This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. For a full list of dual-language videos in our series, please see the following site: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms
Please drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of our video! Doing so will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around the topic of literary characters.
"A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers"? why English? are you saying people who aren't using or who isn't English can't write good characters?
@@psychicbirb5180 Not at all! In the United States, "English" classes usually mean "Literature" classes, so we added the phrase "English Students" to ensure that that audience would find our videos. To our mind, every culture and language has its own great tradition of literature.
In simple words... Dynamic character changes in the story.but it is not necessary for round character to change in the story.(only the story is revolving around him) .. Static character doesn't change but they have some sort of conflicts. While flat character work as backup character having no conflicts in the story. Correct me if Iam wrong 👌
So when we talk about flat characters is it just personality? Because luke skywalker is a flat character in episode 4, but he has a character arc of reluctance to acceptance of both the force and rebellion. His personality doesn’t change, but he’s developed in the sense we know his strengths and weaknesses, where he’s from, and how he acts. Would he also be a static character?
Round character is deep layered character in story . Round characters are interesting to audience because they feel like real people, audiences often feel invested in these characters goals , success, failure, strength, weaknesses. Flat characters are two dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and don’t change throughout course of work . By contrast round characters are complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise readers , flat and round characters. Round characters often shows emotional development and personality growth throughout story . For example walter white in breaking bad . Both round and dynamic character. Flat character is two dimensional character lacking real personality. Usually have just one or two perfunctory traits . For example flat character crush , turtle , crabbe , goyle in Harry Potter. Thank you for your wonderful educational literary channel.
Thanks for the suggestion, Belle! We discuss static characters in this comment thread, but we'll certainly consider adding a new video on the subject in the future.
So flat characters fill the roles in the story. (Some kind of props, then?) While the round characters are "humans." They showed a lot of sides depending on the situation. They're gray, neither good or bad. They confused us. Is that right?
You got it, MC! Though flat characters can (depending on the genre) be much more than props. Genres that are interested in psychological drama and depth often have numerous round characters. Genres that are less interested in such things (e.g.slapstick comedies, some action movies, etc.) can have flat characters as lead characters.
Good question, Abdullah! Dynamic, as its name suggests, means changing, so a dynamic character changes substantially over the course of a narrative. Round characters can often be dynamic, given their complexity, but some round characters simply stay complex without making a fundamental change from the start to the finish of a narrative. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the question, Cool Pain! We're not familiar with Delsin Rowe (other than what we Googled just now), so I think we should ask everybody else who has watched the video what we think. Captain America and Superman are certainly two of the flatter comic book heroes around, as they rarely deviate from a set of fairly restrictive behaviors and operate according to a rigid code of conduct. If you are interested in our take on graphic narratives with rounder characters, check out our 2 videos on graphic narratives in this series!
We're not familiar with Samurai Jack, but we'd say that Batman is a slightly rounder character than The Flash in their respective comic series--particularly in the darker reboots of Batman.
@@SWLFsamurai jack has obe goal in his mind he spent the whole series trying to find way to get back to the past amd defeat aku he never changes so yeah he could be called a flat arc, what you think of the flash :) do you think he's flat or round
We wouldn't frame characters as good/bad. Good fiction usually includes both compelling, round characters and less compelling, flat characters. Those latter characters are necessary to set limits on a plot--you can't make everyone round and keep the story from being derailed. That's our two cents!
@@ghostofdeath7388 We wouldn't use the term "plot device character" to describe these characters (or any characters, actually). We'd recommend sticking with more conventional terms like flat vs round or protagonist / antagonist.
There is definitely some overlap between static and flat characters and dynamic and round characters, but they don't necessarily mean the same thing. The Static vs Dynamic distinction is all about a character's ability to change over the narrative, while Flat vs Round is all about a character's psychological complexity. As such, I think you could argue that (to use this video's example) Luke Skywalker is a somewhat dynamic character who is also flat.
