Ethos is the “explicit and implicit ethics of the world and (moral) codex of behavior which characters in the world are supposed to follow” (Klastrup & Tosca, 2004). It is the knowledge needed to “know how to behave in the world” and that defines what is acceptable or inappropriate behavior in that world (Klastrup & Tosca, 2004). These questions will help in the creation of the storyworld’s ethos.
- Is the ethos easily understood?
- Does it provide the reader/viewer with an understanding of how characters behave in the world and what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. (Storyworld Level Design Tasks)
- Social values
- Codes of behavior
- Implicit ethics
- Explicit ethics
- Are the mythos, topos, and ethos consistent with the conventions of the genre? (Storyworld Level Design Tasks)