To what degree is the following statement true? An essential problem with the novel of ideas, or the play of ideas, is that it forces flat characterization- since the characters must represent given intellectual positions, they are locked in place far more than characters in other works.

Characters in contemporary literature are usually more fully developed than those created by Dante in Inferno. Why? What is the effect, or contribution, of limited character development in Dante and the fuller development in later works? Discuss specific characters in specific works and provide and discuss quotations from both Dante and at least two later works.