drama literary terms- demar aice lit

act

a major unit or division of a play

allusion

a word or phrase that makes reference to another place, person, story or event, thereby bringing to mind other, related ideas.

antagonist

the opponent or adversary of the hero or main character of a drama; one who opposes and actively competes with another character in a play, most often with the protagonist.

antihero

a protagonist who does not have the heroic qualities of the traditional protagonist

aside

a brief remark of passage spoken by a character directly to the audience (or to themselves), which other characters on stage are not supposed to hear, revealing private thoughts, feelings, or commentary

catharsis

the process of expressing and purging stong emotions, such as fear and pity, to achieve a sense of renewal.

characterization

the ways in which a writer creates or constructs a fictional character

chorus

a group of performers who sing, dance, or recite in unison; in Greek drama, the chorus was the group of performers who sang and danced between episodes, narrated off-stage action, and commented on events.

comedy

a play that treats characters and situations in a humorous way, In Shakespeare’s time a comedy was any play with a happy ending that typically told the story of a likeable character’s rise to fortune, In ancient Greece, comedies dealt almost exclusively with contemporary figures and problems. Low comedy is physical rather than intellectual comedy; High comedy is more sophisticated, emphasizing verbal wit more than physical action.

conflict

the internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interest that creates dramatic tension.

context

the relationship between a text and its historical, social, and cultural backgrounds.

denouement

the solution, clarification, and/or unraveling of the plot of a play

dialect

language and grammar specific to a particular race, group, or culture

dialogue

spoken conversation used by two or more characters to express thoughts, feelings, and actions.

dramatic irony

usually refers to situations where the audience knows something that the characters do not; irony occurs when the characters say or do something in ignorance of the truth.

dramatic structure

the organization of a dramatic text or passage, its shape or development over the course of the play, including aspects of time, order of events, and plot devices.

epilogue

summary speech delivered at the end of a play that explains or comments on the action

farce

a subcategory of dramatic comedy that uses improbable, humorous situations, extensive exaggeration, and violent physical humor to entertain audience.

flat character

an uncomplicated character who doesn’t develop or change over the course of a play, or exists only to advance the plot.

foil

a character whose traits, values, or motivations contrast with the protagonist.

foreshadow

an indication beforehand of something that is about to happen

genres

in drama, the different types of play (such as tragedy, comedy, history) and their different characteristics and conventions.

hemistichomythia

a type of drama dialogue where characters exchange short utterances of half a line.

juxtaposition

a figurative language device in which contrasting elements are placed side by side to highlight their differences or create a specific emotional or thematic impact

metaphor

a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by saying one is the other (without “like” or “as”), transferring qualities to create deeper meaning, vivid imagery, and to explain abstract ideas.

monologue

a long speech made by one actor; a monologue may be delivered alone or in the presence of others

mood

the tone or feeling of the play, often engendered by the music, setting, or lighting

motivation

the reason or reasons for a character’s behavior; an incentive or inducement for further action for a character

motive

in drama, the emotional goals or objectives of a character; such as the need to be loved or admired, or aims related more closely to the action, such as to become king or gain revenge on a rival

multifaceted

having many sides, aspects, or faces

non-verbal

not to do with words; in this case, coming from the actor’s physical performance rather than what they say.

onomatopoeia

words or phrases that sound like the things they describe

paradox

a situation or statement that involves two or more seemingly contradictory facts or qualities.

personification

the attribution of human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.

polemic

a powerful attack on someone or something

prologue

a speech which introduces a play

props

short for properties; any article, expect, costume or scenery, used as part of a dramatic production; any moveable object that appears on stage during a performance.

protagonist

the main character or hero in a play or other literary work.

puns

a type of word-play where the words have more than one meaning or simple, clever dialogue between characters.

satire

a play in which sarcasm, irony, and ridicule are used to expose or attack folly or pretension in society.

scene

a small section or portion of a play

sensory recall

an acting technique hereby a sight, smell, tast, sound, or feeling is recalled along with its cause and the actor’s reaction to it.

setting

when and where the action of a play takes place.

simile

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid; uses “like” or “as” in the comparison.

situational irony

a discrepancy between expected results and the actual results

soliloquy

a speech given by a character speaking their thoughts aloud, either alone or oblivious of any possible hearers.

stage direction

instructions in the script that tell the actors what to do and where to move on stage;may also provide information about the setting

staging

information given about how the stage should look at various times in the play; also called blocking.

status

the level of power a particular character has, which can be external or emotional or physical; status can fluctuate or change in a play.

stichomythia

a dramatic technique that involves two characters taking turns speaking in alternating lines of verse.

symbol

an object or event used in literature to represent something else; often this representation alludes to a deeper meaning.

symbolism

the use of symbolic language, imagery, or color to evoke emotions or ideas

tension

the use of symbolic language, imagery, or color to evoke emotions or ideas.

theme

the basic idea of a play; the idea, point of view, or perception that binds together a work of art.

tragedy

a play depicting man as a victim of destiny. The characteristics of tragedy have evolved over time to include any serious play in which man is a victim of fate, a character flaw, moral weakness, or social pressure. According to Aristotle, the purpose of tragedy is to arouse pity and fear in the audience and purge them at the play’s conclusion (catharsis).

tragic flaw

the defect in the tragic hero that leads to his or her fall.

tragic hero

the central figure in a tragedy; typically, a tragic hero is a person of basically good character who passes from happiness to misery because of a character flaw or error in judgement.

tricolon

a rhetorical device that used three parallel words, phrases, or clauses to create a powerful impression.

universality

the ability to appeal to people regardless of place and time.

utterance

any single unit of speech, which might include sighs, cries, gasps, and so on

verbal irony

when a writer or speaker says one thing and means something else (often the opposite of what is said).