Come Back Little Sheba

In an earlier post I alluded to the names of our border collie dogs, the senior of which is Sheba. She was so named after an old dog of my mother’s, but in turn this dog was named for a Hollywood Movie “Come Back, Little Sheba”. Sheba disappears months before the start of the film and never appears. It is implied that Sheba is presumed dead. It stars Burt Lancaster, and Shirley Booth, who got a Best Actress Oscar in 1953 for it. I began to wonder if there is a term for such characters and yes Gemini. informed me thus

Yes, there is! That type of character is called an offstage character or an unseen character.

These characters are important to the plot and the development of other characters, even though the audience never actually sees them. They might be mentioned in dialogue, have actions attributed to them, or even influence the events of the play.

Here are some examples of famous offstage characters:

• Godot in “Waiting for Godot”: The title character is the most famous example of an offstage character, whose unseen presence drives the entire play.
• Mr. Wickham’s father in “Pride and Prejudice”: While the character of Mr. Wickham is onstage, his father, who worked for Mr. Darcy’s father, is only mentioned in dialogue. However, the elder Mr. Wickham’s past relationship with the Darcy family is crucial to understanding Wickham’s motivations.
• Rose’s fiancé in “The Importance of Being Earnest”: Though never seen, Cecily’s imaginary betrothed, Ernest, plays a significant role in the comedic plot.

Offstage characters can serve a variety of purposes, such as:

• Creating intrigue and suspense: The audience might wonder about their identity or motivations.
• Developing other characters: Interactions with or discussions about the unseen character can reveal traits and motivations of the onstage characters.
• Advancing the plot: Their actions, though offstage, can drive the events of the play.

Now as to Godot , it is a reworking by Samuel Beckett of his original work in French En attendant Godot.

It is alleged that originally Godot was meant to appear half way through the play, but the actor playing Godot failed to appear and so the two characters, Vladimir and Estragon were left to adlib the rest of the play. True? I doubt it but I would love it to be so.

Adding to the AI effort I can think of Mr Papadopoulos, in Coronation Street who is referred to by Mr Swindley ( Arthur Lowe ). Papadopoulos is a greek clothing magnate who owns Miami Modes. Swindley is the manager.

Again Arthur Lowe in Dad’s Army, Mrs Mannering is never seen.

Google gives us

• King Laius in Oedipus Rex: An offstage character in Sophocles’s play who is a driving force for action
• Jason’s bride in Medea: An offstage character in Euripides’s play
• Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet: An offstage character in Shakespeare’s play who highlights the predicament of the two lovers

Off stage characters also exists in books ( again AI gives us )

Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird”: Boo is a recluse who never leaves his house, but his presence looms large over the novel. He becomes a source of fascination and fear for the children, and his actions ultimately save Jem and Scout.

Mrs. Haverford in “Rebecca”: The deceased first wife of Maxim de Winter, Rebecca is a powerful offstage character whose presence haunts the narrator and Manderley. Her influence shapes the entire plot, even though she is already dead.

Snape’s mother in the “Harry Potter” series: Eileen Prince, Severus Snape’s mother, is only mentioned in passing and through memories, but her difficult relationship with his father and her magical abilities are crucial to understanding Snape’s character and motivations.

I would add that in 1984 O’Brien plays a major part in the narrative, but it is unsure that he actually exists.

For most of Atlas Shrugged we are unsure if John Galt exists, even though he drives the plot. ( yes, he appears, after a few 1000 pages 😉 ).

That’s about it, but if you can think of any I’ve missed please leave a comment. Ta.