English quiz 12/11/24

*12/12/24

Ambition

Strong desire to achieve

Avaricious

Extremely greedy

Benediction

Blessing

Blaspheme

To use the name of God in an irreverent manner

Charnel House

Tomb or vault for bones of dead (that had been dug up for new graves)

Dolor

Sorrow; grief

Ecstasy

Extremely intense state of emotion; madness

Equivocate

To be intentionally ambiguous or unclear with intent to mislead

Equivocator

One who intentionally speaks vaguely (Jesuits & Father Garnett)

Gorgon

Monster having woman’s body, snakes for hair whose glance turned viewer to stone (Ancient Greek myth; Medusa)

Harbinger

Signal of something approaching

Knell

Sound of a bell toll (especially signaling a funeral)

Laudable

Worthy of praise; commendable

Malevolence

Wishing of evil or injury to others

Metaphysical

Pertaining to abstract thought; supernatural

Mettle

Courageous spirit; fortitude

Mirth

Festivity; merriment

Multitudinous

Very numerous; in great numbers

Parricide

Murder of one’s own parent or close older relative

Pernicious

Highly destructive, injurious or fatal

Purgative

Tending to cleanse (especially as relates to the body)

Sacrilegious

Irreverent toward something sacred

Voluptuousness

State of being devoted to sensual pleasures

Wanton

Immoral; lewd; unrestrained

Malicious

Having hatred or ill will

Dynamic Character

Character that undergoes significant change

Static Character

Character that does not undergo significant change

Round Character

Character that is fully developed; exhibits a variety of traits

Flat Character

Character that displays few, if any, distinguishing features

Archetype

Original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are copies or representations

Stereotype

Conventional character, plot or setting; little or no individuality

Protagonist

Main character (not necessarily good)

Antagonist

Character who opposes main character

Foil

Character whose traits are opposite those of another character who emphasizes strengths or weaknesses of other character

Tragedy

An imitation of an action

Serious action

A tragedy involves a serious, complete proper magnitude.

Catharsis

Purging or purification of excess emotion through representation of pity or fear; has a unifying effect on audience

Tragic Hero

Protagonist (or main character) in a tragedy (not necessarily good)

Hamartia

Tragic flaw or lack of vision (from Gk: to miss the mark)

Peripeteia

Reversal of fortune

Anagnorisis

Recognition of fatal flaw

Pity and fear

Tragedy achieves a catharsis of emotion through the representation of pity and fear.