Navigation
Analyzing how playwrights use spoken words to reveal character traits and advance the plot.
Have you ever noticed how your voice changes when you talk to a principal versus your best friend? In a play, where there is no narrator to explain feelings, these tiny shifts in speech are the 'secret code' that reveals a character's true identity.
In a novel, a narrator might tell you, 'John was a nervous man.' In a play, we only know John is nervous if he speaks in short, clipped sentences or repeats himself. This is called Indirect Characterization. Because plays lack a narrator, dialogue must do all the heavy lifting. We look for word choice (diction), rhythm, and subtext—the underlying meaning behind the words. For example, a character who uses complex, academic language might be seen as intellectual or perhaps arrogant, while a character who uses slang might be seen as rebellious or down-to-earth.
Read this line from a character named Silas: 'I... I suppose I could help, if it isn't too much trouble for you to show me where the broom is kept.'
1. Observe the hesitation ('I... I'). 2. Note the polite, almost apologetic phrasing ('if it isn't too much trouble'). 3. Infer the trait: Silas is likely timid or unsure of himself.
Quick Check
What is the term for when a playwright reveals a character's personality through their speech rather than telling the audience directly?
Answer
Indirect Characterization
Without a narrator to say 'and then the war began,' the characters must reveal the action themselves. Dialogue moves the story forward in three ways: Exposition (giving background info), Conflict (characters arguing or wanting different things), and Action (making a decision out loud). When a character says, 'If you cross that line, the alliance is over,' the plot has just shifted. The dialogue isn't just talk; it is a 'speech act' that changes the world of the play.
Consider this exchange: Character A: 'The King's carriage just passed the north gate.' Character B: 'Then we have only minutes to hide the map!'
1. Step 1: Identify the information given (The King is arriving). 2. Step 2: Identify the reaction (Urgency/Panic). 3. Step 3: Identify the plot movement (The scene has shifted from waiting to a race against time).
Quick Check
How does dialogue help the audience understand what happened before the play started?
Answer
Through exposition, where characters mention past events naturally in conversation.
Characters are social chameleons. A character’s tone and register (the level of formality) change based on their relationship with the listener. This reveals power dynamics. If a character speaks in short, commanding sentences to a servant but long, flowery sentences to a Duke, we learn about their social status and their desires. Analyzing these shifts helps us see if a character is being manipulative, respectful, or comfortable.
Compare these two lines by the same character, Cassius: To the Prince: 'Your Grace's wisdom is a beacon to us all; we await your command.' To his fellow soldier: 'The Prince is a fool who couldn't find his way out of a paper bag.'
1. Analyze Line 1: Formal, flattering, submissive. 2. Analyze Line 2: Informal, insulting, honest. 3. Conclusion: Cassius is manipulative or two-faced, using his speech to hide his true feelings from those in power.
If a character uses many 'ums' and 'uhs' while speaking to a judge, what can we most likely infer?
Which function of dialogue is happening when a character says: 'Remember when we found that old key in the garden last summer?'
A character speaking the exact same way to every person they meet suggests they are likely a complex and manipulative character.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to remember the three main things dialogue does in a play (Character, Plot, Relationships).
Practice Activity
Watch a 5-minute scene from a play or movie. Write down one trait for each character based only on how they said their lines, not what they were wearing.