I try to understand the dramatica’s character elements, and how to build characters, character interactions. Can we analyse a cast of characters from a well known story? Or at least some of them? (Example: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter series etc. )
(English is not my mother tongue; please excuse any errors on my part)
Ok, I tried analyse the main character’s dramatic functions in the HP1.
Possibly contains errors, but here is my thoughts:
•
○ Motivation
§ Pursuit
(Harry wants to stop Snape and Voldemort from stealing the Philosopher Stone)
§ Consider
(Harry thinks Snape is going to steal the stone)
○ Purpose
§ Ability
§ (Harry is the “Chosen One”/“Boy Who Lived”)
§ Actuality
(Only Harry sees the reality, that someone is trying to obtain the stone in order to return Voldemort to physical form. He tries to prevent it.)
○ Methodology
§ Non-acceptance?
Examples:
_ - After Draco makes some rude comments about Ron, Harry rejects Draco’s offer to advise him about associating with the right kind of wizards.
_ - When it is Harry’s turn to wear the hat. He quietly says to himself “not Slytherin, not Slytherin!”. After a brief mental discussion with the hat in which it tries to suggest Slytherin to him, the hat places Harry in Gryffindor. _
_ - Voldemort tries to persuade Harry to give him the stone, which he knows is in Harry’s pocket. He tells Harry to join him rather than resist and be killed like his parents. Harry refuses. Etc.)_
§ Reaction
** § Deduction
§ (Examples:
_ After their run-in with Fluffy, Harry deduced that whatever Hagrid had retrieved from Gringotts was beneath the trapdoor.
-After hearing from Hagrid that the dog will fall asleep if played music and that he revealed this to a man in a local pub, Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that Snape was the man in the pub and attempt to warn Dumbledore. Upon learning that he is away on business, the trio conclude that Snape will attempt to steal the stone that night and resolve to find the stone before Snape does.)
§ Cerainty
§ (Harry is absolutely sure about Snape wants to steal the Philosopher Stone)
○ Evaulation
§ Hunch
§ (Example:
-Harry glances around the room and notices a few of the teachers talking to one another. One of them stares malevolently at Harry, who immediately feels a sharp pain in his forehead scar. Harry finds out that this man is Professor Snape, who teaches Potions. )
§ Theory?
§ (Example: Coupled with Snape’s recent leg injury as well as behaviour, the recent events prompt Harry, Hermione and Ron to suspect him to be looking for a way to enter the trapdoor.)
§ Proven?
§ (Example:
_ - They are convinced Snape was threatening Quirrell, and means to steal the Stone soon, and Hermione suggests they go to Dumbledore. Harry refuses, saying that they have no proof.)_
§ Determination?
§ Process:
§ Example:
_ When Professor Quirrell ordered Harry to look into the mirror, Harry focused on finding the stone, and, uninterested in actually using the stone for his own purposes, saw his reflection pocketing the stone, at which time it magically appeared in his real pocket._
○ Motivation
○ Logic, Control, Support, Faith
§ Hermione was noted for being extremely intelligent and hard-working, coming out on top in most of her classes and continuously aiding Harry and Ron in their adventures.
_ § Unlike most wizards who depended solely on their magical ability, Hermione readily relied on logic._
_ § She often attempted to act as the voice of reason among her more impulsive friends, to varying levels of success. _
_ § Example: “…Lastly, they enter Professor Snape’s room, and find seven potions in bottles along with a roll of paper giving clues on which one to drink to continue, noting that three bottles have poison, two have nettle wine, one will send the drinker back, and the other will let the drinker move forward into the next room. Hermione tells Harry that it is a test of logic and not magic wherein most wizards fail. She solves the puzzle, and at Harry’s instruction, drinks the one that will allow her to head back through the purple flame, while Harry drinks the one to head into the black flame and into the final room, where he is surprised at who he sees.”_
○ Purpose
§ Knowledge
□ she was a know-it-all
§ Order
□ Hermione strictly followed all school rules and tried to prevent other students from breaking rules and getting into trouble. _
_ □ Example: “…The tension grows and Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard’s duel. Harry accepts, in spite of Hermione’s attempt to dissuade them from breaking the school rules.”
