  For each Montesinos knot $K$, we find a simple method to determine the ${\rm
SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-character variety, and show that it can be decomposed as
$\mathcal{X}_0(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}_1(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}_2(K)\sqcup\mathcal{X}'(K)$,
where $\mathcal{X}_0(K)$ consists of trace-free characters, $\mathcal{X}_1(K)$
consists of characters of "connected sums" of representations of the
constituent rational links, $\mathcal{X}_2(K)$ is a high-genus algebraic curve,
and $\mathcal{X}'(K)$ generically consists of finitely many points.
