What is a character study?

A character study is a literary or cinematic analysis of the behavior, relationships, motivations, and personality of a fictional or real person. Typically, it involves examining how a character develops and changes over the course of a story or film, as well as understanding the underlying factors that drive their actions and decisions. Character studies may focus on protagonists, antagonists, or supporting characters, and they often reveal deeper truths about the human experience, such as the complexities of love, loss, and personal growth. Some examples of well-known character studies include Shakespeare's Hamlet, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather.