Addams Family Portraits Character Trait Worksheet

Addams Family Portraits
Character Trait Worksheet-Assessment 2
Nicole Jacob
Name ______________________________
Date ___________________
As you probably already know, Clearview Regional High School is putting on a production of the
Addams Family this spring! With this in mind, we will be doing a project to either hang in the
front lobby or, possibly, be a part of the set design. To help you brainstorm an idea for this
project, please answer the questions below after you have chosen a photo of one of the cast
members from the front of the room.
1. Which character’s photo did you choose?
2. Use your imagination to invent a portrait of a deceased “relative” of this character. Here
are some things to think about:
○ What was this character’s name? How were they related to the character who
appears in the photo that you chose? Did this character appear male or female?
Was this character old or young when they posed for this portrait? During what
era was this done and how could you show it? Where is this person from? Are
they from another country? What were some personality traits of this relative?
What did they do for a living and how could you show this? What were some of
this person’s physical traits? Keep in mind that Addams’ characters were famous
for being darkly humorous and have some fun with this! Write a brief paragraph
below, answering some of these questions and feel free to elaborate and add
whatever you please.
○ Examples: "Great Uncle Winston Addams was a General in the Civil War"... "Cousin Lucy
Watson Addams was a frequent protestor in the 60's"...etc
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Addams Family Portraits
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Getting Started:
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Composition can be oval (victorian style) or rectangular
Minimum size of 8x10”
Do some research when it comes to the clothing, hairstyles, etc.
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Use a monochromatic palette (white, black, and shades between)
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Include a frame around the outside (if you want to do something ornate, you can use an
X-Acto knife to cut it out) and a nameplate.
The Addams Family:
Morticia Addams
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Charles Addams gave her the name "Morticia", implying "death" or "mortician".
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In the 1992 Series Morticia is the sister-in-law of Uncle Fester and the daughter of Granny
Frump.
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Morticia is described as a witch; she is slim, with extremely pale skin and long flowing
straight black hair.
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She commonly wears black gothic dresses to match her hair, tightly form fitting, with a
hobble skirt, with fringe of thick octopus-like cloth "tentacles" at the lower hem.
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According to Wednesday, Morticia applies baking powder to her face instead of actual
makeup.
The real head of the family ... low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are
rare...ruined beauty ... contemptuous and original and with fierce family loyalty ...
even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly ... given to low-keyed
rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade,
henbane and dwarf’s hair ...[1]
— Charles Addams
Gomez Addams
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Gomez as a Latin lover type, Astin suggested the eye-rolling,
Addams Family Portraits
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pencil moustache, and ardent devotion to Morticia. Gomez wore a necktie with his chalkstripe suit, though in the films, Gomez wears a bow-tie and also wears a wide variety of
extravagant clothing.
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He is an accomplished juggler and knife-thrower, he loves crashing toy trains and diving for
crabs on Halloween. Gomez Addams is athletic, acrobatic, and an eccentric multi-billionaire.
Husband to Morticia (if indeed they are married at all), a crafty
schemer, but also a jolly man in his own way ... though
sometimes misguided ... sentimental and often puckish —
optimistic, he is in full enthusiasm for his dreadful plots ... is
sometimes seen in a rather formal dressing gown.. the only one
who smokes.— Charles Addams
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Wednesday Addams
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Wednesday's most notable features are her pale skin and long, dark twin braids.
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She usually has an irritated look on her face, though does smile, occasionally.
Wednesday usually wears a black dress with a white collar, black stockings and black
shoes.
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She shows sadistic tendencies and a dark personality.
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Wednesday has a close kinship with the family's
giant butler Lurch.
Child of woe is wan and delicate...sensitive and on the quiet
side, she loves the picnics and outings to the underground
caverns...a solemn child, prim in dress and, on the whole,
pretty lost...secretive and imaginative, poetic, seems
underprivileged and given to occasional tantrums...has six toes
on one foot..
— Charles Addams
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Pugsley Addams
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Pugsley is depicted as a devious young genius in Charles Addams’ original cartoons.
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He is a pre-teen boy who is almost always seen wearing a striped T-shirt and shorts.
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In all incarnations, he is overweight. In the television series, Pugsley usually eats over
five pieces of cake at birthday parties.
An energetic monster of a boy…blond red hair, popped blue
eyes and a dedicated troublemaker, in other words the kid
next door…genius in his own way, he makes toy guillotines,
full size racks, threatens to poison his sister, can turn
himself into a Mr. Hyde with an ordinary chemical set…his
voice is hoarse…is sometimes allowed an occasional cigar.
—
Ch
arle
s Addams
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Uncle Fester
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Uncle Fester is a completely hairless, hunched, and barrel-shaped man with dark,
sunken eyes and often a deranged smile.
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He always wears a heavy, full-length fur coat.
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Fester has a strange ability to generate electricity.
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He would often demonstrate this by putting a light bulb in his mouth.
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Despite Uncle Fester's menacing look and bizarre behavior he is gentle and caring to
everyone.
Uncle Fester is incorrigible and except for the good
nature of the family and the ignorance of the police,
would ordinarily be under lock and key ... the eyes are
pig-like and deeply embedded ... he likes to fish, but
usually employs dynamite ... he keeps falcons on the
roof which he uses for hunting ... his one costume ...
summer and winter ... is a black great coat with an
enormous collar ... he is fat with pudgy little hands and
feet.
— Charles
Addams
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Grandmama Addams
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Her given name is Eudora or Esmeralda.
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She is usually shown stirring potions and doing other witch-like things.
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Grandmama is known for her cynical—and sometimes morbid—sense of humor and her
recreational interest in the occult.
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She is often shown concocting various potions, spells and hexes for a multitude of
purposes, and even dabbles in fortune-telling.
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One of her favorite hobbies is wrestling alligators. She is probably best recognized for
her gray frizzy hair and her shawl.
Grandma Addams is foolishly good-natured... A closely knit
family, the real head being Morticia — although each of the
others is a definite character — except for Grandma, who is
easily led. Many of the troubles they have as a family are
due to Grandma's fumbling, weak character.
— Charles Addams
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Lurch Addams
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When the phrase was delivered in the actor's slow basso profondo voice.
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Lurch is often seen accompanying the rest of the Family, sometimes carrying a featherduster.
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Lurch is a 6 ft 9 in (2.05 m) tall, shambling, gloomy butler who somewhat resembles a
cross between Frankenstein's monster and a
zombie.
This towering mute has been shambling
around the house forever...He is not a very
good butler but a faithful one...One eye is
opaque, the scanty hair is damply clinging to
his narrow flat head...generally the family
regards him as something of a joke.
— Charles Addams
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Vintage Ornate Frames
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Addams Family Portraits
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Gothic/Victorian Art styles:
Here are some examples of artists whose styles were considered on a darker spectrum,
including Charles Addams himself and some who were influenced by him(such as Tim
Burton).
Charles Addams artwork:
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Tim Burton:
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Edward Gorey:
Addams Family Portraits
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