Characterization
Characterization
is the playwright’s imaginative creation of characters that can effectively
dramatize his story. The action of the play is presented through such
characters. He does so by imbuing the characters with certain recognizable
human traits and qualities. These qualities include physical attributes, moral,
psychological and emotional dispositions, their attitude towards other
characters and situations, and so on. At the point of conceptualization of the
idea he wants to present in his play, he thinks of the best way to present it
to make it interesting and at the same time informative. He builds this idea
into a story form and thinks of the type of characters that can tell this story
effectively. So he uses the characters to explicate his theme and propel the
plot, His ability to craft the play in such a way that each character blends
well in the plot is called characterization. These characters are presented and
they develop in the course of the action. In most cases, the characters grow
from innocence to maturity or from ignorance to knowledge. They also change
according to situations and events. When this is done, the characters are
referred to as round characters. A good playwright must craft his play in such
a way that his characters are consistent. We don’t expect a character to behave
like an educated Weng woman in the opening scene and in the following act like
an illiterate village girl. This could happen if there is a proper motivation
for that. For example, if she is pretending to be what she is not in order to
obtain some information, get something or to escape from danger? Motivation in
characterization means that there must be a good reason for any action that is
taken by every character in the play. The reason or grounds for action,
temperament and moral dispositions constitute his motivations. They act out the
story of the play from the beginning to the end. They act within the limits of
possibility and plausibility. This means that they and their actions should be
as close as possible to reality (verisimilitude). The playwright therefore creates
a story that is credible for them to act. However, in an allegorical play, each
character acts within the limits of what it represents. Each playwright,
depending on his style, chooses how to develop his characters. This brings us
to a discussion on characters.
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