What changes did you see in the group and in the characteristics of individuals?.
At the beginning of the film after the ceremony, the students are going through a forming stage where they are sharing polite conversation and are trying to know each other. Even on this stage Neil and Todd are already emerging as playing prominent roles in the movie. .
John Keating is the English professor who is introduced during the opening ceremony and has unconventional ways of teaching. He teaches his students to write poetry to express their feelings and to think for themselves. His passion was language and ideas, he believes in individuality and freedom. His character does not seem to change much during the movie, he is firm to his believes and use all kind of unorthodox methods to show the students not to conform even, to strive to be themselves even when other will disapprove.
Neil Perry is a very popular student, bright and high achieving, he has a passion for acting but seems afraid of his overbearing father. He starts changing his priorities and getting more courage after Keating start teaching him on the importance of after discovering Keating's senior annual and learning about the "Dead Poets Society- and take the initiative to form their own society. His character changes and he dares to disobey his father and take acting. Neil's death can be seen as an act of a not so strong person or a way to defy his father one more time and show him that at the end he is his own person and do what he wants.
Todd Anderson feels pressured for being the brother of a gifted person, he acts shy at first and is very insecure of his own skills. He gets transformed after Neil's death and realizes the importance of being his own person and to think for himself.
Richard Cameron is serious and loyal to the school and has trouble with the ideas that Keating is teaching. His loyalty is to the school and his character keeps about the same with what he believes is the right thing to do,.