Difference Between Static and Dynamic Characters

All characters in a literary work, be it a novel, short story, or drama, are static or dynamic. A static character doesn’t undergo any major change in character, personality, or perspective throughout the story. A dynamic character undergoes a change, more often a major change in the story. In this article, we will look at the difference between static and dynamic characters.

Static Character – Meaning and Examples

A static character does not go through any change in personality or perspective throughout the story. The events in the story do not change the characters’ ideas, behavior, motivation, etc. In simple terms, this character remains the same throughout the story.

Sherlock Holmes can be named one of the most prominent static characters in literature. He maintains his intelligence, confidence, and original personality while dealing with mysteries and compelling cases. Likewise, in Mark Twain’s celebrated stories about Tom Sawyer, Tom’s personality doesn’t change throughout the story. He remains mischievous and adventurous. Voldemort, who remains the evil antagonist in Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is another good example of static characters.

Dynamic Character – Meaning and Examples

A dynamic character undergoes a major change in the story. These characters might go through a major life transition, have a coming-of-age experience, go through trials and tribulations, mature, etc., to undergo this change. This change does not necessarily have to be a change from good to bad. It can be a change from good to bad or from bad to worse.  It is often easy to spot a dynamic character in a literary work. However, it is a common misconception that a protagonist of a story is always a dynamic character.

To understand this concept better, let us look at Ebenezer Scrooge’s character in “A Christmas Carol” by Dickens. He is portrayed as a miserly, lonely old man at the beginning of the story. But after meeting the three ghosts on Christmas Eve, he changes for the better. So Ebenezer Scrooge is a dynamic character. Some other examples of dynamic characters include Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” Hareton Earnshaw in “Wuthering Heights,” and Harry Potter in Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Protagonists of coming-of-age novels and young adult novels are often portrayed as dynamic characters.

Difference between Static and Dynamic Characters.

The most significant difference between static characters and dynamic characters is that a static character undergoes no change throughout the story. In contrast, a dynamic character undergoes a major change in personality or perspective in the story. Another difference that can be noted in dynamic characters is that they often are round/ complex characters, while static characters can be round or flat. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that static characters are more often unaffected by the story’s events. But the change in dynamic characters takes place because of these events.