Acting Technique - Objectives and Motivation - Finding Your What and Your Why as an Actor

Drama teachers—feel free to share this post directly with your students!

One of the most important steps in building a compelling character is discovering your character’s objective—their "what"—and understanding their motivation—their "why." When students first start acting, they often ask:

• “How do I act sadder?”
  

• “How do I show more anger?”
  

• “I need to seem more dramatic here…”
  

But focusing only on emotion can actually lead to a flat performance. Instead, we focus on something much stronger: what the character wants and why.

Step 1: Understand Character Objective

Objective = What your character wants.

Humans operate based on objectives all the time—even if we don’t realize it.

🧪 Example: A high school student’s objective might be to graduate with honors.
That big goal influences smaller decisions:

• Study for a test
  

• Take certain classes
  

• Ask for help
  

• Avoid skipping school
  

Every choice supports that primary objective.

Now apply that to acting:
In a play or scene, every character has an objective. Even minor characters!

• Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) wants adventure in the great wide somewhere.
  

• Gaston wants Belle.
  

• The bookseller wants connection—someone who loves books like he does.
  

• The fish seller wants to sell fish to feed his family.
  

These objectives shape how each character behaves on stage.

Step 2: Find the Motivation

Motivation = Why your character wants it.

Objectives matter—but motivation is what raises the stakes.

• Belle wants adventure… because she feels lonely and misunderstood in her provincial town.
  

• The fish seller wants to make a sale… because his kids are hungry and he can’t feed them otherwise.
  

The stronger the motivation, the more committed the character becomes—and the more authentic the performance feels.

💡 Ask: “What does my character have to lose if they don’t get what they want?”

Step 3: Choose Tactics

Tactics = How your character tries to get what they want.

Think of tactics like strategies. If Gaston wants Belle, what are some tactics he might use?

• Show off his muscles
  

• Interrupt the silly girls
  

• Bring her a gift
  

• Try to impress her father
  

A character’s actions should be shaped by their objective. And those tactics make your performance dynamic.

Step 4: Consider Obstacles

Obstacles = What stands in your character’s way.

Just like in real life, obstacles create drama. They give us conflict—and emotional reactions.

For the student trying to graduate:

• Obstacle: A hard chemistry test
  

• Obstacle: A best friend’s birthday party the night before a big exam
  

For a character:

• Belle wants adventure → Obstacle: She’s stuck in a town that doesn’t value books or curiosity.
  

• The fish seller wants to sell fish → Obstacle: No one is buying.
  

These obstacles create realistic conflict, which leads to real reactions: fear, sadness, frustration. Emotions come naturally when you understand the struggle behind them.

✅ Summary: Character Work Checklist

When building your performance, follow this order:

1. Objective – What does my character want?
   

2. Sub-objectives – What smaller steps support that goal?
   

3. Motivation – Why do they want it? What’s at stake?
   

4. Tactics – What actions do they take to get it?
   

5. Obstacles – What gets in the way?
   

Let emotions emerge from the conflict—not from “trying to act sad.”

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Happy performing, and break a leg!