--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Characters are an extreme form in…" description: "\"Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater.\" — Michael Tippett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png" --- # Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater. ![“Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater.” quote by Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png) > “Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater.” [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shakespeare's characters embody extreme human traits, serving as heightened reflections of society. **In simple terms:** Shakespeare uses exaggerated characters to mirror humanity. Key Takeaway Recognize exaggeration as a tool for insight. Themes theatre human nature exaggeration Mood thoughtful analytical Type critical educational When to use this quote - classroom analysis - acting workshops - literary criticism Key Concepts dramatic archetypes psychology Questions to Reflect On - What truths do these extremes reveal? A Different Perspective Extreme portrayals may oversimplify complex people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Extreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-extreme-1583936/) [Extreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-shakespeare-5144745/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Shakespeare Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-theater-3037013/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Shakespeare put characters in extreme circumstances, all over his plays. Therefore their behaviour becomes extreme, in ways that can be both extremely good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lester/shakespeare-put-characters-in-extreme-circumstances-all-over-his/) [Adrian Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lester/) > [It was an outdoor Shakespeare theater that I grew up at. That feels like home, and the place I'm always trying to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-linklater/it-was-an-outdoor-shakespeare-theater-that-i-grew-up-at-that-feels/) [Hamish Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-linklater/) > [The thing that I had saved up for myself and wanted most to bring off was a fully fledged professional production of Hamlet at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/the-thing-that-i-had-saved-up-for-myself-and-wanted-most-to-bring-off/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [I love playing characters that go to extreme places, and I love to explore different kinds of psychological landscapes, so it is ultimately a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-love-playing-characters-that-go-to-extreme-places-and-i-love-to/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [It's a hard thing, I think, to totally balance comedy and horror, and to do it in a way that is about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/it-s-a-hard-thing-i-think-to-totally-balance-comedy-and-horror-and-to/) [Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/) > [I'm drawn to provocative characters that find themselves in extreme situations. And I think I'm drawn to that consistently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-bigelow/i-m-drawn-to-provocative-characters-that-find-themselves-in-extreme/) [Kathryn Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-bigelow/) > [No writer besides Shakespeare has created more memorable characters attached to vices and virtues. In even their least sympathetic characters, one senses a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rosenblatt/no-writer-besides-shakespeare-has-created-more-memorable-characters/) [Roger Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rosenblatt/) > [I went from an unemployed actor's life to doing stand-up comedy, and that was fortuitous. It's not the usual way the crow flies, going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/i-went-from-an-unemployed-actor-s-life-to-doing-stand-up-comedy-and/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) > [Entrepreneurship is really hard and painful - I'm not sure I'd recommend it for anyone who can't handle the extreme stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naval-ravikant/entrepreneurship-is-really-hard-and-painful-i-m-not-sure-i-d/) [Naval Ravikant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naval-ravikant/) > [I've always had a very extreme personality, which gets me into major trouble, I'm always all or nothing, and I don't know the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-ve-always-had-a-very-extreme-personality-which-gets-me-into-major/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > ['Raaz Reboot' doesn't have extreme boldness, but I was apprehensive about the kissing scenes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kriti-kharbanda/raaz-reboot-doesn-t-have-extreme-boldness-but-i-was-apprehensive/) [Kriti Kharbanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kriti-kharbanda/) > [Well, you've got to be known for something. The danger of extreme versatility is that you don't spring to mind for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/well-you-ve-got-to-be-known-for-something-the-danger-of-extreme/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Regarding lack of vision or disabilities of the organ of sight, it has long been known among researchers that it is the effect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/regarding-lack-of-vision-or-disabilities-of-the-organ-of-sight-it-has/) [Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/) > [My childhood was extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/my-childhood-was-extreme/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Y'all Be Taking The Facebook Statuses To Extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/y-all-be-taking-the-facebook-statuses-to-extreme/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Tippett > [Music is a performing art, as any Native American will tell you. It isn't there in the score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/music-is-a-performing-art-as-any-native-american-will-tell-you-it-isn/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [I remain a humanist. We are a very curious race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-remain-a-humanist-we-are-a-very-curious-race/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [The Greek sculptor - I don't think he was very different from any of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/the-greek-sculptor-i-don-t-think-he-was-very-different-from-any-of-us/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Public notice does not necessarily accord with internal fulfilment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/public-notice-does-not-necessarily-accord-with-internal-fulfilment/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Nature has different times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/nature-has-different-times/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [The nearest figure to myself would be Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/the-nearest-figure-to-myself-would-be-shakespeare/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Beethoven suppressed everything, his personal life disappeared until he was locked inside. That is a figure quite extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/beethoven-suppressed-everything-his-personal-life-disappeared-until/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [I think we're all pretty odd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-think-we-re-all-pretty-odd/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [I'm outside the music I've made. I have no interest in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-m-outside-the-music-i-ve-made-i-have-no-interest-in-it/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [The blues are like the fugue in 18th century. It's probably the music that belongs most to our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/the-blues-are-like-the-fugue-in-18th-century-it-s-probably-the-music/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Shiva danced the world into existence... that's a very nice thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/shiva-danced-the-world-into-existence-that-s-a-very-nice-thought/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Shakespeare fascinated me. He hardly ever left the country. His imagination was worldwide though reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/shakespeare-fascinated-me-he-hardly-ever-left-the-country-his/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [I've seldom become nostalgic or settled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-ve-seldom-become-nostalgic-or-settled/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [My true function within a society which embraces all of us is to continue an age-old tradition. This tradition is to create images from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/my-true-function-within-a-society-which-embraces-all-of-us-is-to/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [Conductors don't suffer, they are part of the performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/conductors-don-t-suffer-they-are-part-of-the-performance/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) [Explore all 22 Michael Tippett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) ## More Characters quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I have played several characters that are crabby and cranky. I don't know if I'm just not a very well-developed human being or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-have-played-several-characters-that-are-crabby-and-cranky-i-don-t/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [You do get fond of your characters. Handing them on is like giving a child to a nanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/you-do-get-fond-of-your-characters-handing-them-on-is-like-giving-a/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) [Browse all 3,066 Characters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Tippett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakespeare-s-theater/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakespeare-s-theater/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/michael-tippett-25840_characters_characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakes_2251510.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Characters are an extreme form in Shakespeare's theater.” — Michael Tippett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Tippett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Characters are an extreme form in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakespeare-s-theater/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/characters-are-an-extreme-form-in-shakespeare-s-theater/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```