Dialogue: GCSE English Definition

What is dialogue?

In GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language, dialogue is a spoken exchange between two or more characters. It is normally marked with quotation marks and in plays with the speaker’s name before their lines.

Why do writers use dialogue?

Dialogue has a range of purposes in literature. It can help move a plot forward, convey key information and develop more rounded and lifelike characters. It gives a writer another tool to move the story on without just relying on the narrator’s explanation. 

Dialogue can also reveal the intricacies of relationships between characters and can be a useful technique to use in creative writing. 

Examples of dialogue

In The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson uses dialogue to not only add an element of realism to the characters and setting, but also to highlight the themes of secrecy and duality in the novella. For example, Dr Jekyll’s dialogue often implies his internal struggle:

“I should like to very much; but no, no, no, it is quite impossible; I dare not.”

Here, the use of repetition, the disjointed style of speech and the use of the word “dare”  suggest that Dr Jekyll is fearful and secretive. 

In DNA, Denis Kelly’s dialogue includes colloquial language to add realism to his portrayal of a group of teenagers who commit a series of crimes.    

Revision resources to ace your exams

For study guides on how to analyse dialogue in literary texts, check out our detailed revision notes. All our notes are course-specific, so everything you’ll need to ace your exams is in one place!

GCSE English Literature Revision Notes 

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