Dialogue

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Dialogue

• Vanessa Clayberg and Arati Sharma

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Verisimilitude

• Verisimilitude means having a resemblance the
  truth.
• Authors use verisimilitude to add a sense of
  truthfulness to their writing by using real-life
  elements and details in their stories.
• Example of Verisimilitude
• If a teenager wanted to lie to his or her parents
  about where they were last night, they could make
  up an elaborate story placing them at a friends
  house instead of at a wild party. To make the
  story more believable, the teenager could add
  details about their all-night study session or a
  movie that they had watched. These details make
  the story seem more credible, thus giving it
  verisimilitude.

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Speech Headings

• Speech headings are descriptions of a characters
  vocal tones or gestures as they speak a line from
  a play.
• Speech headings often come before dialogue tell
  the speaker what emotion they should attribute to
  the line.
• Examples of Speech Headings
• Jack (irritably) Give me back my pen!
• Susan (pointing to the table) I left my purse
  there before I rushed to open the door.

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Stage Directions

• These are notes added to the script of a play to
  convey information about its performance not
  already explicit in the dialogue.
• They are all relative to the position of an actor
  facing the audienceright and left are therefore
  reversed from the spectators' point of view.

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Examples of Stage Directions

• Example 1
• An excerpt from Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet
  ACT I, Scene 1
• Verona. A public place.
• Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of
  Capulet, with swords and bucklers (shields).
• Example 2
• An excerpt from Julius Cesar, SCENE 2
• A public place.
• Enter CAESAR, ANTONY (dressed for the race),
  CALPHURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS,
  CASSIUS, CASCA, a SOOTHSAYER after them,
  MARULLUS and FLAVIUS.

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Direct and Indirect Discourse

• Direct discourse is a report of the exact words
  used in a dialogue and is usually marked by
  quotation marks.
• Example of Direct Discourse
• He said, I am tired and going home.
• Philip said, "I'll come if I have the time."
• Indirect discourse consists of reporting such
  statements indirectly, or without the usage of
  quotation marks.
• This is when a third person narrator summarizes
  the words of a character but replicates his or
  her characteristic idioms and patterns of
  thought.
• Example of Indirect Discourse
• He said that he was tired and going home.
• Philip assured them that he would come if he had
  the time.

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Repartee

• Repartee is a quick-witted remark used in
  conversation.
• Repartee is often used to show a characters wit
  and usually adds humor to a more serious
  situation.
• Example of Repartee
• At a 1912 dinner party, Lady Astor became
  annoyed at an inebriated Churchill, who was
  pontificating on some topic. Reaching the end of
  her patience, she blurted out, Winston, if you
  were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee.
  Churchill famously replied Nancy, if you were
  my wife, I'd drink it. Viva La Repartee, Dr.
  Mardy Grothe

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Soliloquy

• A speech given by a character from a play to
  relay his or her thoughts aloud to the audience
  and themselves.
• A soliloquy is given when no other character is
  present on stage, and can give the audience
  insight into a characters feelings or actions.
• Examples of Soliloquies
• The To Be or Not To Be soliloquy from
  Shakespeares Hamlet. This is thought to be the
  most famous soliloquy.
• Iagos Thus do I ever make my fool my purse
  speech from Shakespeares Othello.

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Aside

• Aside is a quick remark made by a character that
  typically embodies a thought out loud about their
  present situation.
• An aside is said in the accompaniment of others
  on stage, but is meant only to be heard by the
  audience, the speaker, and the person the remark
  was made to (if any).
• Example of Aside from Romeo and Juliet
• Juliet Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my
  love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.Romeo
  (Aside) Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at
  this?Juliet 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
  Thou art thyself, though not a Montague"

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• Fin.