@@SWLF okay. So taking examples from Dostoyevsky's Crime and punishment : Raskolnikov, the protagonist, was dynamic and round Marmeladov, the miserable former official, was static and flat while Svidrigailov, the lecherous nobleman, was a dynamic but flat character. Right?
@@talhaali1178 Interesting. Yes, I'd say that you could certainly support that breakdown. Depending on how you read Svidrigailov's acts of kindness, which could certainly be understood as self-serving. Nicely done with this distinction!
@@eivor5453 We do read comics (and other graphic narratives--check out our lessons on the subject here): ua-cam.com/video/SPES7Z2fjIY/v-deo.html We just haven't read that one.
Wow sir, clearly explained 👏 In Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence, Leonard and Beatrice are flat characters. Paul Morel and Mrs. Morel are round characters, and even Baxter Dawes, a bad man also an round character.
Is it a round character when the characters emotions are fully seen and they have second thoughts of changing as a person . Please let me know if I'm wrong
Good question, Nicole! Round characters are much tougher to figure out than flat characters, and in this way, they are more like us--complicated human beings with (at times) contradictory behaviors. Oftentimes, round characters' emotions or motivations might NOT be fully seen--they might act in ways that we do not expect them to, and their motivations may be shrouded in mystery. But they can certainly express doubt about their actions, and may indeed be unsure of themselves. Thanks so much for keeping the conversation going!
Thanks for the post, Fei-Hong! We agree that Darth Vader certainly becomes a MUCH rounder character in the prequels to the first three movies. In the first movie (episode 4--the one that Prof. Elbom references), however, he doesn't have much of a character arc. Thanks for keeping the conversation going!
The background music was entirely distracting and I spent most of the video thinking I was playing sound from another tab on accident. I could not concentrate at all on the point of the video.
@@ghostofdeath7388 Hmm, we had a look at the description of that series, and judging from plot synopses, Alucard seems to be both a round and a dynamic character (and a bit terrifying!)
@@SWLF the punisher from the marvel comics universe is a clear example of a flat character. What you think of arcee from transformers prime series if you watched it what you think of her character trope And do you think she's a hero or anti heroine
@@ghostofdeath7388 Hmm, we haven't seen that series either. From what we recall from the Punisher comics in the 80s, he does seem to have a fairly singular vision of the world that he does not deviate from, so yes, he does seem more flat than other characters who have doubts about the world they embody. Thanks for the comment!
Not sure about Joel, but from what we recall about The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes certainly starts as a flat character, but the later seasons present him as much more conflicted (and rounder) character.
Great question, Anubis! Given the fact that there have been so many different versions of both heroes over the years, we think the answer would depend. The Batman of, say, Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns graphic novel is very different (and one might argue, "rounder") than the campy Batman of the 1960s tv show. The same goes for Superman--particularly in the most recent movies. After the Christopher Nolan dark reboot of the Batman film series, superheroes and villains in movies have general become a bit rounder. This change has influenced other related films, including the recent Star Wars movies, in which the older Luke Skywalker appears much more conflicted (and therefore rounder) than his youthful counterpart in Episode IV. Hope that helps! And we hope you enjoy the other videos in our series. Thanks so much for contributing to this project.
@@SWLF the recent movie is what you call the negative character arc later he doesn't change but is the main version of the character I mean the character overall flat
@@Anubis-xk4ht Got it. In earlier comics, the Joker is definitely predictably bad, so we'd say yes, in these earlier versions he is more flat than round.
We think the Joker is a tough one to call. It depends upon the movie / comic. In his early iterations, he's pretty flat, but more recent (dark) films present him in a more round manner.
We'd say in the early comics, yes. In the darker more recent versions (e.g. The Killing Joke), he's a bit more round. In general, he's a fairly one-dimensional character, though. What does everyone else think? Does the Joker ever become round, or is he singularly driven and predictable?
