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Literature Glossary

Don’t be an oxymoron. Know your literary terms.

Over 200 literary terms, Shmooped to perfection.

Round Character

Definition:

Novelist E.M. Forster coined this phrase to describe characters who are fully fleshed out. Unlike a flat character, a round character is written in 3D. We probably have some understanding of a round character's thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and they may also change over the course of the story. Most protagonists, though not all, are round.