CHARACTERISATION IN DRAMA

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.