Characterization. Characterization is the act of creating or describing a character. Writers create character using three major techniques: by showing what characters say, do, or think; by showing what other characters say or think about them; and by describing what physical features, dress, and personality the characters display. As you read the story, pay attention to which techniques the author uses for characterization. Fill in a chart like the one below with details that add to the characterization of Blackbeard.

• The legend of Blackbeard is well known in North Carolina and other states on the Atlantic Coast. While most legendary figures are heroes, Blackbeard is a horrible villain. Historians and shipwreck experts still study Blackbeard artifacts, discuss the whereabouts of Blackbeard’s supposed treasure, and search for the Queen Anne’s Revenge, one of Blackbeard’s sunken ships.
• Blackbeard is said to have been the boldest and most notorious pirate living along the waters of England’s North American colonies in the early 1700s, a time known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Legend has it that Blackbeard worked hard to cultivate a sinister image, using scare tactics and mind games to frighten sailors into surrendering their ships and valuables. He often threatened a horrible end for those who did not comply with his demands, but there is no historical evidence that Blackbeard killed anyone aboard the ships he plundered until the Battle of Ocracoke, which is the focus of “Blackbeard’s Last Fight.” While very little is known of his early life on the sea, Blackbeard’s actions from 1716 to 1718, when he lived along the coast of North Carolina, are well documented.

Imagine that you are living in the late 1700s. What would you do if you found yourself face to face with one of the most wicked pirates in history?