Deep Dive into Dialogue

Definition and Etymology of Dialogue

  • General Definition: Dialogue (pronounced die−a−logdie-a-log) translates most broadly to ’conversation.’ In a literary and general sense, this encompasses any instance in which two or more characters provide direct speech to one another.

  • The Dialogue Form (Narrow Definition): This refers to the use of a sustained, continuous conversation as a primary vehicle to express a specific argument, philosophical idea, or complex thesis. While the general definition is common, the dialogue form is a specific structural technique used to explore ideas through the interplay of voices.

The Theoretical Importance and Mechanism of Dialogue

  • Connection Between Drama and Philosophy: In Ancient Greece, drama, tragedy, and philosophy were inextricably linked. Plays were not viewed merely as entertainment but as essential mediums for expressing religious and philosophical truths. Consequently, early philosophers utilized the dialogue form to document their investigations.

  • The Dynamics of Argumentation: Philosophical and academic arguments operate by addressing counterarguments. A typical thesis proceeds through a specific cycle:

    • Thesis/Main Claim: The author asserts a statement that is subject to doubt.

    • Doubt and Reader Objection: The author anticipates where a reader might be skeptical.

    • Response: The author provides evidence or reasoning to resolve those doubts and persuade the reader.

  • The Dialogue Form as Explicit Interplay: The dialogue form makes the internal process of doubt and persuasion explicit. In this structure:

    • One character often represents the author’s view.

    • One or more characters represent the reader’s view or skeptical perspective.

    • This allows an author to acknowledge and resolve anticipated objections in real-time within the text.

  • Monologue vs. Dialogue: Modern philosophy and academic writing have largely shifted to the monologue format, featuring only one voice (the author’s). However, experimental authors and certain historical texts continue to see value in the dialogue form.

Literary and Philosophical Examples of the Dialogue Form

  • Copenhagen by Michael Frayn: A modern play used to explore philosophical ideas through the conversation of two historical physicists—one Danish and one German—set during World War II. Their discussion weaves together science, politics, and personal relationships, creating a complex narrative with only two main characters.

  • Symposium by Plato: Frequently cited as the most famous use of the dialogue form. Plato depicts a gathering of Socrates and his friends on couches in various states of intoxication, debating the meaning of love. The arguments escalate in sophistication, culminating in a conversation between Socrates and his student, Alcibiades, where Socrates argues that love is a complex, ever-present reality rather than just simple affection.

  • Hind Swaraj (or Indian Self Rule) by Mohandas Gandhi (1909): Gandhi used the dialogue form to argue for Indian independence from British rule and the mastery of the soul and emotions. The text features two characters:

    • Editor: Representing Gandhi’s own perspective.

    • Reader: Representing skeptical readers who might disagree with his revolutionary ideas.

  • The Bhagavad Gita: One of the most sacred texts in Hinduism, structured as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna. Taking place during a long chariot ride, the two heroes discuss virtue, duty (dharmadharma), ethical behavior, and the path to enlightenment.

Dialogue in Pop Culture, Music, and Comedy

  • Music (Duets): In music, a song performed by two artists is a "duet."

    • Condition for Dialogue: A duet is only considered a dialogue if each vocalist expresses a unique or different viewpoint. If both singers share the same perspective, it is not a dialogue.

    • Example: Gotye’s ’Somebody That I Used to Know’ serves as a dialogue because the male and female singers provide different perspectives on their shared history.

  • Film: While nearly all movies contain dialogue (characters speaking), it often takes a back seat to action.

    • Example: The film My Dinner with Andre is an exception where the entire movie consists of two characters engaging in a long conversation about their lives and personal philosophies.

  • Comedy: Most standup is a monologue, but there are notable dialogue-based exceptions:

    • Ventriloquists: Use a puppet or "dummy" to respond and set up comedic premises.

    • Comedy Teams: Groups like Abbott & Costello or Monty Python frequently use dialogue.

    • Satire Case Study: Monty Python’s "Argument Clinic" sketch satirizes the dialogue form by reducing a sophisticated conversation to a comically simplistic exchange consisting primarily of "yes it is" and "no it isn’t."