○ Methodology
○ Re-evaulation?
§ Quote: _
_ “I’m not as good as you,” said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.
_ “Me!” said Hermione. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful!”_
○ Reduction?/Deduction?
○ Evaulation
○ Accurate (Or Non-Non-accurate? - she has a perfectionistic attitude)
§ Hermione demonstrated a knowledge and talent with magic beyond most of those her age, despite having only recently discovered that she was a witch.
○ Proven
§ Hermione’s emphasis on logic also made her sceptical about accepting anything without proof, as opposed to Harry who would come to intuitive conclusions. For example, she completely dismissed the idea of the Deathly Hallows, refusing to believe in them without physical evidence. (Hpwiki on Hermione’s personality)
§ “That’s what Hermione does. When in doubt, go to the library.”—Ron’s opinion of Hermione’s personality
○ Motivation
§ Feeling
§ Ron was a very funny person, but often emotionally immature, and insensitive.
§ Ron’s character was also marked by moodiness and insecurity.
§ He also had a fierce temper, which was especially prone to provocation if his loved ones were insulted, and was not above undermining the ways of wizarding kind during confrontations (e.g. he had, on more than one occasion, opted to manually resort to the use of his fists rather than his wand when provoked).
§ Support, Faith
§ Example: "Ron sacrificed himself as a game piece so Harry could place the enemy king in checkmate, allowing Harry and Hermione to move on. "
○ Purpose
§ Self-Aware
§ Example:
□ The next night, Harry brings Ron with him to the mirror room. Ron does not see Harry’s parents in the mirror, but instead sees himself holding the Quidditch Cup.
○ Methodology
§ ?
○ Evaulation
§ ?
○ Motivation
§ Faith, Support
§ He was also very loyal to his friends and was ready to defend them or fight for them if necessary.
○ Purpose
§ Desire ?
§ Hagrid had a great love of magical creatures
○ Methodology
§ ?
○ Evaulation
§ ?
○ Motivation
§ Oppose, Disbelief
§ During Harry’s early life, Vernon treated him with indifference. He forced Harry to live in the Cupboard Under the Stairs and generally mistreated him while spoiling his own son Dudley. Vernon tried his hardest to stop Harry knowing about the wizarding world. Before 1991, Vernon told Harry his parents died in a car crash. Vernon once told off Harry for dreaming about a flying motorbike and told Harry there was no such thing as magic.
§ Aviod (Vernon Dursley)
§ When Harry got his first letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Vernon tried everything to stop him getting it as more and more came. He went very over-the-top and took his whole family to a Hut on a small rock on the sea.[8] But even this did not work, because it was found by Rubeus Hagrid, who personally gave Harry the letter, despite Vernon’s stubborn protests.
○ Purpose
§ Inertia, Perception, Order?
§ Vernon, along with his wife, always liked to be normal and never tolerated anything that they considered out of the ordinary. He knew that Petunia’s sister was a witch, but kept it quiet.
§ Quote: “Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.”
○ Methodology
§ Non-Acceptance, Protection
○ Evaulation
§ ?
○ Motivation
§ Reconsider:
§ Voldemort tries to persuade Harry to give him the stone, which he knows is in Harry’s pocket. He tells Harry to join him rather than resist and be killed like his parents.
§ Avoid:
§ Voldemort try to kill Harry
§ Ucontroll? (Quirrell)
§ Throughout the school year, Quirrell appeared nervous and timid. He frequently stuttered.
○ Purpose
§ Perception (Quirrell)
§ Examples:
□ Quirrell spent his last year of life attempting to procure the Philosopher’s Stone for Voldemort, who used his nervous disposition to his advantage, as his perceived lack of confidence had earned very little respect from the students at Hogwarts and consequently diverted suspicion away from his plans.
□ To get past Fluffy, Quirrell disguised himself and lured Hagrid into a card game by betting a dragon’s egg. During the game, he managed to draw out information about Fluffy by convincing Hagrid that he was a Dragon dealer, and as such, shared Hagrid’s penchant for dangerous pets.
□ Quirrell then sent a forged letter to Professor Dumbledore summoning him to the Ministry of Magic to get him away from the school.
§ Quote:
“Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn’t he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?”
