English

Tragedy

a genre of literature in which the main character suffers a downfall because of a tragic flaw

Aside

a comment made to another character that the other actors on stage are not "supposed to hear"

iamb

unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

Act

a "chapter" of a play

meter

the rhythm of words created by stressed and 

unstressed syllables 

Monologue

 a long speech by one character while others are on stage 

Dramatic Irony

when the audience knows information the actors do not

Soliloquy

a long speech performed by one character on stage alone in which he/she reveals thoughts and feelings 

Setting

the time and place of a play

Blank Verse

most of Shakespeare's plays were written in this format. a type of poetry that has a regular meter, but no rhyme scheme

Feet

the unit of measurement for meter in poetry

Stage Directions

parenthetical directions for actors to follow while on stage

Lambic Pentameter

creates ten syllables per line; imitates the human heartbeat

Foil Character

a literary element that serves as a contrast to the main character, or the protagonist. The foil's personality traits, attributes, values, or motivations serve to highlight the traits of the protagonist. If the protagonist is brave, the foil is timid.

Scenery

the theatrical equipment, such as curtains, flats, backdrops, or platforms, used in a dramatic production to communicate environment

Scene

a subdivision of an act or of a play not divided into acts. A scene normally represents actions happening in one place at one time, and is marked off from the next scene by a curtain, a black‐out, or a brief emptying of the stage.