Who is flat character

Having one or two flat characters that serve an important purpose is okay, but having a story or novel full of flat characters is undesirable. You can find flat characters in any fiction genre from picture books to novels. In some of the Harry Potter books by J. Rowling, readers need a way to see what Draco Malfoy is doing behind the scenes and what he says in private. His main trait is his loyalty. Elizabeth is a main character in The Crucible by Arthur Miller who does have some internal insights throughout the novel.

She serves as an extra who populates the town to help it feel realistic and provides an easy way for the reader to see what a lot of different people are thinking. Put your writing skills to the test and see if you can create a great flat character for your work in progress.

All rights reserved. Examples and Description. Definition of a Flat Character What is a flat character? Characteristics of Flat Characters All flat characters are not created equal, but most share a few things in common. She has been duped by Claudius who murdered her husband and stole the throne. Though she is weak, she serves to advance the plot by being a pawn for Claudius and Polonius. They are able to use her to carry out their plans and schemes.

Romeo and Juliet has two perfect examples of flat characters. Hardly anything is revealed about her at all. Her sole purpose is to try and convince Juliet to marry Paris. She has a simple personality but her role is important. This pressure to be with Paris is a big conflict in the story.

Next, we have Benvolio. We know that he is a good and loyal friend to Romeo. He is accused by some of being hot-headed and having a bad attitude. He does advance the plot by trying to play peacekeeper between the families. He also supports Romeo in going after Juliet. Dracula is a nobleman who is also a vampire. The story follows a complex and interesting plot, but Dracula is not a complicated character. All he ever aspires to do is suck blood and turn people into vampires.

These simple, unchanging desires coupled with his one-dimensional personality make him a flat protagonist.

The world of Harry Potter is a complex and expertly crafted story. Harry himself is a round character , but J. Rowling makes brilliant use of several flat characters to advance the story in unique ways. Crabbe and Goyle are both examples of a flat character. They are present throughout all the books, but we still never learn much about them.

Another example here is Hagrid. Hagrid is central to the plot. He is a recognizable and important character. He is someone Harry can go to and trust. Hagrid is well-loved by both characters and readers.

But, Hagrid plays a crucial role in the story. From there, he helps and advances the plot in several ways, but he never changes.

While also considered classics by many, Disney has truly carved itself into a category of its own. With multiple movies containing simple but memorable characters, they offer some notable examples of flat characters. While she is the main focus of the story, Ariel is flat due to her unwavering obsession with what dwells above the surface of the ocean.

Her appearance does change, but she herself remains the same. Even when she makes it onto the land, she still fixates on the life of humans by turning her attention to Eric. She becomes involved with him rather fast. Her personality is basic and she is naive.

She never grows from this. This is all we know about him, however, and he never redeems himself. His personality is stagnant and his motivation is singular: marry Belle.

Though he is shallow and static, he plays a significant role as a source of conflict. Belle is slowly getting through to the beast during her time in the tower. She is mean, cruel, and downright evil. She remains this way throughout the entire story, never experiencing redemption or growth. She is crucial to the story, however, as she stands in the way of Cinderella reaching her full potential in life.

In many situations such as the example of Newman from Seinfeld and the servants in Romeo and Juliet , the flat characters often bring comedy to the piece as well as a break from the constant action and drama. She is characterized in the book as the town gossip. By including her in the story, the reader is able to receive additional viewpoints of the community during a controversial time, and it adds depth the town by showing the different residing citizens.

His personality is limited to being the strong yet unintelligent servant of the General Zaroff. By adding such a flat character, it creates an additional amount of suspense and fear to the situation of Rainsford being trapped on a remote island with these two dangerous men. Define flat characters in literature: Flat characters are those in which the author has minimally developed.

This lack of complexity allows for them to support the main, more complex characters and to add balance to the story.