Studied by 5 people
Absurd, Theater of the
plays that stress illogical aspects of experience to show the pointlessness of life
act
A major division of a play
action
Everything that happens in a story
allegory
A story with a hidden meaning
alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
ambiguity
multiple meanings
anagnorisis
recognition or discovery in a tragedy
analysis
an examination
anecdote
a short amusing story about a real incident
antagonist
A force in conflict with the main character
antecedent action
events in a play that happened before the present action
apostrophe
address to an absent or imaginary person
archetype
something that occurs frequently in literature
aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds
atmosphere
the emotional tone in a work
canon
The official list of inspired books of the Bible
catastrophe
the concluding action in a tragedy
catharsis
emotional release
character
person involved in the story
characterization
the presentation of a character
cliche
an overused expression
climax
the turning point of the story
comedy
A humorous work of drama
comparison and contrast
compare - similarities, contrast - differences
complication
an undesired problem that is the result of some other event
conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
consistency building
reevaluating the details that one has just read to make them consistent with the new information
convention
a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude (evil stepmother)
crisis
high point in conflict that leads to turning point
criticism
analysis or evaluation of a litearary work
cultural materialism
criticism that sets literature in a social context
deconstruction
language is ambiguous so texts reveal more than the author is aware of
denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
denouement
resolution or outcome of a plot
deus ex machina
artificial way of resolving the plot
dialogue
Conversation between characters
diction
word choice
didactic
pertaining to teaching; having a moral purpose
discovery
recognition in a tragedy
drama
a play; conflict or tension
dramatic irony
contrast between what is intended and what is accomplished
dramatic monologue
a poem spoken by a character and addressed to one or more characters.
effaced narrator
a narrator who reports what happens in a story
epic
A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
epigram
a witty poem or saying
epigraph
a quotation at the beginning of a work about the theme
epiphany
when an action reveals a character with particular clarity
episode
a scene that has unity by itself but is part of a larger action
epistle
a letter, in prose or verse
essay
a work that purports to be true and that treats its subject tentatively
euphony
pleasant sound
explication
unfolding the meaning of a text
fable
short tale that teaches a lesson
farce
a comedy filled with absurd happenings
feminist crticism
analyzing depiction of women in literature
fiction
a narrative that reports incidents that did not occur
figurative language
words intended to be understood in a way other that literal
flashback
interruption that presents an earlier episode
flat character
one dimensional character
fly-on-the-wall narrator
same as an effaced narrator
foil
character that helps set off a major character
foreshadowing
hints of what is to come
formalist criticism
analysis that assumes a work of art is an object with a stable meaning
gap
a reader's perception that something is unstated in the text
gender criticism
criticism of differences between men and women in literature
genre
kind or type
gesture
physical movement in a play
Note