OMG HE IS BAD BECAUSE HE IS IN BLACK!!! Are you serious man that’s so racist as much as i need this but i will drop it... Shame on you man you are a teacher!!!
Hi, Asma. No, that isn't what Prof Elbom was saying. If you look at the video, he is criticizing that simplistic symbol in the same way that he criticizes the tendency to associate white with good.
Hi no. You cannot allude to the "goodness" of a character with "blue eyes and blonde hair... dressed in white" without addressing the white supremacist undertones of that symbolism. To dismiss it as being simplistic and boring is not enough. It's 2022, get with the program. This video needs to be taken down and redone correctly.
This man did not just say BLUE EYES and BLONDE HAIR equals a good character, that’s not symbolism that is race, the Caucasian race to be specific. By that observation then a character with dark eyes and dark hair or a darker race like being black or brown is bad... if I follow your logic. HELLOUTTAHERE MY GUY. How are you teaching at a university.... everything you say after that is null and void to me. Imma head out, never coming back to this channel SMH.
No, Happier Quotes, that isn't what Prof. Elbom is saying. If you watch the larger context, he is suggesting that this symbolic coding is simplistic and incredibly problematic. Indeed, as he suggests, associating white with "good" and dark with "bad" is a troubling feature of some Hollywood movies.
Hi, Agnes. We're sorry you feel this way. If you watch the entire video, you'll see that the point of Dr. Elbom's video's discussion was to show how simplistic and foolish it is to ascribe universal symbolic values to color.
This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. For a full list of dual-language videos in our series, please see the following site: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms
Please drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of our video! Doing so will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around the topic of literary characters.
"A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers"? why English? are you saying people who aren't using or who isn't English can't write good characters?
@@psychicbirb5180 Not at all! In the United States, "English" classes usually mean "Literature" classes, so we added the phrase "English Students" to ensure that that audience would find our videos. To our mind, every culture and language has its own great tradition of literature.
In simple words...
Dynamic character changes in the story.but it is not necessary for round character to change in the story.(only the story is revolving around him)
..
Static character doesn't change but they have some sort of conflicts.
While flat character work as backup character having no conflicts in the story.
Correct me if Iam wrong 👌
Great work, Zia! This is a terrific explanation of static vs dynamic as opposed to flat vs round characters! Thanks so much for sharing this comment!
A static or flat character can still have depth or internal conflict inside. Remind Luke, Sherlock Holmes, and Sonic the Hedgehog
Never really considered the value of flat characters before. Thanks for that new insight.
Thanks so much for supporting the series, Pieter!
Thank you :)
Ever since I discovered your channel, I enjoy literature ten times more.
Thanks so much for supporting the channel, Talha! We're so happy to hear that you are deepening your enjoyment of literature!
Thank you for this profound explanation, I've been able to answer my activity easily.
Thanks so much, Belle! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!
Was glued to the video and absolutely love the explanation by Gilad Elbom. Gonna watch all of them. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Salomi! We hope you enjoy the other videos as well.
So when we talk about flat characters is it just personality? Because luke skywalker is a flat character in episode 4, but he has a character arc of reluctance to acceptance of both the force and rebellion. His personality doesn’t change, but he’s developed in the sense we know his strengths and weaknesses, where he’s from, and how he acts. Would he also be a static character?
I would think so
He learns to accept the darkness inside him and the light inside Vader
Round character is deep layered character in story . Round characters are interesting to audience because they feel like real people, audiences often feel invested in these characters goals , success, failure, strength, weaknesses. Flat characters are two dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and don’t change throughout course of work . By contrast round characters are complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise readers , flat and round characters. Round characters often shows emotional development and personality growth throughout story . For example walter white in breaking bad . Both round and dynamic character. Flat character is two dimensional character lacking real personality. Usually have just one or two perfunctory traits . For example flat character crush , turtle , crabbe , goyle in Harry Potter. Thank you for your wonderful educational literary channel.
