#2: Characters

Characters automatically give audiences connection to the play. Characters help move along the plot, influence other characters to make decisions, create violence or tension to fuel the story, etc. However, the story usually centralizes around one character, the protagonist. Hamlet, for example, fights against his own restraint, his uncle's lies, and Denmark's future in his respective play. Similarly, Elizabeth wrestles with herself to find true love in an aristocratic and monotonous 19th century England. The difference in conflict between Pride & Prejudice and Hamlet are represented by external and internal. Furthermore, characters reveal these conflicts through dialogue with other characters and/or soliloquies (in Hamlet's case). A truly engaging and thought-provoking characters connects to the audience personally through deep dynamics that make the characters somewhat paradoxical. However, truly empowering characters are driven by family connection, whether it be revenge or a change in lifestyle. Video games, oddly enough, have been able to capture many characters' confusion and changes through breakthrough and engaging stories, such Bioshock and Assassin's Creed. Characters exude confidence and liveliness into a story, developing the story through intricate conflicts.