Drama Exam - Great Works of Literature

What is a Trope?

amplification of liturgical texts

Mystery Play

the whole plan of salvation

Miracle Plays

based on the lives of saints & miracles performed

Morality Plays

dramatization of moral allegory - virtues personified

Interlude

comedic relief between plays

Essential qualities are brevity & wit

Action

develops and resolves a single conflict

Time

everything takes place within 24 hours

Place

everything on stage is within a single location

“In Medias Res”

play begins “in the middle of things”

Hypocrites

Greek word for “actor”

Obscene

Comes from the Greek word meaning off-screen - it happens off-stage

Prologue

opening scene, establishes conflict

Parados

Chorus entrance, usually chanting a lyric which relates to a plays theme

song the Chorus sings as it enters the stage

Episode

plot is developed through action and dialogue between actors

Scenes

each builds, or later, resolves the plot

Stasimon

a choral ode at the end of episode so that the tragedy is a measure alternative between two elements

Exodos

final action

Hubris

excessive pride

Hamartia

aberration in the soul, missing the target

Catharsis

evoke pity and fear

What does Iago’s name mean?

Moore Slayer

Othello’s main trope

Appearance (Illusion) vs Reality

What are the acts of a Play

1. Intro characters - Hints to plot

2. Rising action - Develops characters further

3. Climax

4. Declining action

5. Denouement - Resolution of Plot

Denouement

The final resolution where conflicts are settled

Ode

follows each scene; presents communal voice of the chorus

Stage Directions

tell actors how to move, where to stand, and how to look

Blank verse

unrhymed lines written in a consistent rhythm

Script

a written text of a play or dramatic work that contains the spoken lines, character details, and instructions needed for a live theatrical performance

Foil

a character who highlights the specific traits, strengths, or weaknesses of another character

Tragedy

a serious drama that shows the downfall of a main character, usually leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending

Tragic hero

is a main character in a dramatic tragedy who possesses noble or virtuous traits but suffers an irreversible downfall due to a personal error in judgment or a fatal flaw

Tragic flaw

a personal weakness or error in judgment that causes a main character's downfall in a drama

Recognition (anagnorisis)

the critical moment when a character realizes the truth

Comedy types

A play meant to amuse, often ending happily

• Satiric

• Romantic

Satiric Comedy

Comedy that mocks human faults or society

Romantic Comedy

Lighthearted comedy centered on love and misunderstandings

Tragicomedy

a theatrical play that blends serious, dark, or painful themes with humorous or lighthearted elements

Character

An actor adopts the specific personality, voice, appearance, and motivations of a script's persona

Dialogue

the spoken conversation between two or more characters on stage

Masks

wore masks for dominate trait or characteristics

able to convey emotions from a distance

Staging

the overall process and manner of bringing a script to life on stage

Blocking

The precise placement, movement, and choreography of actors on the stage

Stage business

the small actions and gestures (like fidgeting or handling props) that add realism

Theme

the playwright’s main idea or message

Skene

The backdrop building in Greek theater used for entrances and scenery.

Orchestra

meant “dancing place”

The circular performance area in Greek theater where the chorus performed.

Stichomythia

a fast exchange between characters

Soliloquy

A speech where a character speaks their thoughts alone on stage.

Aside

a short comment or remark a character makes directly to the audience, which the other characters on stage pretend not to hear

The 4 types of Medieval Plays

1. Mystery

2. Miracle

3. Morality

4. Interlude

Groundlings

Audience members who stood in the pit during Shakespeare’s plays.

Acting troupes

group of actors and theater artists who work together to stage plays and performances

Dramatic question

the core, driving question introduced early in a play that hooks the audience and is only resolved at the final climax

Dramatic irony

when the audience knows a crucial piece of information that the characters on stage do not

Realism

a theatrical style that depicts everyday life, ordinary people, and real social issues truthfully and without romantic or idealistic embellishment

Naturalism

theatrical movement that creates a precise illusion of real life on stage

Cause célèbre

A controversial event that becomes widely publicized.

Theater of the absurd

a post-World War II theatrical movement from the 1950s that presents human existence as meaningless, illogical, and lacking a clear purpose

Expressionistic

theatrical work that distorts outer reality to show the inner, subjective emotional states and psychological truths of its characters

Motif

a repeated element that reinforces a theme

Stream of consciousness

a literary and dramatic style that mimics the continuous, chaotic, and non-linear flow of a character’s inner thoughts, memories, and sensory perceptions rather than using logical or structured speech