Search Search for flashcards Record lecture Free trial Profile Picture The Crucible: Key Vocabulary and Literary Devices for Acts 1-2

faction

a party or group (as within a government) that is often contentious or self-seeking

pulpit

an elevated platform or high reading desk used in preaching or conducting a worship service; a preaching profession

abomination

something that causes extreme disgust or hatred

naught

nothing; old fashioned way to say 'nothing'

clamored

to utter or proclaim insistently and noisily; to become loudly insistent

rhetoric

the skill of choosing words that are most effective for persuading or for creating visual images in the listener's mind

pathos

attempts to persuade the reader or listener by appealing to the senses and emotions

ethos

attempts to persuade the reader or listener by focusing on the qualifications of the speaker

allusion

a direct or indirect reference to something from history, the Bible, etc.

magistrate

a local official entrusted with the administration of laws

blasphemy

the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God

lechery

immoderate indulgence in sexual activity; lewd or lustful behavior

vengeance

with great force or vehemence; punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense

conjure

to summon a devil or spirit by invocation or incantation; to practice magical arts

argument by analogy

a comparison of two similar situations, implying that the outcome of one will resemble the outcome of another

extended metaphor

a comparison that extends over several lines or an entire poem

anaphora

repetition at the beginnings of clauses, lines, or sentences

aphorism

a concise statement of truth

parallelism

the use of repeated grammatical structures

contentious

likely to cause disagreement or argument; exhibiting a tendency to quarrels and disputes