| Is there only one reality? If you have ever heard witnesses of an event describe it, or had the people on two sides of an argument give their views, you know reality can be a slippery thing. When Edward Albee said, "Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it. A good writer turns fact into truth; a bad writer will, more often than not, accomplish the opposite,&quto; he was assuming reality to be simply the facts. Another man who believed in objective reality was Robert J. Ringer, who stated, "Reality isn't the way you wish things to be, nor the way they appear to be, but the way they actually are." But someone who was perhaps more tuned in to the way of the world was Herb Cohen: "You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." | "You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." |
| Realities within a Story | In point of fact, a story has at least three realities operating in and around it. First is the author's reality of deadlines, family, current events going on around her, illness, divorce, bills, beautiful sunny weather, vacations, a promotion at work, and on and on. There is also the reality of the story or article, which must have a consistent worldview within itself. The third reality is that of the reader, who brings all his experience and feelings with him when he sits down to read. The above three are obvious. But there is also the reality or realities, which exist for the characters within your story. It changes as things happen to them, or just as time passes. In order for him or her to feel real, you must be aware of how he or she sees reality at each point of the story, and how that reality conflicts with or compliments other characters. |
| A good example of changing realities is The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The overarching reality of this play is that it is a tragedy, which tells the reader or watcher right from the start that most of these characters are going to end up dead. When the story starts, Hamlet is moping around at home. His father recently died, his mother sinfully married her brother-in-law, he was cheated out of the throne by his ambitious uncle, and is in love with Ophelia (about the only good thing happening to him at the moment). Mainly he is angry and bitter, as is evidenced in his conversation (I.ii.65ff) with the king and his mother, and the "O that this too, too solid flesh would melt..." soliloquy afterward. His reality is betrayal, and isolation. |
Reality in Hamlet"/FONT> |
| "This one scene [meeting his father's ghost] alters Hamlet's life forever." | Then Horatio takes him to talk to the ghost of his dead father (I.iv.42ff), and suddenly Hamlet's reality changes dramatically. First, without a word, just the fact that the king's ghost is walking signals something dreadfully wrong. Then Hamlet learns that his uncle murdered his father (I.v.30ff). Suddenly he must see himself as not just a college student home for family troubles, but a man with a sacred mission--to avenge his father's death. This one scene alters Hamlet's life forever. Though there are other changes throughout the play, none is as drastic as this. Meanwhile, Ophelia's brother and father have changed her view of reality, that is, that Hamlet loves her, to their view, which is that Hamlet is just dallying with her affections. She is commanded to stop seeing him, which she obeys as a dutiful daughter (I.iii.93ff). Then, two acts later, her father sets up a meeting between her and Hamlet, where she finds him changed, mad, and brutal in his conversation (III.i.113ff). This is the famous "Get thee to a nunnery" speech. It is a measure of her love for the prince that her view of him is sad concern over his "madness," and not anger. |
| Ophelia's view of reality grows increasingly confused as Hamlet openly embarrasses her at the play (III.ii.111ff). But the turning point is when Hamlet kills her father (III.iv.28ff). What fragile hold on reality she had maintained, is shattered, and she falls into madness and kills herself (as reported by the queen in IV.vii.131ff). These two have the most obvious changes in their personal view of reality. There is another kind of change in the play. Fortinbras, the nephew of the king of Norway, though hardly seen at all, is presented in various ways throughout the play. In the beginning, he is a would-be invader of Denmark, as remarked by Claudius (I.ii.17ff even before Hamlet makes his appearance onstage). Then, reprimanded by his uncle, he becomes a respected warrior, heading for Poland to take back some land there (his army is met by Hamlet in IV.iv.1ff), and finally, at the end of the play, Hamlet names him to be the next king of Denmark (V.ii.380ff). |
Changing realities for Ophelia & Fortinbras |
| How Characters React with Changing Realities | In brief, Hamlet knows reality has changed, but cannot quite bring himself to do what must be done in this new reality, and so dies. Ophelia is shattered by a changed reality, and kills herself. Claudius tries to twist reality to make it obey his ambitions, and is killed. Polonius sees a reality he has invented for himself, and dies because he is wrong. Who survives in the play? Horatio, whose only reality is loyalty to his friend Hamlet, is one. And Fortinbras, who is able to shift and change as reality does, also lives. |
| Being aware of the realities around and about your story and your characters will give more power to your writing, and make it come to life. As a creator, the more skillful you become in manipulating the realities of your characters, the more true to life your story will become. | Author's vs. Character's Realities |
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