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Stock character

A stock character is a character who exemplifies cultural stereotypes.

Definition

With things like speech, dress, behavior and relations to other characters, stock characters act as cultural touchstone characters whose characteristics a particular audience has come to know and expect. Parody is a key component of situations amongst stock characters, rendering their cultural stereotypes more prominent.

Examples

the Italian commedia dell'arte

the penny-pinching businessman

the wicked stepmother

Critical Debates

{is the term contested, challenged, defined differently, etc.?}

Related Terms

round character, flat character

References

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