Characterization in Poe's Short Stories

Study Notes

Short stories involve creating and describing characters with a clear structure: beginning, middle, and end.
Key elements include a suspenseful climax and a dramatic twist at the end, as per Edgar Allan Poe's principles.
Protagonist evokes reader empathy, whereas the antagonist opposes the main character.
Character development can be dynamic (evolving characters) or static (unchanging).

First-person POV features a narrator who is also a character, using first-person pronouns.
Third-person POV employs an external voice using third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they).
Third-person omniscient POV reveals all character thoughts and actions.
Third-person limited POV focuses on the thoughts and feelings of a single character.

Exposition introduces characters, setting, and situation.
Complication initiates conflict, escalating into a crisis filled with curiosity and tension.
Climax represents the peak of the story; denouement resolves conflicts, leading to equilibrium.

A collection of diverse tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer, reflecting human nature and social observation.
Pilgrimage begins at the Tabard Inn in Southwark, London, involving 30 pilgrims from varied backgrounds.
Purpose of the pilgrimage is to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas in Canterbury.
Stories entertain during the journey, with the best storyteller awarded a free meal.

The Wife of Bath's Tale: A knight must discover what women truly desire to avoid death; learns that women seek sovereignty.
The Pardoner’s Tale: Three men’s greed leads them to kill each other while searching for gold, illustrating how greed causes downfall.
The Knight’s Tale: Arcite and Palamon, two knights, fall in love with Emelye. Arcite wins her love but dies, urging Palamon to marry her.
The Miller’s Tale: John is tricked by his wife and her lover while attempting to escape a false flood, leading to comedic chaos.

The Normans, led by William the Conqueror, defeated the Anglo-Saxons in the Battle of Hastings, marking significant historical change in England.
Knights adhered to a code of chivalry characterized by honor, courtesy, bravery, and skillfulness.