That being said, we can infer some of Bennett's views on characterization from his own work and his general literary perspective. Here's what we can glean:
Bennett's Approach to Characterization:
* Realism and Complexity: Bennett believed in portraying characters as believable, flawed individuals. He wasn't interested in idealized or one-dimensional figures. His characters are often complex, driven by a mixture of motivations, and struggle with internal conflicts.
* Focus on Social Context: Bennett believed that a character's personality and actions were heavily influenced by their social environment and upbringing. He meticulously depicted the social strata and the pressures of his time, which shaped his characters.
* Deeper Understanding: Bennett emphasized the importance of understanding the inner workings of a character's mind and motivations. He believed in delving beneath the surface to reveal the complexities that drive their actions.
How This Might Apply to Old Tales:
While Bennett didn't explicitly write about old tales, his approach to characterization suggests he would likely be critical of certain common tropes found in them:
* Stereotypical Characters: Bennett might find the simplistic nature of archetypal characters in old tales (like the damsel in distress, the valiant knight, or the evil witch) lacking in depth and complexity.
* Lack of Internal Conflict: Old tales often focus on external events and struggles. Bennett might argue that deeper characterization requires exploring the internal struggles and anxieties of a character.
* Superficial Motivation: Many characters in old tales are driven by simplistic motivations like greed, lust, or revenge. Bennett might find these motivations inadequate to create truly compelling and relatable characters.
Potential Interest:
It's possible that Bennett would have been interested in exploring how characterization evolved through different periods of literature. He might have found it fascinating to compare the more nuanced characterization of his time to the more archetypal figures found in older tales.
Conclusion:
While Bennett didn't explicitly focus on characterization in old tales, we can infer his views from his own writing and his literary perspectives. He would likely have been critical of the simplistic nature of many characters in old tales and would have advocated for a more realistic and complex approach to characterization.