Can you please make a video explaining the difference between static characters to flat characters, I'm quite confused.
Thanks for the suggestion, Belle! We discuss static characters in this comment thread, but we'll certainly consider adding a new video on the subject in the future.
thank you so much sir ...your pronounces is too simple and easy to understanding..
Thanks so much, Daksh! We hope you enjoy the other lessons in our series as well!
So flat characters fill the roles in the story. (Some kind of props, then?) While the round characters are "humans." They showed a lot of sides depending on the situation. They're gray, neither good or bad. They confused us. Is that right?
You got it, MC! Though flat characters can (depending on the genre) be much more than props. Genres that are interested in psychological drama and depth often have numerous round characters. Genres that are less interested in such things (e.g.slapstick comedies, some action movies, etc.) can have flat characters as lead characters.
This fine gentleman helped me in my exam, thanks Mr. Gilad.
You;'re very welcome, Inenvoker! Glad to hear you found the lesson useful!
Thank you so much for this video. I now know everything about flat and round characters. Thanks again!
Thanks so much, Teerna! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!
What is the difference between round and dynamic character? Please.
Good question, Abdullah! Dynamic, as its name suggests, means changing, so a dynamic character changes substantially over the course of a narrative. Round characters can often be dynamic, given their complexity, but some round characters simply stay complex without making a fundamental change from the start to the finish of a narrative. Hope that helps!
Delson Rowe from infamous second son, what you think of this guy ?
Could captain america and superman fall as flat or round character arcs ?
Thanks for the question, Cool Pain! We're not familiar with Delsin Rowe (other than what we Googled just now), so I think we should ask everybody else who has watched the video what we think. Captain America and Superman are certainly two of the flatter comic book heroes around, as they rarely deviate from a set of fairly restrictive behaviors and operate according to a rigid code of conduct. If you are interested in our take on graphic narratives with rounder characters, check out our 2 videos on graphic narratives in this series!
@@SWLF i think an example of flat character arc is samurai Jack, how about the flash and batman in the comics ?
We're not familiar with Samurai Jack, but we'd say that Batman is a slightly rounder character than The Flash in their respective comic series--particularly in the darker reboots of Batman.
@@SWLFsamurai jack has obe goal in his mind he spent the whole series trying to find way to get back to the past amd defeat aku he never changes so yeah he could be called a flat arc, what you think of the flash :) do you think he's flat or round
One question , are plot device characters good and compelling characters or bad characters
We wouldn't frame characters as good/bad. Good fiction usually includes both compelling, round characters and less compelling, flat characters. Those latter characters are necessary to set limits on a plot--you can't make everyone round and keep the story from being derailed. That's our two cents!
@@SWLF could batman and joker consider be plot device characters
@@ghostofdeath7388 We wouldn't use the term "plot device character" to describe these characters (or any characters, actually). We'd recommend sticking with more conventional terms like flat vs round or protagonist / antagonist.
@@SWLF one question, who do you think is more in depth as character? The joker or nagato uzumaki in overall general
What about 'static' and 'dynamic' characters? Are these just another name for round and flat characters?
There is definitely some overlap between static and flat characters and dynamic and round characters, but they don't necessarily mean the same thing. The Static vs Dynamic distinction is all about a character's ability to change over the narrative, while Flat vs Round is all about a character's psychological complexity. As such, I think you could argue that (to use this video's example) Luke Skywalker is a somewhat dynamic character who is also flat.
@@SWLF okay. So taking examples from Dostoyevsky's Crime and punishment :
Raskolnikov, the protagonist, was dynamic and round
Marmeladov, the miserable former official, was static and flat while
Svidrigailov, the lecherous nobleman, was a dynamic but flat character.
Right?
@@talhaali1178 Interesting. Yes, I'd say that you could certainly support that breakdown. Depending on how you read Svidrigailov's acts of kindness, which could certainly be understood as self-serving. Nicely done with this distinction!
@@SWLF Right.
Thank you once again.
