LIT 105 Literature Appreciation: Drama Unit Study Guide

Flashcards covering key concepts, Greek tragedy components, 19th-century realism, literary analysis terms, and required texts for the LIT 105 Drama Unit Exam.

Which element of fiction studied in LIT 105 does NOT apply to drama?

Point of view

What Greek term is used to refer to a tragic flaw in Aristotle's ideas about tragedy?

Hamartia

What are the structural parts of Greek drama listed in the study guide?

Prologue, Pardos, Episode, Stasimon, and Exodos

What specific group's role in Greek drama is highlighted as essential to understand?

The chorus

What four elements are identified as the major concerns of realism in 19th Century drama?

Realistic characters, realistic plots, realistic language, and realistic setting

What term is used in the study guide for the major conflict of a play?

Agon

According to the study guide, how likely is it that a protagonist is a flat character?

It is unlikely—though possible—that a protagonist is flat

What are the five main plot points to identify when analyzing plays for the unit?

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

What three components define the setting of a play in the study guide?

Time (time period, time of day, duration, etc.), Place, and Social environment

What two types of symbols are specified for analysis in the plays?

Conventional symbols and literary symbols (aka contextual symbols)

How does the study guide define the theme of a play in contrast to its subject or summary?

The theme is an idea or statement about the subject, rather than a summary of the play or a statement about what the story is about

Which four plays are listed as fair game for the Drama Unit Exam?

Oedipus the King, A Doll’s House, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Fences

Which element of fiction studied in LIT 105 does NOT apply to drama?

Point of view

What Greek term is used to refer to a tragic flaw in Aristotle's ideas about tragedy?

Hamartia

What are the structural parts of Greek drama listed in the study guide?

Prologue, Parodos (Pardos), Episode, Stasimon, and Exodos

What specific group's role in Greek drama is highlighted as essential to understand?

The chorus

What four elements are identified as the major concerns of realism in 19th Century drama?

Realistic characters, realistic plots, realistic language, and realistic setting

What term is used in the study guide for the major conflict of a play?

Agon

According to the study guide, how likely is it that a protagonist is a flat character?

It is unlikely—though possible—that a protagonist is flat

What are the five main plot points to identify when analyzing plays for the unit?

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

What three components define the setting of a play in the study guide?

Time (time period, time of day, duration, etc.), Place, and Social environment

What two types of symbols are specified for analysis in the plays?

Conventional symbols and literary symbols (aka contextual symbols)

How does the study guide define the theme of a play in contrast to its subject or summary?

The theme is an idea or statement about the subject, rather than a summary of the play or a statement about what the story is about

Which four plays are listed as fair game for the Drama Unit Exam?

Oedipus the King, A Doll’s House, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Fences

What is the setting of Oedipus the King?

Outside the royal palace in Thebes, Ancient Greece, during a devastating plague.

Who are the major characters in Oedipus the King?

Oedipus (protagonist and King of Thebes), Jocasta (his wife and mother), Creon (his brother-in-law), Tiresias (the blind prophet), and the Chorus of Theban elders.

What is the setting of A Doll's House?

The Helmer family's comfortably furnished living room in an urban Norwegian home, set in the late 19th century around Christmas.

Who are the major characters in A Doll's House?

Nora Helmer (protagonist), Torvald Helmer (her husband), Nils Krogstad (disgraced bank clerk and antagonist), Mrs. Christine Linde (Nora's childhood friend), and Dr. Rank.

What is the setting of The Importance of Being Earnest?

Late Victorian England (1890s); Act I in Algernon's London flat (Half Moon Street), and Acts II and III at Jack's country estate in Hertfordshire.

Who are the major characters in The Importance of Being Earnest?

Jack Worthing (Ernest), Algernon Moncrieff, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew, Lady Bracknell, Miss Prism, and Reverend Chasuble.

What is the setting of Fences?

The dirt yard and front porch of the Maxson family home in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1957 to 1965.

Who are the major characters in Fences?

Troy Maxson (protagonist and former Negro League baseball player), Rose Maxson (his wife), Cory Maxson (their teenage son), Jim Bono (Troy's loyal friend), Gabriel Maxson (Troy's brother), and Lyons Maxson (Troy's older son).