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Man v. Self

Posted: Jul 22, 2008 12:59 pm
by VCCV
(1) My Main Character (MC) is traumatized by an event and devolves toward suicide. In crating the Dramatica Character I am distinguishing MC and MC's Mind, developing them as separate characters. Any thoughts on this path?

The Main Character in his right mind is trying to be steadfast and follow my Pro/Contagonist, but in that attempt MC's Mind Antagonizes and eventually overtakes him. So should I develop him in Dramatica as 1 character or 2 separate chacters?

(2) Can the Protagonist and Contagonist be the same character if the Main Character is a different character?

Re: Man v. Self

Posted: Jul 23, 2008 3:05 pm
by Chris Huntley
There is a difference between a Dramatica character and a player. A player is the body in which one or more characters resides. For example, the player Luke Skywalker is both the Main Character and the protagonist. So yes, you may have more than one character within a single player.

A character combining the character elements of a protagonist and contagonist would be a complex character. This complex character can be combined with the Main Character within a single player.

One way to do the "multiple personality" character you suggest can be seen in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as Sybil. What is important is that the AUDIENCE can tell the difference between the "characters." That can be tricky. It is easier to do in a novel than in a screenplay, for example. The important thing is to treat them as separate characters even though they may share a body.