Dramatic
Characterisation
Dr Farida Panhwar
Institute of English language and
Literature, university of Sindh,
Jamshoro, Pakistan
Dramatic Characterisation
■ Characterisation is the really fundamental and
lasting element in the greatness of any
dramatic work.
■ Shakespeare’s plays are alive because of his
characters.
■ Macbeth, Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice
is not the things which are done, but the
people who do them, that Shakespeare’s
plays are great.
■ The interest which keeps them alive is the
interest of the men and women in them.
Qualities of Characterisation: Brevity
■ In characterisation a first condition of
dramatic art is brevity.
■ Novel for exposition of motive, fully portray
the prolong character to justify prolixity.
■ But the dramatic character deals within the
narrowly circumscribed in few scenes and
also he has to be more or less concerned
with the progress of his story.
■ Therefore, dramatist emphasise its
significance by taking a single illustration.
Qualities of Characterisation: Brevity
■ Macbeth is remarkable example of the exceptional
■ example of condensation and brevity in portraying
Macbeth and his wife.
■ Shakespeare has endowed the reality and the
mystery of life that surprises all readers through
master-strokes
■ The first act marvelously exhibit the potentialities of
both of them for good and ill.
■ As well as Macbeth's physical courage, his prowess
on the battlefield, the confidence of others in him,
the evil wills and Lady Macbeth's moral courage,
her singleness of purpose ,
Qualities of Characterisation:
Concentration
■ Concentration as a necessary condition of
dramatic characterisation, that emphasis upon
the qualities which have to be brought into
relief.
■ Therefore, every word of dialogue must be
made to tell, each feature must be elaborated
■ in strict relevancy to the whole, and all mere
supererogatory talk must be avoided.
Qualities of Characterisation:
Concentration
■ Every character should appear absolutely
adequate to all the demands which the plot
makes upon it.
■ Only those characteristics of the hero or any
important personage should be made
prominent that can influence the course of the
action.
■ Hence, it can justify “The principles of
dramatic economy”.
Qualities of Characterisation:
Impersonality
■ More important condition of
characterisation is impersonality.
■ The novelist can himself mingle freely
with the men and women of his story,
take them to pieces from the outside, lay
their thoughts and feelings bare before
us, pass judgment upon them.
Qualities of Characterisation:
Impersonality
■ The dramatist cannot do this ; he is
compelld to stand apart.
■ The principles of dramatic economy.
■ Yet it is interesting to note that the great
excess of the real needs of the action.
Qualities of Characterisation & Dialogues
■ Characters exhibit the passions, motives, feelings in
their growth, entanglements, and conflicts in form of
action and dialogue.
■ it is particularly true where the interest of a drama is
predominantly lies in psychological growth of a
character, dialogue then becomes an integral part of
plot unfolding story and characters.
■ Yet the principle function of dialogue in the drama
as in the novel is in direct connection with
characterisation.
■ Even dialogue will often be used to fill the place and
do the work of analysis and commentary.
Qualities of Characterisation & Dialogues
■ We may regard dramatic dialogue as a means of
characterisation under two heads; first, the
utterances of a given person in his conversation with
others, will furnish a continual running commentary
upon his conduct and character;.
■ Such commentary is necessary, we may expect to
find scenes in which the action practically stands still
while thoughts, feelings, and motives are brought to
the front. ' Mere talk ‘.
■ Hence, we are directly concerned with character and
only indirectly with incident.
■ As in the greater plays of Moliere, and in the works
of modern psychological playwrights.
Qualities of Characterisation & Dialogues
■ And second then the remarks made about him by
other persons in the play.
■ It may be greatly reinforced by what other people
say about him either to his face or among
themselves. In this way we may often obtain a
number of cross-lights which, taken together, may
prove of the utmost value.
■ In considering this indirect evidence every utterance
must be tested by reference to the character of the
particular speaker, his own situation and relation to
the action, the possible bias given by his interests,
his sympathy, his antipathy.
