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Re: http://dramatica.com/theory/theory_book/dtb_ch_9_p6.html 2nd paragraph: "Unless a character represents at least one Element, it is not fulfilling a dramatic function and is therefore being employed for storytelling only." Does that make a character without an element a player? |
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I've always thought of these characters as plot devices. The taxi driver who picks up the Main Character and his Date is necessary because they need a taxi but that doesn't make anything the taxi driver says relevant to the story. I also think a Player is just the corporeal body that holds the Characters -- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two characters and one player. Calling the above taxi driver a player might imply he's a character, when really he's not. |
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No, Players exist in a story regardless of whether or not they have an actual Element. Some embody Elements -- like Pursuit and Consider in a typical Protagonist -- where others are simply window dressing. In Dramatica, the Player is a container within which the Elements are stored. |
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Ah, that's very helpful, thank you. I found a more specific and more clear answer to my question in Chapter 4: http://dramatica.com/theory/theory_book/dtb_ch_4.html "The concept of "player" is found throughout Dramatica and differs from what we mean by "character." Dramatica defines a character as a set of dramatic functions that must be portrayed in order to make the complete argument of a story. Several functions may be grouped together and assigned to a person, place, or thing who will represent them in the story. The group of functions defines the nature of the character. The personage representing the functions is a player. In other words, a player is like a vessel into which a character (and therefore a set of character functions) is placed. If more than one Objective Character is placed into a single player, the player will appear to have multiple personalities. This is clearly seen in the dual characters contained in player, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, or the many personalities of Sybil." That was the definition/answer I had forgotten by the time I reached Chapter 9. Thanks |
