How do I see what character set a MySQL database / table / column is?

SELECT default_character_set_name FROM information_schema.SCHEMATA 

WHERE schema_name = "schemaname";

SELECT CCSA.character_set_name FROM information_schema.`TABLES` T,

       information_schema.`COLLATION_CHARACTER_SET_APPLICABILITY` CCSA

WHERE CCSA.collation_name = T.table_collation

  AND T.table_schema = "schemaname"

  AND T.table_name = "tablename";

SELECT character_set_name FROM information_schema.`COLUMNS` 

WHERE table_schema = "schemaname"

  AND table_name = "tablename"

  AND column_name = "columnname";

mysql> SELECT SCHEMA_NAME 'database', default_character_set_name 'charset', DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME 'collation' FROM information_schema.SCHEMATA;

mysql> USE my_database;

mysql> show variables like "character_set_database";

mysql> USE my_database;

mysql> SHOW TABLE STATUS WHERE NAME LIKE 'my_tablename';

mysql> show create table my_tablename

mysql> SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM my_tablename;