I think it's wise to approach a character evaluation the same way to do a "people" evaluation in "real" life ... and visa versa. In a piece of fiction we learn about characters through what others say about them, what they say about themselves and what they say about others, but most importantly, by what they do. In fiction none of this is irrelevant because the author includes all the information; he or she is god to their creation. I usually start backward and assess what a character did in the work: how did the character relate to other people, what behaviors can I specify that justify my interpretation of these realtionships, is there anything I can find in what others say about the character that supports my view (provided I can find credible characters speaking about my character), and finally is there congruence between what the character say and does.
As with any good essay, I would take this information and tie it into a summary paragraph that would "tighten" my case. I would make a general statement about what I think the role of the character is, and then make specific statements about what the character does, says, and what is said about him that provide the reader with enough information to understand why I feel/think as I do about the character.
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