Character
The term character has taken on assorted meanings over time. It initially developed from a Middle English source associated with something fixed and permanent, like an identifying mark or a sign on a building. During Shakespeare’s time character was still considered a permanent feature. It was said to result from bodily fluids called humours that were once thought to control the tendencies of one’s spirit (more about this below). In the nineteenth century character continued to mean a fixed state of development, though with added ethical implications as in, “She has character.” This meaning was associated with moral strength, self-discipline, and, most important to the Victorians, bourgeois respectability. The modern meaning ...
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