adminCharles Dube
MOST learners think characters are found in Literature related subjects only. Ardent followers of this column remember well that we emphasised the need for having characters in compositions, albeit in limited numbers. I made an undertaking to discuss characterisation later from a Literature in English view point. For starters, characters will always be characters whether used in compositions or literature. They play the same role.
Characterisation refers to the ways in which writers present their characters. Good essays about characters are said to consider carefully the role of the writer. The characters do not live independent lives after all. It is the writer who creates and develops them in novels and stories.
When analysing characters, you should think about how they are described, what they say and how they behave with other characters. Often the main character in a novel, for instance, will go on an emotional “journey” that changes them. Before we proceed, note that in a novel we find the main character and minor characters, the latter helping develop the former. Characters cannot be ignored in the study of literature because the story becomes interesting or boring because of them. The lasting memories of a text are a result of them.
Today we learn that characters are influenced by places. They take on the traditions and values of the country they grow up in. Let us not forget that some may take on the traditions and values of a village or district. Writers often focus on the difficulties of characters who are treated unfairly due to the colour of their skin, their religious beliefs or simply because they are “different”. Sometimes a writer wants to make readers aware of injustices from the past or prejudices that exist today.
We have Shylock from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Shylock is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial characters, but does he deserve to be treated badly because he is a Jew? Here is a tip: In plays writers present characters mainly through what they say, which is a common feature in all of them. By contrast, prose fiction writers, simply writers of ordinary novels, have much greater flexibility. This because prose writers can describe the thoughts and feelings of characters, as well as telling us what they say.
Simply compare and contrast the writing of plays and novels to understand this fact. We cannot ignore reference to themes as we discuss characters. A theme is an important topic or idea that is developed in a text or subject of talk in a text. There are many more other definitions of theme, so take your pick. Often texts have a number of themes. As you study your novel or play try to look beyond the basic plot and discover the themes that are being explored.
As you study characters and themes in plays, consider the following questions: aspects of characterisation: What do stage directions reveal about the character’s appearance? What do stage directions tell you about the character’s personal qualities? What impression do you form of the character from what they say and how they speak? What impression do you form of the character from how they behave? In what way does the character contrast with other characters? Is there conflict between the character and other characters?
Finally, is there a conflict within a character? Dramatic conflict between characters can often be found at the heart of plays. Such conflict helps to create tension and make that particular scene dramatic, that is make the scene vivid and intense. I have referred to stage directions without making clear what they are: stage directions provide information to directors and others involved in bringing the script to life. The purpose of stage directions is to give information about the following: volume of the character’s voices, what the characters look like, how the characters behave, lighting and appearance.
I know some learners might dismiss these bits as irrelevant to passing their examinations forgetting that some teachers use films to help learners understand the drama texts. As a learner ask yourself the following question when watching a film on any one of the plays under review: What should I look for when listening or watching a performance? Make notes on how the performance compares to your own reading of the scene. Did the actors interpret their characters as you thought they would? Has the play been set in a different place or at a different time?
Stick to what your text says rather than use your interpretation of the film. Directors at times make adaptations from the original plays hence learners could be misled and use a wrong approach to answer examination questions. Films are welcome to be used in class as they help learners go over the text or scenes faster. Learners should support their interpretation of the play. Interpretation refers to their understanding or analysis of the play.
Learners cannot perform well in what we are discussing today if they do not understand or have little knowledge of the following terms: the narrator is the person who tells the story in a novel or short story. What happens is told through their words. Under this category we have the first person narrator who is an actual character in the novel. All the events of the novel are told through this character. We see events and other characters through their eyes.
First person narrators can communicate, what they themselves think, what they themselves have heard or what others have told them. Third person narrators are omniscient (all-knowing or all-seeing) they can reveal what all the characters say or think. They can be everywhere at once. However, it is possible for a third person narrator to identify closely with a particular character.
In future we will discuss approaches to a number of questions such as passage-based questions moving on to drama.
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