our pulse raising. This can’t end very well!!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Or we can use another example.
Football.
Titans Versas the Bengals.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Titan’s Goal: We want to win!
Bengal’s Goal: We want to win!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Can they both win?
NO!
So this is CONFLICT!!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
In a bad game, you can stop watching after 30 minutes, because you know the outcome.
A good game is a nailbiter!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
The titans will start impossible far away from their goal. Then they have successes, then they have setbacks, then more successes, then more setbacks…
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
You’re cheering them on AND swearing at their incompetance!
They can’t let you down!!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
And it’s down to the last TWO MINUTES, They are 50 yards away and down by 6! They’re toast!
But no, Jake throws a long-bomb, it’s received, and run for a touchdown.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
And now they bring on the kicker, but he’s injured.
Can he do it?
He prays, kisses the locket that has his dead mother on it, bites thru the pain, kicks it, and….
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
His makes it!
They win!
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Now let’s talk about resolution…
The resolution is when the protagonist has finally gotten what they want.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
In a good piece, the protagonist ALWAYS gets what she wants.
But in a way they didn’t expect it. This fulfills the artistic goal , or their secret intention behind their goal.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
In the Sneetches video, all of the sneetches are messes up!It’s hopeless!Some of the NS have stars, and some don’t.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
They thought that stars made them special. And that’s what they’d been working towards.
But through their journey, they achieved their goal.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Those sneetches are special, because they tried to get stars, and ended up back where they started.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Finally.
And this is important.
Characters don’t change.I’ll say it again.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Characters aren’t real.
They don’t change.
Our perception of them changes.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise MIND =
BLOWN
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
On the discussion board:
Click on “Character”
And your assignment is to identify a character goal, obstacles, and resolution on something you’ve read/watched.
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
How it needs to look:
Subject: Your Name
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
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Character
• Character– Goal– Conflict– Resolution– Exercise
Body: Title of Movie/Play/TV ShowCharacter:Character Goal:Three Conflicts:Resolution:What the character Actually wanted:
Character Onstage Manifestation
Dramatic Question
Artistic Goal
Perception Shift
