

Protagonists are often round characters simply because readers know a lot about them, but any character in a story can be round.

The opposite of a round character is a flat character, or a character who lacks complexity and therefore doesn't seem true to life.Some additional key details about round characters: A wealthy man who throws lavish parties for high-society New Yorkers, at first glance Gatsby may seem quite simple, but over the course of the book he is revealed to have a deep and complicated personal history that gives rise to some surprising motivations: his relentless pursuit of wealth and stature is driven by his desire to get close to the woman he loves. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a round character. Round characters typically have fully fleshed-out and multi-faceted personalities, backgrounds, desires, and motivations. However, the irony is that others accuse him for his hot temperament and wild attitude.What is a round character? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Ī character is said to be "round" if they are lifelike or complex. Benvolio’s purpose is to support Romeo to get married to Juliet. He is temperate, solid, and loyal, who always tries to maintain peace and harmony between the two families. Example #4: Benvolio from Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare)īenvolio is another flat character, who remains unchanged throughout the play. Thus, she does not transform throughout this play, proving her as a flat character from beginning to the end. She does not judge her husband, and assures him that she would support him for any decision he makes. Though she feels dejected due to John’s cheating, she does not turn against him despite his wrongdoing.Įlizabeth Proctor is basically an honest person who, when John asks for her recommendation as to whether he should confess his sin, she leaves the decision to him. Whatever happens in the story, she stays faithful to her husband, John Proctor. Another example of flat character is The Crucible‘s Elizabeth Proctor, who is a self-righteous woman, who always believes in doing something right.
