Lecture_Four___Character

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THE WIZARD OF OZ Dorothy wins. She destroys the Wicked Witch of the West.

Dorothy

Wicked Witch of the West

Mozart

Salieri

Terminator

T-1000

AMADEUS Salieri “wins.” Mozart dies, penniless and tossed into an unmarked grave. However, Mozart becomes immortal through his music. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY Terminator wins. He destroys the T-1000.

The negative, dark side of human nature—the center of evil--is as compelling (if not more so) than the light side, and usually more mysterious. Secondary Characters Aside from the protagonist and antagonist, secondary characters provide a counterpoint to the protagonist. For example, Character A brings out the compassionate side of the protagonist while Character B incites hatred. Character C elicits a wise side while Character D provokes a foolish side. Hence, the protagonist’s multi dimensions emerge due to an array of relationships that he/she has with other characters in the story. Secondary characters may be one-dimensional or multi-dimensional.

Archetypes of Secondary Characters Confidante The confidante is a character whom the protagonist or other important characters confide in…a sounding board…sometimes known in Hollywood as the exposition doormat. Ex: the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Foil / Counterpart The foil reveals aspects of the main character by facing similar circumstances but taking a different action (counterpoint) or by facing different circumstances and taking a similar action (the mirror). Examples: Hamlet. Ophelia’s brother, the brash Laertes doesn’t hesitate to take revenge when he discovers the deaths of his father and sister. His actions contrast Hamlet’s indecisiveness and passive reflection. STAR WARS. Hans Solo will lie, cheat, and steal to beat the system. In contrast, Luke Skywalker would never lie, never cheat, and never steal. Solo is Skywalker’s counterpart, the dark alter-ego.


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