Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Thor

Clothing

The Asgardians dress like Ren Faire survivors of the 41st Century. Jane and her pals dress in casual flannel: the kind of things you wear in the desert. Agent Coulson and the SHIELD boys buy their dark gray suits in bulk on the government's dime. The clothing worn by the characters says everything to know about where they come from and who's side their own.

Take note: Thor, when he becomes human, also dresses all casual and Land's End-y, like the good guys. Loki, when he appears on Earth, wears a Brooks Bros suit like the SHIELD Agents…who stand in a moral gray area.

Actions

Thor's actions say a great deal about who he is, and more importantly, who he's becoming. In the early scenes, he's rash and headstrong, charging into situations like a nightclub bouncer and not stopping until the bodies stop twitching.

As he grows and matures, he tones that down quite a bit, though he still takes the direct approach, and his bull-in-a-china-shop solution to Loki's final puzzle still let us know that he's going to be taking the direct route to trouble.

Loki, on the other hand, can only be truly defined by his actions. He lies. A lot. To Odin. To Thor. To Laufey. Even to himself.

So to figure out what he really wants, we look to his actions. Stabbing Laufey in front of Odin's bed? Yeah, that's not something you can take back. Arranging to send the Destroyer after Thor? Same. For a dude this sneaky, you need to follow the deeds, not the words.

The same holds true for Odin (who exiles Thor to Earth to teach him some manners) and Heimdall (who follows the letter of Asgardian law while looking the other way at the intention sometimes). No easier way of telling what someone is like than by watching what they do.

Speech and Dialogue

Darcy and Jane use modern slang. Erik and Jane talk all high-falutin' science. The Asgardians take their cue from Big Bill Shakespeare. SHIELD agents speak in fluent Just the Facts, Ma'am.

The minute they open their mouths, we know where these characters come from and who's side they're on.

Family Life

Family plays a huge role in lives of these characters. We're essentially involved in a big game of Who Daddy Loves Best.

Loki and Thor fight like brothers, even though they love each other, and papa Odin has a tough time letting them know just how much he cares sometimes. In other words, they're a typical dysfunctional family…the same kind that William Shakespeare used to write about.