ACTIVITY 3 Agree or Disagree 1 A character is (2024)

FAQs

What is character conflict? ›

This occurs when two or more characters have opposing goals or beliefs that directly clash with one another. The clash of personalities and motivations creates tension and drives the plot forward.

Conflict can be internal or external. For example, a story about characters facing a hurricane would involve external conflict. Internal conflict involves a struggle between one character's competing desires.

A protagonist is the main character in a literary work, and an antagonist is whatever or whoever opposes the protagonist.

An external conflict is a problem, antagonism, or struggle that takes place between a character and an outside force. External conflict drives the action of a plot forward.

conflict noun [C or U] (ARGUING OR FIGHTING)

an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles: conflict between There was a lot of conflict between him and his father. It was an unpopular policy and caused a number of conflicts within the party.

One man vs. self conflict is Hamlet's struggle with the morality of whether or not it's justified to kill Claudius. He wants revenge for his father, but he knows that it's wrong to kill his own uncle, especially when he's not sure if the Ghost he saw was really his father.

To identify a central conflict in a story, ask yourself what the main character's biggest challenge is: what do they overcome by the end of the story? If the answer is themselves, the central conflict is internal (character vs. self). Otherwise, it's external (character vs.

All conflict falls into two categories: internal and external. Internal conflict is when a character struggles with their own opposing desires or beliefs. It happens within them, and it drives their development as a character. External conflict sets a character against something or someone beyond their control.

At its most basic, conflict is the clash of opposing forces against a character's own pursuit of a goal. The character must overcome these opposing forces to achieve the goal. These opposing forces might take on numerous shapes, and might even exist solely within the character's own psyche.

Depending on the prominence of the character (is he a major character, or is he an employee or a lackey of someone else), he would probably be regarded, literarily, as the “antagonist,” the person, place, or thing that is in opposition to the protagonist.

Who is the opposing character? ›

In writing, an antagonist is defined as the character or force that opposes the protagonist. This pushback creates conflict in the story and builds tension. An antagonist can be anything opposing the protagonist: another character, the status quo, forces of nature, or even the protagonist themself.

Character motivation fleshes out characters: Knowing the motivations, central conflict, and stakes driving a character's thoughts and actions means creating more realistic characters. Even if the world a character inhabits is fantastical, audiences want to understand why they behave the way they do.

Antagonist. The antagonist in a literary work stands in opposition to the protagonist. In most novels, the protagonists and antagonists will be clearly distinct and remain consistent. In general, the antagonist will be viewed as bad, wicked, or malicious.

If a character has to fight against something or someone other than themselves, chances are that they are dealing with an external conflict. A character who has to fight in a war, who has a challenging relationship with a family member, or who is trying to solve an important puzzle is experiencing external conflict.

Cast Away starring Tom Hanks is another great example. The man vs. nature conflict occurs when the main character Chuck survives a plane crash and must survive on a deserted island. The themes of man's resourcefulness and will to survive are explored as he learns to survive on the island and later finds his way home.

Decide what your character wants, then put an obstacle in their way. In fiction writing, conflict builds when something prevents your character from getting what they want. You can raise the stakes by making their desire an obsession. If you always give your characters what they want, your story will lack tension.