Character and Characterization in Literary Texts for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 7
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Literature-in-English
Curriculum Theme: Fundamentals of Literature-in-English
Focal competence: Identifying types of characters in literary texts
Key competencies/values: Critical Thinking
Skills:

• define character and characterization in literary works
• identify the major and minor characters in selected in literary texts

Previous Lesson: Themes in Literary Texts and Their Development
Topic: Characterization
Subject Matter: Meaning of character and characterization, Major and minor characters

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• define character in literary works;
• define characterization in literary works;
• identify major characters in selected literary texts;
• identify minor characters in selected literary texts.

Affective Domain

• appreciate the importance of characters in developing a story;
• show interest in analyzing characters in literary texts.

Psychomotor Domain

• categorize characters from a given literary text into major and minor roles.

Social Domain

• participate actively in group discussions about character types.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable Literature-in-English textbook for SS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Cardboard papers
• Excerpts from literary texts (e.g., a short story, a scene from a play, or a poem with clear characters)
• Whiteboard/Chalkboard
• Markers/Chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding character and characterization is fundamental to appreciating any literary work. This lesson helps students analyze how authors create believable personalities and how these personalities drive the plot and themes of a story. It develops critical thinking skills essential for deeper literary analysis.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have basic knowledge of literary terms and have read various literary texts such as short stories, poems, and plays.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Characterization

Meaning of Character

A character in a literary work is a person, animal, or imaginary figure represented in a story, play, or poem. Characters are the agents through whom the plot unfolds and themes are explored. They possess distinct personalities, motivations, and roles within the narrative.

Meaning of Characterization

Characterization refers to the methods or techniques an author uses to reveal and develop the personalities of the characters in a literary work. It is the process by which a writer makes a character seem real to the reader.

Methods of Characterization

Authors reveal character through various methods, including:

1. Speech (Dialogue): What a character says, how they say it, and what others say about them.
2. Action: What a character does, their behaviour, and their reactions to events or other characters.
3. Description (Appearance): The physical description of a character, their clothing, and their mannerisms, which can hint at their personality or social status.
4. Relationships: How a character interacts with other characters, revealing aspects of their personality, values, and conflicts.
5. Narrator’s Commentary: The author’s direct statements about a character’s personality or motives.

Major Characters

Major characters are central to the plot and themes of a literary work. They are typically the protagonists (main heroes) or antagonists (main villains) and are essential for the story’s development. They often undergo significant development or change throughout the narrative and have a profound impact on the story’s outcome.

Examples of major characters:

1. Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
2. Juliet in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
3. Ezeulu in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God

Minor Characters

Minor characters are less central to the plot but serve important functions in supporting the major characters or advancing the story. They often provide background, comic relief, or help to reveal aspects of the major characters’ personalities. They usually do not undergo significant development and have limited roles.

Examples of minor characters:

1. Nwoye’s mother in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (supports Okonkwo’s family life)
2. The Nurse in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (supports Juliet)
3. Oduche in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God (a son of Ezeulu, but not the central focus)

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Guided Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recalling/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and reviews the previous lesson briefly. The teacher then asks students to name some characters from a story or play they have recently read, prompting them to think about who these characters are and what they do in the story.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and name characters from familiar texts.

Learning Point: Recalling literary characters

Step 2: Meaning of Character

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the meaning of “character” in a literary context, providing examples from the texts mentioned by students earlier. The teacher emphasizes that characters can be people, animals, or even abstract figures.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask questions for clarification, and note down the definition.

Learning Point: Definition of character

Step 3: Meaning of Characterization

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Elaboration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the term “characterization” and explains it as the process by which authors reveal a character’s personality. The teacher discusses the various methods of characterization (speech, action, description, relationships) using simple examples.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, contribute examples of how character is revealed, and write down the definition and methods.

Learning Point: Understanding characterization methods

Step 4: Major Characters

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what major characters are, highlighting their central role in the plot and their typical development. The teacher provides examples of major characters from well-known literary texts.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and identify major characters in texts they have read.

Learning Point: Identifying major characters

Step 5: Minor Characters

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Differentiation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the role of minor characters, emphasizing their supportive function and limited development. The teacher provides examples and contrasts them with major characters.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions, and suggest minor characters from familiar stories.

Learning Point: Identifying minor characters

Step 6: Character Categorization Activity

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Group Work

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides students into small groups and provides each group with an excerpt from a literary text. The teacher guides students to list all the characters in the excerpt and categorize them into major and minor characters on cardboard papers. The teacher moves around to provide support.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in groups to identify and categorize characters, then present their findings.

Learning Point: Categorizing literary characters

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a character in literature?
2. Explain what characterization means.
3. Give two examples of major characters from any literary text.
4. Mention two functions of minor characters.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessing character understanding

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on character and characterization, including major and minor characters, into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes the key points of the lesson, reiterating the difference between character and characterization and the distinction between major and minor characters. The teacher encourages students to pay attention to character development in all future readings.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Consolidating lesson understanding

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read a short story or a chapter from a novel and complete the following:

1. Identify at least three characters from the text.
2. For each character, state whether they are a major or minor character and give one reason for your choice.
3. Describe one way the author reveals the personality of one of the major characters you identified (e.g., through their speech, actions, or description).

Lesson Keywords

• Character – A person, animal, or figure in a literary work.
• Characterization – The methods an author uses to reveal a character’s personality.
• Major Character – A central figure in a story, crucial to the plot and themes.
• Minor Character – A supporting figure who helps advance the plot or reveal major characters.
• Protagonist – The main character, often the hero.
• Antagonist – The character who opposes the protagonist.

Differentiation

For learners needing support: Provide simpler literary excerpts with very clear major and minor characters. Offer sentence starters for definitions and character descriptions. Pair them with stronger students during group activities.

For learners needing enrichment: Challenge them to analyze how a character’s personality changes throughout a longer excerpt. Ask them to discuss how different methods of characterization contribute to a character’s complexity. They could also explore the concept of flat vs. round characters, or static vs. dynamic characters.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube for: character and characterization literature SS1