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In the same way that music has rhythm, dialogue also has rhythm. It is the melody within the written word, bouncing off the page to invite the reader to participate in the experience. In this article I shall attempt to explain the function of dialogue within prose.

LEAR:
Had I your tongues and eyes,
I'd use them so that heaven's vaults should crack.
She's gone forever.
I know when one's dead and when one lives.
She's dead as earth.
(King Lear, Act 5, Scene 3)

The plays of Shakespeare rely totally on dialogue. It is what you hear that is sweetly resonant rather than what you see. Although the dialogue may not be the exact words that people use, but the rhythm of speech remains sincere in his work.

As far back as Aeschylus, plays have relied totally on dialogue rather than narrative. It is the self-expression of the characters affording you direct entry into their inner life. When writers put words in the mouths of their characters they are empowering them with a soul. This is the reason why Shakespeare's characters come along because of the accessibility of their souls:

CORDELIA:
How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
(King Lear, Act 4, Scene 7)

The derivation of dialogue is made up of two Greek words, dia (through) and logos (meaning). The logo of a business is a symbol of what that organization stands for; the meaning behind their aims and objectives. Through dialogue, a character proclaims their desire and invites us to join them on their journey through the story. It is the source of collective action, leading to shared experiences that facilitates human bonding. But do we connect with characters as a direct result of dialogue?

Before the novel was introduced in 1719, dialogue was the main route by which we understood a character in a play. The words echoed what was in the soul of the character, presenting us with an authentic picture of their humanity. When Robinson Crusoe crash-landed on the scene, dialogue worked in collaboration with narrative. It was then that dialogue worked as a mechanism to pass on information to the reader that was more effective than narrative.

When protagonists find that they are unable to achieve their goal directly, they seek another outlet through the minor characters. They do this by listening to what the other person has to say because vital information is being relayed in order to move the story on. By integrating with a person through dialogue you become a changed person in the same way that a lack of dialogue distances you from a person. Once protagonists connect with these minor characters, they are transformed in their thinking, and see their situation from a different perspective that enables them to restore balance to their lives.

In conclusion then, dialogue is the vital ingredient that transforms the worldview of the protagonists to enable them to resolve their conflict.

Copyright © Jason Young

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