Language Arts · Grade 10 · Dramatic Tension and Conflict · Term 2

Character Development in Drama

Students will examine how characters are revealed through their actions, dialogue, and interactions with others.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3

About This Topic

Tragedy is one of the oldest and most profound forms of storytelling, exploring the 'darker' side of the human condition. In Grade 10, students investigate the classic elements of tragedy, the tragic hero, the 'hamartia' (fatal flaw), and the 'catharsis' (emotional release). This study aligns with Ontario's Reading and Literature standards, as it asks students to analyze how universal themes of fate, choice, and suffering resonate across time and culture.

Students also explore how modern tragedies differ from classical ones. In a Canadian context, this might involve looking at 'social tragedies' that deal with systemic issues like the legacy of residential schools or the struggles of immigrant families. This topic is best explored through deep, collaborative discussion where students can debate the 'fairness' of a character's downfall and the moral lessons the audience is meant to take away.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how a character's internal conflict drives their external actions.
2. Compare the development of a protagonist and an antagonist in a play.
3. Predict how a character might react to a new dramatic situation based on their established traits.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how a character's dialogue reveals their motivations and internal conflicts.
• Compare the methods used by a playwright to develop a protagonist versus an antagonist.
• Predict a character's likely response to a new situation based on their established traits and past actions.
• Explain how a character's actions, both deliberate and accidental, contribute to dramatic tension.
• Evaluate the impact of a character's relationships with others on their personal development.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details

Why: Students need to be able to identify the core elements of a text to analyze how specific details contribute to characterization.

Understanding Plot Structure

Why: Knowledge of plot helps students recognize how character actions and conflicts drive the narrative forward.

Key Vocabulary

Character Arc	The transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story. It shows how a character changes in response to plot events.
Motivation	The reason or reasons behind a character's actions or behavior. It explains why a character does what they do.
Internal Conflict	A struggle within a character's mind, often between opposing desires, beliefs, or needs. This inner turmoil influences their decisions.
External Conflict	A struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, or nature. This conflict often arises from internal struggles.
Subtext	The underlying or implicit meaning in dialogue or action. It is what a character means but does not explicitly say.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

A tragedy is just a 'sad story.'

What to Teach Instead

A tragedy is a specific structure where a person of high status falls due to a flaw. Through 'The Hamartia File,' students learn that the 'fall' must be significant and tied to the character's own nature to be a true tragedy.

Common Misconception

The 'tragic flaw' has to be a 'bad' trait.

What to Teach Instead

A tragic flaw can be a 'good' trait taken to an extreme, like excessive loyalty or extreme bravery. Peer-led debates help students see the nuance in how 'virtues' can become 'vices' in a tragic context.

Active Learning Ideas

Formal Debate: Fate vs. Choice

The class is divided into two sides to debate whether a tragic hero's downfall was inevitable (fate) or the result of their own specific decisions (choice). They must use 'evidence' from the text to support their claims.

45 min·Whole Class

Inquiry Circle: The Hamartia File

Groups act as 'psychologists' for a tragic hero. They must identify the character's 'fatal flaw,' find three moments where it led to a bad decision, and propose a 'treatment' that might have saved them.

40 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Modern Tragedies

Students identify a modern figure (real or fictional) who fits the 'tragic hero' mold. They share their choice with a partner and discuss whether modern audiences still feel 'catharsis' in the same way ancient ones did.

25 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Screenwriters for television shows like 'The Crown' meticulously craft character backstories and dialogue to ensure historical figures behave believably within dramatic narratives, influencing public perception of these individuals.
• Actors preparing for a role in a stage production, such as a Shakespearean play at the Stratford Festival, analyze their character's motivations and relationships to deliver authentic performances that resonate with the audience.
• Therapists use an understanding of character development and internal conflict to help clients navigate personal challenges and make positive changes in their lives.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Present students with a short, unfamiliar scene featuring two characters. Ask: 'Based on their dialogue and actions in this scene, what can you infer about each character's primary motivation? How might these motivations lead to conflict between them?'

Quick Check

Provide students with a character profile from a play they have studied. Ask them to write two sentences describing a potential internal conflict for this character and one sentence predicting how this conflict might manifest in their actions during a new, hypothetical scenario.

Peer Assessment

In small groups, students discuss a protagonist and antagonist from a studied play. Each student identifies one key action or line of dialogue that significantly reveals the protagonist's development and one that reveals the antagonist's core traits. Students share their findings and justify their choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 'catharsis'?

Catharsis is the emotional 'purging' or release that an audience feels at the end of a tragedy. By watching a character go through intense suffering, the audience experiences a sense of pity and fear that is 'cleansed' by the end of the play, leaving them with a deeper understanding of life.

What makes a character a 'tragic hero'?

A tragic hero is usually a person of high status who is basically good but has one major flaw (hamartia). Their downfall is usually a combination of this flaw and external circumstances (fate), and they usually realize their mistake just before it's too late.

How can active learning help students understand tragedy?

Active learning, like the 'Fate vs. Choice' debate, forces students to grapple with the moral complexity of the genre. When they have to defend a character's actions, they move beyond 'feeling sad' and start analyzing the structural and philosophical reasons *why* the story is a tragedy. This turns a passive emotional experience into an active intellectual one.

Are there Canadian tragedies?

Yes! Many Canadian plays and novels are 'modern tragedies.' They often focus on the 'common person' rather than kings or queens, exploring how systemic issues like poverty, racism, or historical trauma can act as the 'fate' that leads to a character's downfall.