—Quirrell (possibly influenced by Voldemort) on Harry’s suspicions about Snape after revealing himself[src]
○ Thought
○ Methodology
○ Proaction
§ Quirrell spent his last year of life attempting to procure the Philosopher’s Stone for Voldemort
○ Re-evaulation? (Quirrell)
§ Quote:
□ “I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. My master showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil… there is only power, and those too weak to understand it… Since then, I serve him faithfully, although I have let him down many times.”
○ Evaulation
○ Result (Quirrell)
§ He wants the stone
§ Quote:
“[t]here is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to see it”
○ Ending (Voldemort)
§ Voldemort tried to kill Harry
○ Effect
§ Quirrell is, in effect, turned into a temporary Horcrux by Voldemort. He is greatly depleted by the physical strain of fighting the far stronger, evil soul inside him. (Pottermore)
○ Expectation? (Voldemort)
○ Motivation
§ Help:
§ Example:
□ Dumbledore anonymously returned James’s Cloak of Invisibility to Harry as a Christmas present.
□ At the end-of-year feast, Dumbledore awarded an extra 170 house points to Gryffindor students, Harry Potter (60), Ron Weasley (50), Hermione Granger (50) and Neville Longbottom (10), respectively for bravery and logical skills, prompting Gryffindor to win the House Cup, ruining Slytherin’s chance of the cup for the seventh year in a row.
§ Conscience
§ Rowling described him as the “epitome of goodness”
§ Quote:
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.”
—Albus Dumbledore, when he discovers that Harry has been using the Mirror[src]
○ Purpose
§ Aware?
§ Dumbledore was highly perceptive and emotionally intelligent; his knowledge of people’s true personality went beyond being simply a good judge of character.
○ Methodology
§ Inaction
§ He is called out to the Ministry of Magic by a false message on the night when Professor Quirinus Quirrell, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger enter the dungeons to retrieve the Stone, but realises during the trip that he is needed at Hogwarts and returns in time to rescue Harry from Quirrell and Voldemort.
§ He also has a final conversation with Harry after the events down in the dungeons and tells him that he is too young to comprehend the information about why Voldemort attempts to kill him.
§ Re-evaulation?
§ At the end-of-year feast, Dumbledore awarded an extra 170 house points to Gryffindor students, Harry Potter (60), Ron Weasley (50), Hermione Granger (50) and Neville Longbottom (10), respectively for bravery and logical skills, prompting Gryffindor to win the House Cup, ruining Slytherin’s chance of the cup for the seventh year in a row.
§ Thoght
§ Dumbledore has been known to be quite philosophical; often, very few people have the understanding (or patience) to comprehend his philosophies.
○ Evaulation
§ Trust
§ More than anything else, Dumbledore was motivated by his belief in the power of the human spirit.
§ He had a great friendship with Hagrid, despite many not trusting him being half Giant.
○ Motivation
§ Logic
§ Snape contributed to the defences set up around the magical artefact by adding a Potions Riddle as one of the obstacles, and the only obstacle that used logic as a key factor instead of magic.
(**What about feeling? "Despite Snape’s normally calm and controlled exterior and guarded body language, he was in possession of an extraordinarily explosive and almost psychotic temper. ")
§ Control
§ He had a commanding presence that exuded gravitas, authority and control; like Professor McGonagall, he had the ability to keep a class quiet without effort.
§ Hinder
§ During Harry’s time at Hogwarts, Snape treated Harry viciously, both in class and out. He frequently derided the boy’s abilities, bullied him in class, and punished him whenever possible.
§ Neville Longbottom was perhaps one of the worst Potions students Snape ever taught. As such, Snape was especially cruel to him and often made a point of ridiculing his failures in class. On one occasion, Snape threatened to test Neville’s Shrinking Solution on his pet toad, despite the fact that the potion would be poisonous if not brewed correctly.
§ By 31 October, the turbaned Professor sure enough made his first move by letting a Mountain Troll into Hogwarts Castle as a diversion. Snape took this chance to stop him from sneaking into the restricted third floor corridor where the Stone was being hidden in the midst of the chaotic event, only to get bitten in the leg by the corridor’s three-headed guard dog, Fluffy.
