Dialogue and its Purpose
Dialogue is speech between two or more characters. In written narrative, dialogue is contained within quotation marks (unless the personalities/characters are telepathic, which does happen; then it's in italics, but let us not muddy the waters). In plays and screenplays, dialogue follows the name of the speaker with no quotes (see examples below).
Dialogue has three purposes in a narrative: to provoke a decision, to propel action, or to reveal character. |
Provoke a Decision
Dialogue is often used to set a choice before a character/person. This may happen in many different contexts. Such dialogue may be spoken by a trusted friend who wishes to set the protagonist right; by a family member who reveals a truth; or by the villain who has the protagonist right where he wants them. Such as:
VADER: If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father. LUKE: He told me enough! He told me you killed him. VADER: No. I am your father. LUKE: No. No. That's not true! That's impossible! VADER: Search your feelings. You know it to be true. LUKE: No! No! No! VADER: Luke. You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me. It's the only way. And we all know how Luke decided. |
Propel Action
Dialogue is also used to cause characters to act. This can be done in a variety of ways. Challenges, updates about the goal or problem the protagonist faces, or revelations by other characters, among other things. In the following example from the film The Hunger Games, President Snow propels the action of the narrative by directing his minion to control the populace. Therefore, he intensifies the conflict of the narrative.
President Snow: Seneca... why do you think we have a winner? Seneca Crane: [frowns] What do you mean? President Snow: I mean, why do we have a winner? I mean, if we just wanted to intimidate the districts, why not round up twenty-four of them at random and execute them all at once? Be a lot faster. [Seneca just stares, confused] President Snow: Hope. Seneca Crane: Hope? President Snow: Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained. Seneca Crane: So...? President Snow: So, CONTAIN it. |
Reveal Character
If a narrative is well-written, we can follow the speech of the characters to determine what kind of individuals they are. We do this in real life, as well. If people lie, we do not trust them; if they are honest, we respect that (hopefully). Dialogue can also reveal aspects of character, called character traits. Character traits are aspects of a character's personality. In the example below from the film Toy Story, you can tell different traits of Buzz and Woody from their dialogue in a moment of stress. Buzz: Sheriff, this is no time to panic. Woody: This is a perfect time to panic! I'm lost, Andy is gone, they're gonna move to their new house in two days, and it's all your fault! Buzz: My... My fault? If you hadn't pushed me out of the window in the first place... Woody: Oh, yeah? Well, if you hadn't shown up with your stupid little cardboard spaceship and taken away everything that was important to me... Buzz: Don't talk to me about importance! Because of you, the future of this entire universe is in jeopardy! Woody: What? What are you talkin' about? Buzz: Right now, poised at the edge of the galaxy, Emperor Zurg has been secretly building a weapon with the destructive capacity to annihilate an entire planet! I alone have information that reveals this weapon's only weakness. And you, my friend, are responsible for delaying my rendezvous with Star Command! Woody: [pauses] YOU ARE A TOY! You aren't the real Buzz Lightyear! You're - you're an action figure! [holds hand up to eyes indicating something small] You are a child's play thing! Buzz: You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity. |