Drama Terms

catharsis

the release or purgation of emotions experienced by viewers during a play

comedy

drama written primarily to entertain an audience by appealing to its sense of superiority over the characters, closer to events in real life than tragedies are.

commedia dell’arte

comedy originating in the 1500s in Italy, in which stock characters in masks exemplify common traits and improvise play from basic plots

denouement

the solution to the major conflict of play answering all unsolved mysteries.

deus ex machina

a “god from the machine,” an artificial method or trick ending to extricate the characters from an impossible situation, miraculous ending to a play.

dramatic irony

type of irony in which the audience knows more about a situation or event than an actor does, allowing the audience foresight into the cahracter’s actions.

Freytag’s Pyramid

system representing the structure of a well made play, especially a tragedy in five acts, developed in 1863 by Gustave G

hamartia

the fatal flaw of the protagonist, unrecognized during the play, that results in his suffering or death, traits such as hubris, avarice, and faulty judgement.

hubris

the shortcoming or defect in the tragic hero which leads him to ignore the warnings of the gods and brings about his downfall, a type of hamartia.

mimesis

the creative process of imitation and representing the truth of life on stage.

monologue

a long speech by a single actor on stage, distinguished from a soliloquy.

peripeteia

a sudden reversal or change in fortune for the protagonist caused by a fatal flaw, occurs after the crisis point in a drama and initiates the falling action; good or bad fortune.

pity and fear

the emotions the audience experience in watching a tragedy through the process of catharsis, or cleansing of emotions, from Aristotle’s Poetics.

protagonist

means first to suffer; the principal actor in Greek drama, the second actor is the deuteragonist, and the third actor, introduced by Sophocles, is the triagonist.

soliloquy

monologue representing the character’s unspoken thoughts, not directed to anyone on stage but designed to give insight into a character’s motivation.

three unities

three principles of dramatic composition: unity of action, time, and place, requiring that a play be limited to a single plot, 24, hours, and one location.

tragedy

serious play that represents the sufferings and downfall of the protagonist, often of noble birth, due to a hamartia or fatal flaw, such as hubris(pride).

tragicomedy

play that combines elements of tragedy and comedy, such as providing a happy ending to a tragic story or a combination of light and serious issues.

ab ovo

means from the egg. a type of narrative that begins from the very start of someone’s life.

in medias res

means in the middle of things. narrative begins in the middle or an exciting part of a story.

analepsis

leaping back in time to show what happened before. a flashback

amtagonist

one who has a conflict with the protagonist

aside

a character stops to inform the audience about what is going to happen

epiphany

a sudden realization or understanding

exposition

aka introduction or protasis. introduces major characters of the play and establishes relevant background info.

complication

aka rising action or epistasis. includes the development of the major conflicts or plot entanglements of the play.

climax

aka crisis or turning point. occurs at the peak of the rising action an represents the most intense dramatic moment. change in the protagonist

falling action

aka reversal or catastasis. occurs after the climax and leads to the conclusion. reversal of fortune. unanswered questions answered.

conclusion

aka catastrophe. final section of the play where the protagonist experiences their final downfall or good fortune.

denouement

final unraveling of the unresolved issues in the drama