The idea of the Four Temperaments as personality types can be traced back to Persia and Mesopotamia, but it was Hippocrates (660 B.C.) who used the human temperaments to diagnose an imbalance in his medical patients. For our purposes, let’s take a look at the Four Temperaments as a way to create compelling, universal characters.

The Choleric, (Think Rage!), a warrior as depicted above, can be dominant, result-oriented, and sometimes even violent. For example, if a choleric individual came across a boulder blocking the road, he would rage at it. He would use all his might to pick it up and toss it out of his way.

The Sanguine personality (Think Happy-Go-Lucky!) is one who is social, outgoing, charismatic, and happy. In this case, if the Sanguine character came across a blockage in the road, they might laugh it off as if it were nothing to worry about. The downside for Sanguine characters is that they might not see danger coming.

The Phlegmatic (Thoughtful) characters may not be as quick as others might like, but they tend to be thoughtful and caring of others. They are relaxed and easy-going. If a phlegmatic character came across an obstacle in the road, they would examine it from all sides and find a way to go around it.

The Melancholic, (An Introvert), tends to over-think problems and give in to depression. If a Melancholic character came across an obstacle, he would give up and mourn his bad fortune.

As you create your Main Character, see if you can depict these traits at specific points in the story.