§ When Quirrell made his first attempt on Harry’s life by jinxing his new broomstick during the boy’s first Quidditch game, Snape intervened again by performing a counter-curse to prevent Harry from being hurled off.
§ Snape intensely confronted Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest on the night after the match, demanding to know why he was after the Philosopher’s Stone.
○ Purpose
§ Desire
§ He developed a loving passion for Dark Arts, originally in the hopes to cover the shame of his heritage, and his interest in it led him to repeatedly apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor post every year, despite being rejected for sixteen years.
§ Thought?
§ Inequity
§ He tended to hold grudges and was extremely spiteful toward those whom he disliked. In particular, he disdained Gryffindor students, considering them to be arrogant and attention-seeking.
§ In addition to being strict, he was not always fair. His having been bullied so much as a child may have fuelled his oppressiveness as a teacher. During Harry Potter’s years at the school, Snape particularly enjoyed taking points from Harry’s House, Gryffindor. He generally favoured the students in his own House, Slytherin, including Draco Malfoy.
○ Methodology
§ Protection
§ Although Snape had pledged an oath to Dumbledore that he would protect Harry, such oath did not stand in the way of Snape’s bias to Slytherin House, nor did it mean Harry was to get any special treatment in academics.
§ When Quirrell made his first attempt on Harry’s life by jinxing his new broomstick during the boy’s first Quidditch game, Snape intervened again by performing a counter-curse to prevent Harry from being hurled off.
○ Evaulation
§ Unproven
§ Harry suspected Snape of plotting to steal the stone and of attempting to kill him
§ Cause
§ …Dumbledore responds that Snape was only grudgingly protecting Harry this year to pay off a debt he owed due to James Potter saving his life during their Hogwarts years.
§ Non-Accurate
§ As Potions Master, he described it as an art and an exact science, and dismissed the use of incantations and wand waving as “silly and foolish”.
• Motivation
§ Logic, Control
§ Minerva almost constantly exuded magnanimity and sternness and was held in great respect (and some fear) by nearly all students and staff. Used to having her way, she tolerated neither audacity nor silliness from her pupils and was known to turn cold towards people who said or did things in front of her that were stupid, or if she thought they were trying to be funny.[
• Purpose
§ Change
§ She is able to transform herself into a cat
§ Equity
§ Despite her loyalty to her house, though, and a fair-minded person, McGonagall was known for docking points from students in her own House when she saw it must be done so.
•
Methodology
?
• Evaulation
§ ?
○ Motivation
§ Temptation
§ On the Hogwarts Express, he offered his friendship to Harry as his father believed that Harry was a Dark wizard, and Draco wished to impress him and relay some interesting news home. However, Harry didn’t like the attitude Draco expressed towards Ron Weasley, with whom Harry had already made friends, and also found that Draco reminded him of his cousin Dudley, with his disdainful attitude.
§ Hinder
§ He remaining hostile toward Harry to the point of challenging him to a duel. This was, in fact, an attempt to get Harry into trouble for being out after curfew.
§ Later in the year, Draco discovered Harry’s plan to smuggle Hagrid’s pet dragon Norbert out of the castle and informed Professor McGonagall of it, but was put in detention as well for being out past curfew.
○ Purpose
§ Inequity, Order
§ He believed himself superior to most people because of his family’s pure-blood lineage as well as great wealth and social standing. He frequently behaved cruelly to Muggle-borns, so-called blood traitors, Gryffindor students, and anyone who was a supporter of Harry Potter or Albus Dumbledore.
○ Methodology
§ Evaulation
○ Evaulation
§ Non-Accurate
§ When Draco went to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies in 1991, he met Harry Potter in Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, without knowing who he was. He made a rather intolerant speech about Muggle-borns and Rubeus Hagrid.
•
• Motivation
§ Uncontrol
§ Neville was clumsy and forgetful
§ In his first Potions lesson, Neville melted Seamus Finnigan’s cauldron, and was subsequently drenched in the boil-curing potion they had been brewing.[14]
§ The following week, in his first flying lesson with Madam Hooch, Neville accidentally broke his wrist after falling off his broom from a great height; afraid of being left behind on the ground, he had pushed off too early.
