Page:The thirty-six dramatic situations (1921).djvu/124

 122 THIRTY-SIX DRAMATIC SITUATIONS in some influence, proceeding from a material object, a circumstance, or a third personage. Upon this Third Actor - whose introduction into the drama was the triumph of Sophocles -- must rest what is called the Plot. He is the unforeseen element, the ideal striven for by the two parties and the surrounding characters; he is fantastically divided and multiplied, by two, by three, by ten, by even more, to the point of encumbering the scene; but he is always himself, always easily recog- nizable. Some of his fragments become "Instruments," some, "Disputed Objects," some, "Impelling Forces;" they range themselves sometimes beside the Protagonist, sometimes near the Antagonist, or, moving here and there, they provoke that downfall the incessant avoidance of which is called - - for events as for mankind - - Progress. In this way they clearly show their origin - that "Role- Lien" (Jocaste in "Seven Against Thebes," Sabine in "Horace") under which the Third Actor was germinating in iEschylean tragedy, without yet taking a positive part in the action. It will be seen that the appearance of these figures of the second plan, these Choruses, Confidants, Crowds, Clowns, even Figurants re-enforced by those of the original groundwork, precursors whose importance ranges from Tiresias to the Messenger of "Oedipus the King," from prophet to porter, modifies most power- fully the effect of the ensemble, especially if we reflect that each one of these, considered separately, has his own especial motives for action, motives soon appar- ent in regard to the characters who surround him, in some dramatic situation subordinate to the dominant one, but none the less real; the turns and changes of the general action will affect him in some particular way, and the consequences, to him, of each vicissitude, of each effort, of each act and denouement, contribute to the spectator's final impression. If the Third Actor, for instance, be a Disputed Object, it becomes neces- sary to take into account his first and his last posses- sor, the diverse relations which he has successively had with them, and his own preferences. If he appear as Inspirer or Instigator, we must consider (aside from