by Will Dunne
Whether it is expressed in love, courage, compassion, or other qualities, the nobility of a character is almost always a form of generosity.
Even Shylock, often considered one of the greediest of villains, can be seen as a noble character when we first meet him in The Merchant of Venice. He is a man trying to defend his money and possessions in an environment where, because of his Jewish heritage, he cannot own land and is excluded from many professions. In his eagerness for acceptance, he is willing to lend money without interest to an abusive anti-Semite and, to create a "merry bond," asks for only a symbolic collateral-a pound of flesh-to protect the loan. His reliance on contracts reflects his respect for law and yearning for justice, and his unhappiness later over the loss of a turquoise ring shows a capacity to value sentiment over monetary value. However, Shylock's nobility is consumed by rage as he suffers insult, prejudice, the betrayal of a daughter, and other abuses from a powerful society that refuses to recognize his generosity or accept him as an equal member.
The nobility of characters is often tested-and measured-by the kinds of decisions they make. Sometimes it is the nature of the decision itself that reveals the truth. For example, Shylock's decision in the end to demand the pound of flesh for his unpaid debt puts the life of Antonio, the debtor, in jeopardy and shows us that Shylock's loss of nobility is complete.
Sometimes it is the size of the decision that tests the character. As a general rule, the greater the number of people affected by a decision, the greater the decision is. For example, an alcoholic must decide whether or not to stop drinking. This is important because her well-being is at risk. The importance escalates, however, if the alcoholic is pregnant-now the wellbeing of the fetus is also at risk-or if the alcoholic is a surgeon who must rely on clarity and precision to save lives. Why do so many stories focus on doctors, police, lawyers, politicians, kings, and queens? Because they make decisions that have consequences beyond themselves.
You don't need to write about a pregnant surgeon with a drinking problem to create these dynamics. Look for ways to structure your character relationships and story events so that your main character must make a decision with multiple and far-reaching effects. Even if it's only one or two others who will be affected, a decision with more than one consequence will up the stakes for your character and make us more likely to await its outcome.
Another dictionary definition for "noble" is "not corroding or deteriorating rapidly; precious; pure; said of metals, especially gold and silver." What is the gold or silver of your character? If your character's journey is upward, the presence of this trait may play a key role in the character's success. If your character's journey is downward, the loss or erosion of this trait may be what's responsible for the character's failure.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
This exercise can help you explore the actual and potential nobility of a character. Try it first with your main character. For best results, build on what you know so far to find new possibilities for your story.
WHO YOUR CHARACTER IS NOW
i. Noble trait. Have you given your main character at least one noble trait? You may define "noble" any way you wish, as long as you personally see it as a lofty quality: a characteristic of greatness among the many qualities that make up who your character is. This noble trait may already be present in your character when the story begins, or it may be acquired through the dramatic journey. It may be a trait which survives when tested or which collapses under stress. In a word or phrase, identify your character's most noble trait now-for example, wisdom. There is no wrong answer and "most noble" is relative to the character's world.
2. Noble deed. Have you given your character the opportunity to perform at least one noble deed during the story? The operative word here is "opportunity." Whether the character actually performs this noble deed or not, the opportunity to rise to greatness will not only make the story more interesting, but also expand the dimensions of your work and make the character's final success or failure all the more meaningful.
In a sentence or so, give a specific example of a noble deed that your character has the opportunity to perform at any time in the story. Try to tie this opportunity to the noble trait you just named. Remember that you're focusing here on opportunity and not necessarily actual action. Whether your character seizes the opportunity or not, it is a time when we see the character's most noble trait being tested. In The Silence of the Lambs, for example, one of Hannibal Lecter's most noble qualities is wisdom. This is tested when he has the opportunity to help FBI agent Clarice Starling figure out the identify of a serial killer at large.
WHO YOUR CHARACTER COULD BE
i. Noble trait. Think some more about your character. For the sake of exercise, be creative and imagine a totally new noble trait or quality for this character: something that you haven't considered yet but that could possibly be added to this unique character's nature-either coming into the story or acquired during the story. In a word or phrase, what new noble trait could you possibly give this character?
If you went with this choice, would it be a new trait that already exists when the story begins, or would it be acquired during the story as a result of what your character experiences?
2. Noble deed. Think about your story events and how they could unfold in a somewhat different way. In a sentence, give a specific example of a new noble deed that your character could have the opportunity to perform at any time during the story. Try to tie this opportunity to the new noble trait you just named. Again, focus on opportunity and not necessarily actual action. Whether your character would seize the opportunity or not, it would be a time when we could see the character's new noble trait being tested. Identify the potential example in one sentence: this is an opportunity that is not in your story now.
