Lit Vocab Drama and Tragedy

Tragic Hero

A noble, virtuous protagonist in a tragedy whose downfall is caused by a fatal flaw.

Tragedy

A serious dramatic or narrative work where a heroic protagonist suffers a downfall due to their own fatal flaw

Tragic Flaw

A character trait, personality defect, or error in judgment in a tragic protagonist that leads to their own downfall

Hubris

Excessive pride, arrogance, or overconfidence that leads a character to defy moral laws

Catharsis

The emotional release or purification an audience experiences leading to a sense of renewal and cleansing

Blank Verse

Poetry with a regular rhythm but no rhyme

Iambic pentameter

A poetry rhythm with ten syllables per line, arranged in five pairs of unstressed followed by stressed syllables

Soliloquy

When a character in a play speaks their innermost thoughts and feelings aloud.

Aside

A short comment or speech a character makes directly to the audience