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What is characterisation?

Characterisation is the way writers create characters and make them believable. When writing about texts, it is easy to treat characters as real people. Try to remember that the author is creating characters using language.

Think about the set of characters in a text:

  • What are the characters like? How do you know this?
  • What do the characters say ?
  • What do the characters do?
  • How are they described?
  • How are they seen by other characters?
Fictional characters Gandalf and Frodo from the film version of The Lord of the Rings
Image caption,
Fictional characters Gandalf and Frodo from the film version of The Lord of the Rings