Literary Terms - King Lear

Vocabulary flashcards defining literary terms commonly studied in connection with Shakespeare's King Lear.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known story, person, event, or text.

Ambiguity

When something can have more than one meaning or interpretation.

Aside

A brief remark meant for the audience or select characters, unheard by others onstage.

Characterization

How a writer reveals a character’s personality, motives, and qualities.

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces.

Contrast

Using differences between characters, ideas, or situations to emphasize qualities.

Diction

A writer’s deliberate choice of words.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something a character does not.

Foil

A character whose differences highlight another character’s qualities.

Foreshadowing

Hints about events that will occur later.

Hubris

Excessive pride or confidence that contributes to downfall.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Irony

A difference between what is expected and what happens.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting things close together for emphasis.

Metaphor

A comparison that describes one thing as another without like or as.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere experienced by the audience.

Motif

A recurring image, idea, or situation that develops a theme.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.

Personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things.

Setting

The time, place, and environment of the action.

Symbol

An object, event, or image representing a larger idea.

Theme

A central idea about life or human nature developed by a work.

Tone

A speaker’s or writer’s attitude toward the subject.

Tragic Hero

A central character whose flaws and choices contribute to a disastrous fall.

Tragic Flaw

A character trait or error in judgment that helps cause a downfall.

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks thoughts aloud, often alone.

Subplot

A secondary storyline that develops or reflects the main plot.