Elements of Drama Literary terms

Act

A division within play, much like chapters of a novel

aside

Lines that are spoken by a character directly to the audience without the other characters knowing

Cast of Characters

A list of characters presented before the action begins

comedy

A humorous work of drama

dialogue

conversation between two or more characters

drama

A work of literature designed to be performed in front of an audience

Dramatic Irony

when the audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not know

Iambic pentameter

a 10 syllable line divided into 5 feet (a unit of 2 syllables of stress landing on the second syllable of each foot.

Monologue

a long speech spoken by a character to himself, another character, or to the audience.

scene

A division of an act into smaller parts

soliloquy

Thoughts spoken aloud by a character when he/she is alone, or thinks he /she is alone

Stage directions

Italicized comments that identify parts of the setting or the use of props or costumes, give further info about a character, or provide background info.

Tragedy

A serious work of Drama in which the hero suffers catastrophe or serious misfortune, usually because of his own actions

Blank Verse

Most of shakespeare’s plays are written in this form, which is very close to normal speech rhythms and Patterns. Often Shakespeare will deviate from this form in order to make a point about the characters state of mind or for other emphasis, like a change in mood.

Double Entendres

Phases or words which have double meanings, one of which is usually sexual in nature

Imagery

Language which works to envoke images in your mind. ex). “and with they bloody invisible hand”

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is replaced by another, often indicating a likeness or similarity between them. ex). Life’s but a walking shadow a poor player.

Prose

Normal speed rhythm; shakespeare often wrote certain characters speaking in either all verse or all prose, indicating some personally trait of the character. if the character deviates from its normal form, be aware of a changing state of mind… often prose signals a character slipping into insanity

Pun

A play on words that sound alike or that have multipule meanings

Rhyming couplet

Two rhyming lines at the end of a speech, signaling that a character is leaving the stage or that the scene is ending

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as

Ameliorate

To make or become better'; imrprove

Arbitrate

To judge or decide as in the manner of

Blasphemy

A disrespectful act towards something holy like God

Callous

No empathy basically

Conjure

To summon by magical or supernatural power

Deference

Being humble, and doing something in somone else favor

Malign

Cause harm or evil

Pious

Very religious

Predilection

Special liking, you like it alot

Restitution

Restoring to the rightful owner