Character Study in the Drama Classroom

Ideally, we want students to study characters and bring them to life through scene work. But what if you have students who have been away during rehearsals and you need a related activity for them to complete? Or you need an emergency lesson plan that focuses on individual work? Character study could be just what you’re looking for.

Analyzing characters in class is a great way to help students move from simply reading a text to truly understanding it. A well-designed character study lesson (click below to download one right now!) does far more than teach students to identify traits; it develops critical thinking, empathy, textual analysis, and self-reflection skills.

From Reading to Critical Thinking

At its core, a character study lesson invites students to ask deeper questions: Who are these people? What motivates them? What evidence supports our interpretations? To answer these questions, students need to engage with the text. This can be highlighting key details, lines, and moments; distinguishing between facts (unchangeable information directly stated in the text) and assumptions (interpretations that may vary from reader to reader); and inferring character traits. Have students support their conclusions with textual evidence. Instead of saying, “This character is selfish,” they must prove it with a quote from the script.

Building Empathy Through Perspective

Character analysis can also build empathy. Have students reflect on their analysis with questions such as:

• Who do you connect with most?
• Who do you connect with least?
• Who would you want to play or not want to play, and why?

This gives students the opportunity to explore identity, perspective, and personal values. Imagining what a character looks like, how they move, and how they think pushes students to see the world through someone else’s lens.

The reflective writing component can transform analysis into personal growth. Students must synthesize what they’ve observed and explain their thinking clearly in their own words. This reflection reinforces self-awareness, independent thought, and ownership of interpretation. Because analyzing a character is subjective, and there is rarely one “correct” answer, students learn that their insights are important.