Final answer:
Minor characters in a story, like the ladies, knights, and squires in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', might not affect the central narrative but play supporting roles. Authors utilize these characters to add depth to the story, often using them as foils to emphasize the traits of the protagonist. These characters are less detailed and serve to enrich the narrative backdrop.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'minor characters' refers to the set of characters in a story who do not play a central role in the narrative.
These characters, such as the ladies, knights, and squires in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, are often included to support the story in various ways.
They may embody certain thematic elements, illustrate contrasting traits to the protagonist—a role known as the 'foil', or simply provide a backdrop against which the main action takes place.
Authors use minor characters not only to populate their fictional worlds but also to enrich the narrative.
A minor character might also be present to provoke a reaction in a main character, providing depth to the protagonist or antagonist.
For example, a well-crafted minor character can highlight the main characters' strengths or weaknesses, adding layers to their personalities and creating a more complex picture of the central conflict.
Less important characters typically have minimally detailed characterizations.
They should not overshadow the main characters or take up too much narrative space.
Instead, they serve functional purposes in the story and help to move the plot along, sometimes by participating in scenes that contribute to the story's atmosphere or themes.