• Purpose
§ ?
• Methodology
§ Non-Acceptan
• The night Quirinus Quirrell attempted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone, Neville followed Harry’s advice and attempted to stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from sneaking out, though he did not know what they were trying to do.
• Evaulation
§ Non-Accurate
§ many considered him ill-suited for Gryffindor house because he seemed timid.
§ Cause
§ In time, Neville learned about Harry and Hermione’s attempt to take Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback up to the Astronomy Tower to send to Ron’s brother Charlie. When he learned Malfoy was trying to get them caught, Neville snuck out of Gryffindor Tower to find them and warn them.
§ The night Quirinus Quirrell attempted to steal the Philosopher’s Stone, Neville followed Harry’s advice and attempted to stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from sneaking out, though he did not know what they were trying to do.
○ Motivation
§ Hinder
§ Control
○ Purpose
§ Order
§ Filch waged a constant war against the students and Peeves, the school’s resident poltergeist
§ “I bet you’ll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won’t you, eh? Oh, yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers, if you ask me… It’s just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I’ve got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they’re ever needed… Right, off we go, and don’t think of running off, now. It’ll be worse for you if you do.”
○ Methodology
?
○ Evaulation
?
•
○ Motivation
• Uncontrol?
§ Poltergeists are notably unruly and have developed a misconception that there is no way to get rid of a poltergeist once it has moved into a location.
○ Purpose
§ Chaos
§ A poltergeist is an “indestructible spirit of chaos”.
○ Methodology
§ Production
§ To annoy Filch, Peeves would trap Mrs Norris in suits of armour,[48] drop chandeliers,[48] play tennis against the Castle walls in the middle of the night,[17] stick wads of gum in keyholes[67] and caused general mayhem, which Filch was later responsible for fixing and cleaning up.
○ Evaulation
§ Unending
○ Motivation
§ Support
§ Mrs Norris is described as having an unusually strong connection with her master, alerting him to any students misbehaving inside the school grounds.
○ Purpose
§ Aware
§ Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger often narrowly escaped the cat on their nightly trips through the school. Harry had a suspicion that she was able to see him even when he was under his Invisibility Cloak, although she may just sense someone there but cannot see. It is never told, though, whether cats, or just Mrs Norris, can see/sense Harry when he’s under his cloak. Harry once got caught by her one day for tracking mud on the floor.
○ Purpose
§ Projection
-Like all centaurs, Firenze commonly tried to read the future in the stars
○ Methodology:
§ Test
The Fat Lady was a portrait, who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts Castle. She asked for passwords before she let anyone in, then swang her picture backward so that students could enter through a portrait hole.
○ Methodology:
§ Evaulation
○ Purpose:
§ Order
§ The Sorting Hat is a sentient hat at Hogwarts that magically determines which of the four school Houses each new student belongs most to.
§ Potentiality
§ The Sorting Hat appeared to have a difficult time in the sorting of Harry Potter. It suggested that Harry would have great fame and glory by joining Slytherin House. As Harry possessed Slytherin qualities such as, cunning and determination. Harry requested specifically to be spared that fate. Instead, based upon this choice, the Hat placed him in Gryffindor, where both his parents had also been Sorted.
What’s your opinion? 
(***Based on: wikipedia, harrypotter.wikia.com, pottermore)
One thing to keep in mind is that the series has an overarching storyform, while the individual books aren’t complete stories, necessarily. I think at least a couple probably are, but the first book definitely isn’t. So, in some cases you’re going to see the characters representing different elements throughout this story depending on whether they’re considered in relation to the big, series-spanning kill Voldemort goal or the smaller protect the stone goal. Often they’re different.
For example, I’d say (just based on my memory) that Hagrid is a Guardian type in the stone story, but he’s probably an Emotion type in the Voldemort story. Meanwhile, Dumbledore, who’s obviously hugely important in Voldemort story (a Guardian type I assume), probably doesn’t actually factor in to the stone story.
I think this could be a fun exercise, and it’ll be interesting to see how complex the characters might be. I suspect Contagonist for stone story is split between Snape as Hinder and Quirrel as Temptation, for example. Unfortunately, this is all I can post at the moment due to time constraints.