Wilton Final

Vocav+Greek+Terms of Romeo and Juliet

Alliteration

repetition of the same sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction. This is often used when emotions become most intense.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?"--Romeo And Juliet Act 2, scene 2

Aside

words spoken by a character in a play, usually in an undertone and not intended

Conceit

A far-fetched simile or metaphor, a literary conceit occurs when the speaker compares two highly dissimilar things.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Comic Relief

a humorous scene inserted into an otherwise serious drama. Such a comic interruption is included by the author to provide a break in the emotional intensity of the drama and, by contrast, to heighten the seriousness of the tragedy that follows.

dramatic irony

a contrast between what the audience perceives and what a character does not know

Foil

a character who sets off another character by contrast

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

Iambic Meter

unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

Iambic Pentameter

five verse feet with each foot an iamb

Metaphor

comparison between two unlike things with the intent of giving added meaning to one of them

Protagonist

the main character in a play or story

Pun

The humorous use of a word or phrase to suggest two or more meanings at the same time

Prologue

A brief opening section to a play spoken by a single actor called the "chorus." In many plays, a prologue welcomes the audience and gives them a taste of the story.

Metonymy

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it

Monologue

a long, uninterrupted speech presented in front of other characters

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Simile

a comparison made between two dissimilar things through the use of a specific word of comparison such as like and as

Soliloquy

a speech in which a character is alone on stage and expresses thoughts out loud

Sonnet

a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, that has one of several rhyme schemes. A sonnet form used by William Shakespeare is called the Shakespearean sonnet. It has three four-line units (quatrains) followed by a concluding two-line unit (couplet). The most common rhyme scheme for the Shakespearean sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg.

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature

Theme - Love

Romeo and Juliet are two of the most famous lovers in history, but some people doubt that their historic love lives up to its reputation.

Theme-Hate

Love and hate are usually thought of as opposites, but in Romeo and Juliet, love and hate are two sides of the same coin, as two children from warring families (the Capulets and the Montagues) turn their hatred of each other into an insatiable passion. Ultimately, the hatred between their two families propels the lovers towards their tragic deaths.

Theme-Youth

"Youth in this play is a separate nation," writes literary critic Frank Kermode. In the play, Romeo and Juliet's youthful passion conflicts with the values of their feuding parents and their more mature advisors. Juliet ignores her Nurse, who advises her to marry Paris after Romeo is banished. Romeo and Juliet ignore Friar Laurence's warning to slow down and to stop rushing into love and, consequently, their youthful passion propels them towards their tragic end.

Theme - Marriage

Romeo and Juliet marry for love, a choice that is standard today. But in the world of the play, marriage for love, rather than money or social position, was a radical and dangerous choice.

Theme-Fate

The play goes out of its way to suggest that Romeo and Juliet are destined for tragedy. After all, the Chorus tells us in the opening Prologue that the "star-cross'd lovers" will "take their life" and Shakespeare foreshadows the lovers' deaths throughout the play.

ambi

both

ann enn

year

aqu

water

aud

to hear

anthrop

human

arch

chief, first, rule

cardi

heart

circ circum

around

clam

cry out

clud clus

to close

contra

against

corp corpor

body

cracy crat

rule

cred

to believe

cycl

circle

de

down

dec

ten

dem

people

dic dict

to say

dys

bad

fall fals

to deceive

equ

equal

geo

earth

hyper

over, excessive

neo

new

graph

to write

logy

study of

meter

measure

phobe phobia

fear

phone

sound

extra

beyond

for fore

before

gen

origin

in im il

not

ir

not or opposite of

inter

between

patr

father, country

mis

bad

mono

one

gastro

pertaining to the stomach

sub

under

ism

taking side with

ist

one who

magn

great

mal

bad

matr

mother (maternal)

abdicate

to give up a position, right, or power

abhor

to hate

aboriginal

being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine

absolve

(v.) to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt

accentuate

to emphasize

banter

teasing; playful conversation

bastion

(n.) a fortified place, stronghold

bedlam

(n.) a state or scene of uproar and confusion

benefactor

one who does good to others

benign

harmless

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

callous

emotionally hardened, unfeeling

candor

honesty, frankness

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

carcinogenic

causing cancer

de facto

in fact

debauchery

corruption; self-indulgence

debilitate

to weaken

debunk

to prove wrong

decipher

to figure out

eccentric

unconventional and slightly strange

egocentric

self-centered