Alphabetical Compendium of Related Literary Terms

  • Ad Hominem

  • Adage

  • Adventure

  • Allegory

  • Alliteration

  • Allusion

  • Alter Ego

  • Ambiguity

  • Amplification

  • Anachronism

  • Anagram

  • Analogy

  • Anaphora

  • Anecdote

  • Antagonist

  • Anthimeria

  • Anthropomorphism

  • Antithesis

  • Antonomasia

  • APA Citation

  • Aphorism

  • Aphorismus

  • Apologia

  • Apologue

  • Aporia

  • Aposiopesis

  • Appositive

  • Archaism

  • Archetype

  • Argument

  • Assonance

  • Asyndeton

  • Atmosphere

  • Autobiography

  • Ballad

  • Bathos

  • Bildungsroman

  • Burlesque

  • Buzzword

  • Cacophony

  • Caesura

  • Catharsis

  • Character

  • Characterization

  • Chiasmus

  • Chronicle

  • Chronology

  • Circumlocution

  • Clich

  • Cliffhanger

  • Climax

  • Coherence

  • Comedy

  • Comic Relief

  • Connotation

  • Consonance

  • Contrast

  • Conundrum

  • Cynicism

  • Denotation

  • Denouement

  • Deus ex machina

  • Deuteragonist

  • Diacope

  • Dialect

  • Diction

  • Dilemma

  • Doppelganger

  • Double Entendre

  • Drama

  • Dramatic irony

  • Dystopia

  • Elegy

  • Ellipsis

  • Encomium

  • Enjambment

  • Enthymeme

  • Epigram

  • Epilogue

  • Epiphany

  • Epitaph

  • Epithet

  • Eponym

  • Equivocation

  • Essay

  • Etymology

  • Euphemism

  • Excursus

  • Exemplum

  • Exposition

  • Extended Metaphor

  • Fable

  • Fairy Tale

  • Fantasy

  • Farce

  • Figures of Speech

  • Flash-forward

  • Flashback

  • Folklore

  • Foreshadowing

  • Foreword

  • Genre

  • Haiku

  • Hamartia

  • Harangue

  • Homage

  • Homograph

  • Homophone

  • Horror

  • Hubris

  • Hyperbaton

  • Hyperbole

  • Idiom

  • Imagery

  • Inference

  • Innuendo

  • Intertextuality

  • Invective

  • Irony

  • Jargon

  • Juxtaposition

  • Kairos

  • Legend

  • Limerick

  • Lingo

  • Literary Device

  • Litotes

  • Malapropism

  • Maxim

  • Melodrama

  • Memoir

  • Metanoia

  • Metaphor

  • Metonymy

  • Mnemonic

  • Monologue

  • Montage

  • Motif

  • Motto

  • Mystery

  • Myth

  • Narrative

  • Narrator

  • Nemesis

  • Neologism

  • Nostalgia

  • Ode

  • Onomatopoeia

  • Oxymoron

  • Palindrome

  • Parable

  • Paradox

  • Parallelism

  • Paraphrase

  • Parody

  • Pastiche

  • Pathetic Fallacy

  • Pejorative

  • Peripeteia

  • Persona

  • Personification

  • Plagiarism

  • Platitude

  • Pleonasm

  • Plot

  • Plot Twist

  • Poetry

  • Point of View

  • Polemic

  • Polyptoton

  • Polysyndeton

  • Premise

  • Prologue

  • Propaganda

  • Prose

  • Protagonist

  • Proverb

  • Pseudonym

  • Pun

  • Quest

  • Rebus

  • Red Herring

  • Repetition

  • Resolution

  • Rhetoric

  • Rhetorical Device

  • Rhetorical Question

  • Rhyme

  • Riddle

  • Romance

  • Sarcasm

  • Sardonic

  • Satire

  • Science Fiction

  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

  • Setting

  • Simile

  • Soliloquy

  • Sonnet

  • Stanza

  • Stereotype

  • Story

  • Style

  • Subtext

  • Surrealism

  • Symbol

  • Synecdoche

  • Synesthesia

  • Synonym

  • Synopsis

  • Tautology

  • Theme

  • Thesis

  • Thriller

  • Tone

  • Tragedy

  • Trope

  • Truism

  • Turning Point

  • Understatement

  • Urban Legend

  • Utopia

  • Verisimilitude

  • Vernacular

  • Vignette

  • Villain

  • Voice

  • Wit

  • Wordplay

  • Zeugma