Acting Words - Character Traits
To help color your actions with a life-like feeling it can help to create a set of traits for your character.
There are many traits you can choose from but most helpful are those traits that affect behavior and will be apparent to an audience.
Positive / Negative Traits
alert / unaware
amenable / testy
amiable / insulting
amicable / inconsiderate
assertive / passive
attentive / unconcerned
bold / fearful
calm / short-tempered
careful / careless
caring / self-centered
cautious / preoccupied
charitable / avaricious
cheery / fussy
civil / irascible
clear-headed / confused
compassionate / indifferent
composed / emotional
consistent / variable
content / covetous
cordial / ornery
courageous / cowardly
courteous / insolent
deferent / rude
diligent / lazy
discerning / oblivious
discreet / blundering
docile / fussy
encouraging / depressed
enthusiastic / apathetic
flexible / stubborn
frank / evasive
friendly / hostile
generous / stingy
gentle / harsh
gracious / cantakerous
gregarious / aloof
honest / deceitful
hopeful / desperate
humble / proud
kind / mean
knowledgable / ignorant
meek / angry
mindful / dazed
obedient / willful
obliging / irritable
optimistic / pessimistic
patient / anxious
peaceful / violent
persuasive / contentious
polite / rude
respectful / disrespectful
responsible / unreliable
satisfied / greedy
sensitive / callous
serious / frivolous
sincere / artificial
sociable / cranky
stable / moody
straight-forward / deceptive
sunny / surly
thorough / superficial
thoughtful / boorish
tolerant / prejudiced
trusting / skeptical
vigilant / absent-minded
wise / foolish
Neutral Traits
accepting / jealous
comfortable / awkward
competetive / cooperative
conservative / progressive
down-to-earth / spoiled
lust-full / icey
neat, orderly / messy
quiet / loud
secure / insecure
self-effacing / arrogant
sincere / sarcastic
straight-laced / perverted
virtuous / promiscuous