Ashoka the Great wrote his edicts to proclaim his conformity to the Buddhist Law, but focusing mostly in moral and social matters. The edicts were located in all places so people could read them. The edicts make evident Ashoka´s wish to expand Buddhism.
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Fall (or autumn if you prefer) period. The philosophy of Confucius, (a.k.a Confucianism) basically emphasized correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity.
Flat Characters are, well, flat. They don't change much if at all. Round characters are complex as crud and go through lots of change, usually to surprise the reader.
