Dover Beach : Characters
Dover Beach is a notable literary work by Matthew Arnold. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Dover Beach.
Characters
The Speaker: The speaker is a thoughtful man (Arnold Himself). He looks out at the sea and feels sad. He thinks about love, life, and the loss of faith in the modern world. He wants true love and honesty in a confusing and painful world.
The Beloved (the Listener): This person is the speaker’s partner (Frances Lucy Wightman). The speaker talks to her lovingly. He asks for truth and love from her. This person does not speak but is important to the speaker’s emotions.
Sophocles: Sophocles was a Greek playwright. The speaker says Sophocles once heard the same sad sound of the sea. It made him think about human suffering. He is used here as a symbol of timeless sadness.
The Sea of Faith (Symbolic Character): The “Sea of Faith” is not a real person. It is a symbol. It stands for a time when people had strong faith and hope. Now it is fading away, and this makes the speaker feel lost.