@@SWLF batman is dynamic character who's flat
I'd love your opinion on rebirth wonder woman
Unfortunately, we aren't familiar with that storyline, Nagato. What does everyone else think?
@@SWLF so you never read any comics huh ?
@@eivor5453 We do read comics (and other graphic narratives--check out our lessons on the subject here): ua-cam.com/video/SPES7Z2fjIY/v-deo.html
We just haven't read that one.
@@SWLF which wonder woman comics you have read? Or have you read any?
Wow sir, clearly explained 👏
In Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence, Leonard and Beatrice are flat characters.
Paul Morel and Mrs. Morel are round characters, and even Baxter Dawes, a bad man also an round character.
Excellent examples, Hema! Thanks so much for keeping the conversation going!
@@SWLF 😃👍
Is it a round character when the characters emotions are fully seen and they have second thoughts of changing as a person . Please let me know if I'm wrong
Good question, Nicole! Round characters are much tougher to figure out than flat characters, and in this way, they are more like us--complicated human beings with (at times) contradictory behaviors. Oftentimes, round characters' emotions or motivations might NOT be fully seen--they might act in ways that we do not expect them to, and their motivations may be shrouded in mystery. But they can certainly express doubt about their actions, and may indeed be unsure of themselves. Thanks so much for keeping the conversation going!
@@SWLF thanks but I already wrote my test but thanks
It took me 2 searches to fond this video!
Ha! Well, we hope it was worth it, Random Name!
What do you think about the maze runner? Who are the round and flat characters there?
Hmm, we aren't familiar with Maze Runner. Would you care to elaborate? What characters do you see as round or flat there and why?
This really helped
Thanks so much for checking out more of our video lessons, @cliftonmorehouse4760 ! We appreciate your support!
What are you talking about; Darth Vader went through such epic changes from Star Wars 1-6?
Thanks for the post, Fei-Hong! We agree that Darth Vader certainly becomes a MUCH rounder character in the prequels to the first three movies. In the first movie (episode 4--the one that Prof. Elbom references), however, he doesn't have much of a character arc. Thanks for keeping the conversation going!
So helpful, thank you!
Thanks so much, Emmanuel! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the lesson, and we hope you'll check out more of our videos!
IMO super man is a flat character, what you think ?
Hi, Asura. We agree that Superman is definitely one of the flatter superheroes. Nice observation!
@@SWLF Snyder made him a round character IMO
What you think of blade and wolverine from the marvel universe
Both of these characters certainly appear to be more conflicted and therefore rounder than, say, Cyclops or Colossus (to use some X-Men examples).
@@SWLF in the movies they were static and many comics I've read
The background music was entirely distracting and I spent most of the video thinking I was playing sound from another tab on accident. I could not concentrate at all on the point of the video.
Thanks for the comment, LivnDedGrl! We have tried to keep the background music down in our more recent videos...
What you think of spawn from image comics
Thanks for the question! Unfortunately, we're not as familiar with Spawn. What does everyone else think?
@@SWLF how about alucard from hellsing ultimate if you saw that series
@@ghostofdeath7388 Hmm, we had a look at the description of that series, and judging from plot synopses, Alucard seems to be both a round and a dynamic character (and a bit terrifying!)
@@SWLF the punisher from the marvel comics universe is a clear example of a flat character.
What you think of arcee from transformers prime series if you watched it what you think of her character trope
And do you think she's a hero or anti heroine
@@ghostofdeath7388 Hmm, we haven't seen that series either. From what we recall from the Punisher comics in the 80s, he does seem to have a fairly singular vision of the world that he does not deviate from, so yes, he does seem more flat than other characters who have doubts about the world they embody. Thanks for the comment!
Great explanation
Thanks so much, Eduardo! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our literary terms series as well!
what you think of Joel and rick grimes
Not sure about Joel, but from what we recall about The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes certainly starts as a flat character, but the later seasons present him as much more conflicted (and rounder) character.
