As students read, a storyboard can serve as a helpful character reference log. This log (also called a character map) allows students to recall relevant information about important characters. With character mapping, it’s easy for students to follow along and catch the subtleties which make reading more enjoyable!
Clicking "Use This Assignment" will copy both the example above and a blank template into your account. Feel free to use it as is, or to edit it for the level of your class. Printing it as worksheets, for your students to complete while reading, is a fast and easy way to incorporate this character map into your classroom.
| Willy Loman | A traveling salesman from New York, though the audience never learns what it is that he sells. He is the major protagonist and tragic hero. His inability to obtain his ideal of the American Dream and to be successful leads to his death. |
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| Linda | Willy's wife is a stay at home mother who raised their two sons. She becomes worried about Willy as he gets older and seems to be losing his mind. She asks her now grown boys to come visit and talk to their father. |
| Happy | Willy and Linda’s seemingly forgotten, or at least ignored, son. He follows in his father's footsteps, venturing into the business world. He is in his 30s and has not settled down yet. Instead, he is frequently seen with a call girl. |
| Biff | The prodigal son that Willy had high ambitions for. Often in the play, Willy is seen interacting with Biff and instilling in him that it is more important to be well liked than industrious or smart. Biff moves away to work as a ranch hand in the west. He repents his ways after his father's death and vows to live a meaningful life. |
| Charley | Charley is Willy's neighbor who was a smart businessman and became wealthy through hard work. His son, Bernard, is seen in flashbacks stressing about passing math and being studious; he later grew up to be a lawyer. When Willy is down and out, Charley offers him a job, but prideful Willy refuses. |
| Ben | Ben is Willy's brother who, by happenstance, found riches in the jungle of Africa. Ben represents Willy's beliefs that it is luck and charm that make a man wealthy and not hard work. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.