HOW YOUR CHARACTER COULD AFFECT OTHERS
i. Critical decision. Think about the important decisions your character makes during the story. Does the character ever have to make a decision that immediately and critically affects at least one other character? In other words, is there an important decision with a significant ripple effect?
• If you answered "yes" to the ripple effect:
- Identify who else is immediately and critically affected by your character's decision. For each person affected, write his or her name and relationship to the character.
- Describe the decision and include specifically what alternatives your character must choose between.
• If you answered "no" to the ripple effect:
- Imagine new possibilities. If the story were to unfold somewhat differently, who else could be critically affected by a decision of your character? For each person that could possibly be affected, write his or her name and relationship to the character.
- Be creative and think about a possible new decision that your character would have to make: a decision that could have a significant ripple effect on the other character or characters you just named. Identify the options that your character could possibly face.
2. More critical decision. Think about the actual or possible decision you've just been exploring. Is there any way to make this decision bigger and more important by increasing or expanding its effects? For example, you could make the decision bigger and more important by having it affect a greater number of people, or by having it affect the same people but in a more critical way. As an exercise, how might you increase the size and scope of your character's decision?
WRAP-UP
This has been an exercise in growing your character: finding new ways to make him or her taller so that your work will be more likely to command our attention, stir up our deepest feelings, and mean something important to us during and after the story. Keep looking for opportunities to raise the bar for your character-even if he or she is a tragic figure who fails to meet the challenges of the journey.
THE QUICK VERSION
Examine character strengths and weaknesses
BEST TIME FOR THIS
After you h
ave a working sense of who your characters are
THE VIRTUES OF SIN
From Shannon in Night of the Iguana, to Reverend Parris in The Crucible, to the title character of Elmer Gantry, preachers in drama have warned us about the evils and dangers of sin. From a dramatic writer's perspective, however, the temptation to sin is an opportunity to test the strengths and weaknesses of characters and to reveal something important-positive or negative-about their true natures.
Even if your characters are not religious, you can use the concept of sin as a tool for character development. And, since you are a dramatic writer, you may find the best material by tackling the most dramatic of sins: the seven deadly ones. Through the ages, the traditional seven deadly sinsenvy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath-have provided fodder for countless dramatic stories, such as the classic drama Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and the modern comedy Sin by Wendy McLeod.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
To begin, choose a character whom you have begun to develop and want to know in more depth. You may wish to explore more than one character at the same time so that you can compare weaknesses and strengths as you think about character sins.
"Sin" here is defined as "fault" or "wrong" in the broadest sense: any thought, word, or deed that could lead to a downfall of any kind-if not moral, then perhaps physical, economic, or social. Since the sins under scrutiny are "deadly," the focus will be on extreme faults and wrongs, and significant outcomes.
THE TRADITIONAL SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Think about your character in relationship to each of the seven deadly sins:
I. Envy is a feeling of discontent and ill will due to someone else's success or possessions. To envy is to have a resentful dislike of someone because he or she has something desirable. In Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, for example, the composer Salieri orchestrates Mozart's fall from grace because of his envy of Mozart's talent.
2. Gluttony is the act or habit of eating or drinking way too much. In The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, gluttony is among the sins most noticeably embodied by the portly character of Falstaff.
3. Greed is an excessive desire for acquiring or having, or, put another way, the longing for more than one needs or deserves. In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, greed for Big Daddy's future estate is what pits family members against one another.
4. Lust is excessive sexual desire. To lust is to seek unrestrained pleasure-even at the cost of harm to oneself or others. In A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, a father risks the well-being of his whole family because of the lust that has tainted his affection for his daughter.
5. Pride can be a positive attribute, but it becomes negative when there's too much of it. The sin of pride is an excessive belief in one's own worth or merit: an exaggerated self-esteem, conceit, or vanity. In King Lear, by William Shakespeare, it may be pride that keeps the king from facing the error of his ways.
6. Sloth is extreme sluggishness. When one is slothful, one is disinclined to work or exert oneself. In Anton Chekhov's play, The Cherry Orchard, the aristocratic ennui of Mrs. Ranevsky and her family leads to the loss of their beloved estate.
7. Wrath is emotional agitation that is aroused by great displeasure and leads to loss of self-control. In Electra by Sophocles, a wrathful woman is consumed by obsessive dreams of retribution for her husband's death.
