Types of Utterance in Drama & Techniques of Characterization

1.       Types of Utterance in Drama

Utterance means the talk or the language used, either in real life or drama. Dramatic talk has the pragmatic function and poetic or rhetorical function.

1.       Pragmatic function  :               The function is to show purposes, e.g. to persuade, to influence, to convey information, etc.

2.       Poetic function         :               The function is to show artistic element of talking.

2.       Monologue, Dialogue, Soliloquy

1.       Monologue                                :               The talk done by only one person.

2.       Dialogue                      :               The talk needs to be done by two or more people.

3.       Soliloquy                      :               The talk done by only one person, however he is truly alone because this talk is personal, which means he is speaking to himself.

3.       Asides

Aside from any other types of utterances, Asides is the only talk that combines monologue and soliloquy, but he speaks towards the audience, while the other three do not.

4.       Turn Allocation, Stichomythia, Repartee

1.       Turn Allocation          :               This describe how many lines for each character, the chances to speak through the entire play.

2.       Stichomythia              :               This type of Turn Allocation is special because each character turns are one line and another. This usually used in competing or disagreement.

3.       Repartee                     :               This is the mark used in dialogues that one person shows an intention in his lines, and the other response cover that intention and be stronger.

5.       Turn Allocation, Stichomythia, Repartee

Wordplay is used for entertaining, attracting and holding the attention of the audience. Either by juxtaposing, repeating words, etc.

1.       Pun                                                :               Words are used similarly to each other, like homonyms.

2.       Wit                                 :               Lines which shows humor and intellect.

 Techniques of Characterisation

            Characters in drama can be applied by using various techniques of characterisation. There are two ways or techniques that used in determining a character, explicit and implicit. Explicit technique is the author literally tells the audience directly about the real character of the figures. Besides, implicit technique is the audience must be understand what is the real character of the figures through character’s thought, actions, speech or manner of speaking, physical appearence, and interaction between the figures. 

	authorial	figural
explicit	descriptions of characters in author commentary or stage directions; telling names	characters’ descriptions of and comments on other characters; also self-characterisation
implicit	correspondences and contrasts; indirectly characterising names	physical appearance, gesture and facial expressions (body language); masks and costumes; stage props, setting; behaviour; voice; language (style, register, dialect, etc.);