Are batman and superman considered to be flat characters
Great question, Anubis! Given the fact that there have been so many different versions of both heroes over the years, we think the answer would depend. The Batman of, say, Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns graphic novel is very different (and one might argue, "rounder") than the campy Batman of the 1960s tv show. The same goes for Superman--particularly in the most recent movies. After the Christopher Nolan dark reboot of the Batman film series, superheroes and villains in movies have general become a bit rounder. This change has influenced other related films, including the recent Star Wars movies, in which the older Luke Skywalker appears much more conflicted (and therefore rounder) than his youthful counterpart in Episode IV.
Hope that helps! And we hope you enjoy the other videos in our series. Thanks so much for contributing to this project.
@@SWLF the main canon versions of the two characters, are they flat ?
The refers to star wars was vary interesting. It makes sense
Thanks so much, Darth! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!
Joker from batman is a flat character right
See our other answer--we think it depends... What does everyone else think? Is the Joker of the most recent film round or flat? Why or why not?
@@SWLF the recent movie is what you call the negative character arc later he doesn't change but is the main version of the character I mean the character overall flat
@@Anubis-xk4ht Got it. In earlier comics, the Joker is definitely predictably bad, so we'd say yes, in these earlier versions he is more flat than round.
Red dead redemption 1&2 have a great character arc
We haven't played RDRI, but part 2 does seem to have more than a few round characters.
@@SWLF you only played part 2?
@@thebonebreaker4526 We're working with a PC here.
Ty
You're very welcome, Idk! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!
Could the joker from the comics consider me as a one dimensional character
We think the Joker is a tough one to call. It depends upon the movie / comic. In his early iterations, he's pretty flat, but more recent (dark) films present him in a more round manner.
@@SWLF I am talking about the comics, all in all is he considered to be one dimensional character
We'd say in the early comics, yes. In the darker more recent versions (e.g. The Killing Joke), he's a bit more round. In general, he's a fairly one-dimensional character, though. What does everyone else think? Does the Joker ever become round, or is he singularly driven and predictable?
@@SWLF he's pretty much the same
Have you watched hellsing ultimate? you really should
We haven't, but we'll add it to the list. Always good to have something in the queue while sheltering in place!
@@SWLF it's a two series the first is hellsing and the second is ultimate hellsing but hope you tell me your opinion on alucard
fat characters and skinny characters
Eeee
OMG HE IS BAD BECAUSE HE IS IN BLACK!!! Are you serious man that’s so racist as much as i need this but i will drop it...
Shame on you man you are a teacher!!!
Hi, Asma. No, that isn't what Prof Elbom was saying. If you look at the video, he is criticizing that simplistic symbol in the same way that he criticizes the tendency to associate white with good.
Hi no. You cannot allude to the "goodness" of a character with "blue eyes and blonde hair... dressed in white" without addressing the white supremacist undertones of that symbolism. To dismiss it as being simplistic and boring is not enough. It's 2022, get with the program. This video needs to be taken down and redone correctly.
This man did not just say BLUE EYES and BLONDE HAIR equals a good character, that’s not symbolism that is race, the Caucasian race to be specific. By that observation then a character with dark eyes and dark hair or a darker race like being black or brown is bad... if I follow your logic.
HELLOUTTAHERE MY GUY.
How are you teaching at a university.... everything you say after that is null and void to me.
Imma head out, never coming back to this channel SMH.
No, Happier Quotes, that isn't what Prof. Elbom is saying. If you watch the larger context, he is suggesting that this symbolic coding is simplistic and incredibly problematic. Indeed, as he suggests, associating white with "good" and dark with "bad" is a troubling feature of some Hollywood movies.
This is such a racial biased explanation.
Hi, Agnes. We're sorry you feel this way. If you watch the entire video, you'll see that the point of Dr. Elbom's video's discussion was to show how simplistic and foolish it is to ascribe universal symbolic values to color.