THE SINS OF YOUR CHARACTER
List the seven deadly sins. Then do a quick armchair analysis of your character by answering the following questions about his or her relationship to these sins:
I. Most likely sins. Think about your character's weaknesses. Of the seven deadly sins, which two would your unique character be most inclined to commit if circumstances led to temptation? As you select the two most likely sins, do not feel confined by actual scenarios from your story. Think about the whole life of the character. Remember that the past is a rich source of character information, and that the present and future are full of possibilities you haven't considered yet. Write a i beside your character's most likely sin, and 2 beside your character's second most likely sin.
2. Least likely sins. Now think about the same character's strengths. Of the seven deadly sins, which two would your character be least inclined to commit? As before, think about the character's whole life. Write a 7 beside your character's least likely sin and a 6 beside the second least likely sin.
3. Middle sins. Though you have written only four numbers, your choices already reflect a wealth of information about your character. The most likely sins reveal defining character weaknesses. The least likely sins reveal defining character strengths. But what about the middle sins that didn't make it to either ranking? This gray zone may suggest an area that you need to explore further. Look again at these three middle sins. In what order might they be most likely to occur? Trust your first instinct and write a 3, 4, and 5 beside the three remaining sins on your list.
A DEEPER LOOK AT CHARACTER STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Use the following steps to find new story ideas. For best results, do the full set of steps at least three times. Focus first on a most likely sin (i or 2), then on a middle sin (3, 4, or 5), and finally on a least likely sin (6 or 7). Each will tell you something different about your character. In each round, trust your first instinct and imagine your character at an important time in his or her life-past, present, or future-without feeling constrained by the dictates of your plot.
i. Setting. Think about your unique character and the particular sin you are exploring now. Locate a setting in which you could imagine the character being tempted to commit this sin. See if you can find a place that feels integral to this specific character and this specific temptation. Identify the setting and briefly describe it from your character's point of view.
2. Circumstances. Think about when the temptation might strike. Briefly identify the time of this temptation and the specific circumstances under which it might occur. The ingredients of this temptation are keys to your character's needs, values, and beliefs as well as his or her weaknesses.
3. Other characters. Who else, if anyone, is involved in this particular temptation or sin? Identify the name and relationship of any others who played an important role in this experience. Then describe the others from your character's point of view.
4. Physical life. Imagine that a certain physical object or element is pivotal to either the temptation or the sin. Identify this physical object or element, and briefly describe it from the character's point of view.
5. Sense memory. Imagine yourself as the character looking back at the temptation or the sin. Find one sense memory of this experience: something significant and specific that you can see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or feel. Identify it and describe it from your character's point of view.
6. Action and motivation. In this specific time and place, and under this particular set of circumstances, would your character succumb to the temptation of this sin or not? Imagine what might happen and sum it up in a few sentences from your character's point of view. Include why the character finally gave in to this temptation or finally resisted it.
7. Consequences. Long term or short term, what was the most important result of your character's action? Look for an outcome that might affect how your story unfolds. Describe this outcome from your character's point of view. Include how your character feels now about what happened.
WRAP-UP
To know your characters is to know what they are most likely to do in life, what they might be willing to do under certain circumstances, and what they would never do.
In this exercise, you have been using a broad concept of "sin" to find out more about your character's inclinations and limits. Your ranking of the seven deadly sins offers a telling capsule portrait of what you now know.
THE QUICK VERSION
Flesh out a two-character relationship as a triangle that involves a third party
BEST TIME FOR THIS
After you are well into
the story
THE GEOMETRY OF CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS
When you put two characters into a story, you create a relationship that shows how they fit or don't fit together. Such relationships are often tested by the demands of the story and undergo changes that affect each character in a positive or negative way. If you were to look at the geometry of this relationship, you might see it as a line that connects two points. It might be a short line that holds the characters close, or a long line that keeps them apart and makes communication difficult.
If you were to broaden your view of the relationship and think about its most immediate influences, you might imagine any number of geometric shapes to describe its complexity. From a storytelling perspective, one of the most powerful ways to view a character relationship is not as a line connecting two points but as a triangle connecting three points. The metaphor suggests that, in a relationship between any two characters at any given time, there is often a third party affecting what happens between them: there is a dramatic triangle at work.
Almost every two-character relationship is a dramatic triangle that includes a third party. Sometimes this third party is physically present, as in Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart, where the relationship between two sisters in a small Mississippi town is reconfigured by the return of a third sister who has been living in Los Angeles. In many cases, however, the third party to the relationship is not physically present. In Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, for example, the title character never appears, yet influences almost everything that happens between the two men waiting for him. In Sam Shepard's True West, the feud between two brothers is greatly defined by their offstage father. In David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, the tentative relationship between two sisters is governed by a dead child who was son to one and nephew to the other.