The fracture of polymeric materials is almost always an undesirable event. The usual causes of failure in a polymeric material are improper material selection and processing, and inadequate design of components. It is the responsibility of the engineer to anticipate and plan for possible failure and, in the event that failure does occur, to assess its cause and then take preventive measures against future incidents. To achieve this goal, the engineer is required to manage the methods of fracture analysis and modification of polymeric materials. The present paper gives a brief review on the methods which are widely adopted for the characterization of fracture behaviour of polymers, and the toughening mechanisms found in polymer blends.