Character Analysis Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.2.3

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Stories are driven by the actions of the characters within them and the events that take place in their environment. Characters can make us feel emotions that we could not have seen ourselves or experience without their help. When we examine the characters further, we look at many different aspects of their qualities and actions taken because of them. An analysis of a character allows us to understand the true nature of a character and the role that they play in telling the story. The goal is to determine their personality, what motivates them, and expected behaviors when confronted with certain situations. The worksheets below will help immerse your students into the lives of the characters of stories they have or will read.

Character Analysis Worksheets To Print:

Walking Tall - Gerald and Jenny Giraffe have a son and then everything changes. Look at the first paragraph. How does Gino feel about being a giraffe?

Making New Friends - A day on the pond with Gary the Goose and his sister. Why were Gary and Lucy sad in the second paragraph?

The Bad Tooth - Milo the alligator needs a tooth removed, but where the gator dentist located? Why was Milo having trouble finishing his lunch?

Flying for Honey - Harvey the Honeybee only flies around for one thing; honey! After Harvey's adventure, how do you think Harvey feels about his daily routine of collecting honey?

Drawing the Future - Mortimer Mouse gets ready to run the family store. Look at the second paragraph. How does Mortimer feel when his parents talk to him about the store?

Manly Problems - Landon just can't wait to group up. Just like most lions his age. When Landon’s mane wouldn't grow, what did he do for a week straight?

Too Big for Friends - Ellie Elephant proves that we should let our physical characteristics dictate our lives. What advice did Ellie's mother give her on their walk?

The Trouble with Tails - Man, does Monty the Monkey ever depend on his tail. Who is Monty always trying to catch up with when he swings through the trees?

Learning a Lesson - Sheldon learns through the stories of his older brother Landon. Look at the first paragraph. How does Sheldon feel about going to school?

Taking Flight - Ben the caterpillar can't wait to be Ben the Butterfly. Look at the first sentence of the story. What did Ben wish for when he was little?

Reaching for Safety - Terry the T-Rex doesn't let his short arms hold him back much at all. Look at the first paragraph. How does Terry feel about his small arms?

Jumping Through Hoops - Bruno the Bear gets ready for the Big Top. Based on what you know about Bruno, will he be good at jumping through hoops?

Raining For Life - See if you can figure out who or what Clarence is. Look at the second paragraph. What does Clarence see when he and his friends produce a rain storm?

Walking on Needles - Polly the porcupine isn't a big fan of games that involve hiding. When Polly gets scared, what happens to her quills?

Man's Best Friend - Sophie is pretty busy in this passage. Who was Sophie walking with in the third paragraph?

Thoughts - Write down an example of how you can understand the personality of each person.

Beginning, Middle, End - This is a nice map for keeping track of an individuals progression over the course of a work.

Have You Met... - This is helpful when going back over a story for the first time.

Famous Square - This has been featured by a number of different publications, I guess you guys like it.

Once Over - This can be helpful to use as you are reading the story for the first time.

The Evidence - This is helpful when you are attempting to make inferences.

Describe Them - This will allow to write down the exact location in the story when you noticed something particular about a character.

Break Apart - This helps you give a basic description of all actors in a work.

Visualize Them - Come as close to drwaing them as possible.

Book Report - This is used to help students best review a work.

Show Me Proof - This will help you cite specific regions where you a character has revealed themselves.

Author's Motive - See if you can picture what the characters look like without looking at illustrations.

My Name Is... - You can use this as if the individual was introducing themself to a crowd of people.

Emergency - See if you can determine what makes them tick.

Personality Traits - What sticks out to you about the features of the story?

What Is Character Analysis? Why Is It Helpful?

We begin to use character analysis when we are critically evaluating a story to learn more about the individual characters. We are often looking for clues or prompts that we may have missed when we first read the story. These clues will help us understand the nature and tendencies of the individual characters. We often begin by following their trajectory throughout the story. When were the introduced to the reader? What conflicts did they experience over the course of the story? The overall goal is to understand the character's role in the work. There are many different roles that a character can serve in a story. These include:


Protagonist - This is the main character that the entire story centers around. These are who the readers are supposed to focus on and care about. To use the Original Star Wars as an example, this was Luke Skywalker.


Antagonist - This is the character that opposes our hero (protagonist). In most cases, this is the source of conflict that steps the entire story. Back to Star Wars, this was originally Darth Vader.


Deuteragonist - This is character that is not the main center of the story, but it pretty close to it. They normally serve the role of heightening the level of conflict of the story. Star Wars again, this was a number of different characters, but mostly Princess Leia and Han Solo.


Tertiary Characters - These are not somewhat background personalities that do contribute to the main focus of the story, but they help set the scene and surroundings. Most well-built stories will feature them. The Ewoks, C3PO, and R2-D2 served this role in Star Wars.


How to Analyze a Character of a Story?

Understanding the true nature of a character of a story is important because it tells a lot about the possibilities of the story. There are many different aspects that contribute toward any role in a story. It normally begins with their physical attributes. How big or small are they? How do they differ from others in the story? It then normal develops in the minds of the characters. What level of intellect do they have and how does that differ from others in the story? Are too smart for their own good? We also try to grasp the emotional state and mental toughness of their position. This helps us understand the heights and limits of where they are willing to go to achieve something. Here are a few points that will help you do a character analysis.


Reread the story with a character in mind


Once you have decided the character you want to analyze, reread the entire story again. This is because now you will notice things that went unobserved before. Read the story to get to know the character more. Pay attention to everything that happens to the character and how it reacts.


The Physical Appearance


One of the major elements of character analysis is physical appearance. It tells a lot about a character. Usually, the appearance is the first thing that is revealed about a character. Pay attention to what the author tells about the character's appearance. What kind of facial features does it have? How tall or short and strong or weak it is? What sort of clothes is the character wearing? Does the character carry a specific object? You can also take notes of these points. After that, relate the physical appearance with the personality. For example, a nice suited gentleman will be richer whereas a person in rugged clothes will be poor.


Character's Background


A good character analysis always contains the background of the character. The background includes the details of the character's past and personal challenges. Personal history affects character development. These details might include where the character was born. Where did it get its education from? Etc.


The Personality


The personality of the character is the main element of character analysis. In order to know more about the personality of the character, pay attention to its actions. How does the character react to certain situations? What sort of language does the character use? What emotions does the character feel? What ambitions does the character have? All these questions will help you know more about his/her personality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Flying For Honey Preview