Drama Terms Study Guide

A collection of vocabulary flashcards defining key terminology used in drama and Shakespearean tragedy.

Drama

In the most general sense, work designed to be represented on a stage by actors, or more strictly, a serious play dealing with a problem of importance.

Dramatis Personae

The list of characters in a play provided at the beginning of the script so the audience knows who is who before the action begins.

Act

A chunk of the play's action; Shakespeare's plays always have five of these noted with a large Roman numeral.

Scene

A division of action within an act; in Shakespeare's plays, these are noted with a small Roman numeral.

Monologue

A long speech delivered by one person, mostly addressed to others but sometimes delivered alone.

Tragedy

A type of drama that focuses on human suffering where the tragic hero eventually learns a lesson about himself and his place in the world.

Comedy

A genre of theatrical performance that aims to entertain and amuse the audience using humor, wit, and satire to highlight human flaws and social absurdities.

Tragic Hero

A person of high estate and potential for greatness who is virtuous but whose misfortune is brought about by an error in judgment and a character flaw.

Hamartia

A tragic flaw in character that leads to errors of judgment directly responsible for the hero/ine's tragic downfall and the catastrophe of the play.

Crisis/Climax

The turning point in the fortunes of the tragic protagonist where the protagonist seems more controlled by events than in control of them.

Hubris

A tragic flaw often found in traditional Greek tragedies consisting of pride to excess.

Catharsis

A cleansing or purifying of emotion involving the terror and pity felt by the audience of a tragedy.

Soliloquy

When a character speaks his/her true thoughts and feelings while alone on stage to reveal their real thoughts on a subject.

Aside

When a character says something privately to another character or the audience while other characters are also on stage.

Comic Relief

A humorous scene, incident, or remark within an essentially serious or tragic drama intended to release tension following scenes of intense emotion.