How do I get enough information to write a whole page on one character?
Believe it or not, a one or two page character analysis is not long enough to permit you to say everything about a character that can be said (if such a thing could even be done). You have just enough space to make one or two points about the character and provide enough support to make your points persuasive.
We acquire information about dramatic characters in several ways:
· The author may tell us something about the character. Does the character have a symbolic or suggestive name? ("Everyman" is obviously symbolic. But calling a character "Doctor Faustus" or "Lear's Fool" also tells us something.) What is the character wearing? What does the author say about the character, in a prologue to the play or in the stage directions or cast descriptions?
· What the character says (and how he or she says it) can be very revealing. Does the character tell jokes, or is he deadly serious? Does the character tell the truth all the time? Does the character relate information important to the plot?
· What does the character do? Look for places where main characters have choices. Which choice did your character make, and why? That choice says something important about whom the character is. For minor characters, what distinctive things does each character do? That is, what does this character do that no one else does?
· What do other characters say about your character? How do they react to him or her? Their words and reactions are clues to your character's position in the play. Do other characters like your character? Why or why not?
How do I begin the planning and writing of the paper?
It's best not to make judgments about your character until you've gathered a considerable amount of data. After you have read through the play once and are confident that you understand the action, read again to take notes about your character. Make a note of every scene in which your character appears. Jot down potentially revealing actions or lines from the play, including what others say about your him or her. (Be sure to use exact words if you are quoting. Directors can change or omit lines when staging a play. Students and literary critics quote exactly.)
When you have completed your note taking, try to synthesize your material; generalize in a few sentences: What is this character like? What do I know about the character? What can I infer? What dramatic purpose does the character seem to serve in this play? (That is, why do you think the author included the character in the play? Does this character try to influence someone, or stand up for someone? Is this simply a character useful as a confidant to a more important character?) What drives the character? What does the character want to accomplish? (Characters perform actions because they are motivated by a want or need.)
What should be included in my analysis?
In your first sentence, identify the play, the author, and the character you will be discussing. You may need to summarize the character's part in the play, but give only a sentence or two to plot summary of this sort. Early in the paper you'll want make at least one assertion about your character. This is your interpretation of what the character is like and his or her purpose in the play. The remainder of your paper should consist of support for your assertion. If, for example, you assert that King Lear is a completely self-absorbed character, you will want to remind readers of the selfish acts he performs in the play, and any lines said by him or other characters that point to Lear's self-absorption. Try to have at least three pieces of support for every assertion you make.
How do I incorporate character speeches into my paper?
You can refer to scenes or page numbers and paraphrase a character's lines, thus avoiding quotations. Sometimes, though, it is helpful to have a character's exact words. In that case, enclose the lines in quotation marks and incorporate smoothly into your own sentences. Be very careful to include the exact words of the character. In a 1-2 page paper, long quotations should be avoided, as this will leave little room for your own analysis.
What if my interpretation is wrong?
Except perhaps inside a writer's head, there isn't really a "wrong" character interpretation. What we have is: (1) Interpretations that can be persuasively supported, and (2) Interpretations that can't be persuasively supported. Your interpretation can be persuasively supported if you can find evidence in the play (in the form of character actions, words or descriptions) to back up your assertions, and if there is nothing in the play that contradicts your assertions.
Believe it or not, a one or two page character analysis is not long enough to permit you to say everything about a character that can be said (if such a thing could even be done). You have just enough space to make one or two points about the character and provide enough support to make your points persuasive.
We acquire information about dramatic characters in several ways:
· The author may tell us something about the character. Does the character have a symbolic or suggestive name? ("Everyman" is obviously symbolic. But calling a character "Doctor Faustus" or "Lear's Fool" also tells us something.) What is the character wearing? What does the author say about the character, in a prologue to the play or in the stage directions or cast descriptions?
· What the character says (and how he or she says it) can be very revealing. Does the character tell jokes, or is he deadly serious? Does the character tell the truth all the time? Does the character relate information important to the plot?
· What does the character do? Look for places where main characters have choices. Which choice did your character make, and why? That choice says something important about whom the character is. For minor characters, what distinctive things does each character do? That is, what does this character do that no one else does?
· What do other characters say about your character? How do they react to him or her? Their words and reactions are clues to your character's position in the play. Do other characters like your character? Why or why not?
How do I begin the planning and writing of the paper?
It's best not to make judgments about your character until you've gathered a considerable amount of data. After you have read through the play once and are confident that you understand the action, read again to take notes about your character. Make a note of every scene in which your character appears. Jot down potentially revealing actions or lines from the play, including what others say about your him or her. (Be sure to use exact words if you are quoting. Directors can change or omit lines when staging a play. Students and literary critics quote exactly.)
When you have completed your note taking, try to synthesize your material; generalize in a few sentences: What is this character like? What do I know about the character? What can I infer? What dramatic purpose does the character seem to serve in this play? (That is, why do you think the author included the character in the play? Does this character try to influence someone, or stand up for someone? Is this simply a character useful as a confidant to a more important character?) What drives the character? What does the character want to accomplish? (Characters perform actions because they are motivated by a want or need.)
What should be included in my analysis?
In your first sentence, identify the play, the author, and the character you will be discussing. You may need to summarize the character's part in the play, but give only a sentence or two to plot summary of this sort. Early in the paper you'll want make at least one assertion about your character. This is your interpretation of what the character is like and his or her purpose in the play. The remainder of your paper should consist of support for your assertion. If, for example, you assert that King Lear is a completely self-absorbed character, you will want to remind readers of the selfish acts he performs in the play, and any lines said by him or other characters that point to Lear's self-absorption. Try to have at least three pieces of support for every assertion you make.
How do I incorporate character speeches into my paper?
You can refer to scenes or page numbers and paraphrase a character's lines, thus avoiding quotations. Sometimes, though, it is helpful to have a character's exact words. In that case, enclose the lines in quotation marks and incorporate smoothly into your own sentences. Be very careful to include the exact words of the character. In a 1-2 page paper, long quotations should be avoided, as this will leave little room for your own analysis.
What if my interpretation is wrong?
Except perhaps inside a writer's head, there isn't really a "wrong" character interpretation. What we have is: (1) Interpretations that can be persuasively supported, and (2) Interpretations that can't be persuasively supported. Your interpretation can be persuasively supported if you can find evidence in the play (in the form of character actions, words or descriptions) to back up your assertions, and if there is nothing in the play that contradicts your assertions.
Interesting post, very informative
ReplyDelete(Xavier Jones)