Drama Terms - Othello

IB Lang A: Literature

Act

Major division of a play, typically containing multiple scenes. Acts structure the narrative, organize the plot, and marks shifts in time, mood, or location.

Anagnorisis

Greek word 4 recognition; Tragic Hero verbalize he made a mistake ← Example (?)

Aside

Short speech by a character to the audience that other characters on stage are not supposed to hear

Catharsis

Emotional release or purging of feelings an audience experiences, particularly through tragedy which leaves them feeling purified and refreshed.

Climax

moment of greatest tension or highest emotional intensity, representing the point of maximum conflict and the turning poitn of the plot

Comedy 

Dramatic work of theatre that is primarily intended to be humorous or amusing, typically concluding with a happy or positive ending.

Comic Relief 

Dramatic work, often a tragedy or serious drama that incorporates humorous episodes, characters, or dialogue to provide a temporary break from intense emotional tension. 

Complication

An obstacle, conflict, or event that arises after the initial setup, making a character’s goal more difficult to achieve

Cosmic Irony

Literary device in which a character’s actions and aspirations are thwarted by forces beyond their control, such as the universe, destiny, or gods. 

Denouement

final part of a play where the main conflicts are resolved, loose ends are tied up, and the story’s conclusion is presented 

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something important that the charcters do not, creating tension and suspense as the play unfolds. 

Elizabethan Great Chain of Being

Concept of a strict, divinely ordained hierarchy from god down to inanimate objects.

→ Shakespeare Writing

Exposition

Part of the story that introduces background information, such as the setting, characters, and the initial situation to the audience

Falling Action

Part of a play that occurs after the climax and before the resolution, where the intense conflict begins to wind down and loose ends are tied up

Foil

Secondary character who contrasts with the protagonist, highlighting the main character’s qualities through comparison

Gesture

Movement of the head, hand, or other body part used to express meaning, emotion, or personality without speaking

In Medias Res

Latin phrase meaning in the middle of things and referring to the narrative technique of beginning of a story in the middle of the plot, rather than at the chronological beginning

Inciting Incident

The event that disrupts a protagonists “ordinary world” and launches the main conflict of a play or story

Monologue

Dramatic piece consisting of a single character delivering a lengthy speech, either alone on stage or to other characters or the audience 

Motivation

The “Why” behind a character’s actions, representing the driving forces, desires, and goals that propel them through the story

Props

any object used by an actor during a performance to help tell the story or that is part of the set and handled by actors 

Resolution

part of the plot that follows the climax, where the central conflicts are resolved and the story’s loose ends are tied up

Reversal

Sudden, dramatic change in a character’s fortune or a significant shift in the plot’s direction which often subverts audeince expectations 

Peripeteia

Sudden reversal of circumstances in a drama, particularly a tragedy where the protagonists fortune changes from good to bad or from stable to chaotic

Rising Action

series of events in a drama that build tensions and suspense leading from inital conflict to the climax

Scene

Unit of the play where a specific segment of the story takes place, usually in a single location and over a continuous period of time,

Scenery

Non-costume visual elements on a stage that creates the setting for a play, including backdrops, furniture, and other physical objects 

Situational Irony 

Occurs when the outcome of events is the opposite of what is expected or intended 

Soliloquy

dramatic device in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage, revealing their inner feelings, motivations and plans to the audience

Stage Directions

Instruction in the text of a play, especially one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting 

Suspension of Disbelief

Audience’s willingness to temporarily set aside their critical judgement and accept a story’s fantastical or unrealistic elements as plausible to fully engage with the narrative

Tragedy

Genre; Exploring serious themes and often features a protagonist who suffers a downfall, typically caused by a combination of personal flaws and external forces

Unity of time

Entire action fo the play takes place within a single day or more specifically within a 24hr period

Unity of place

action of the play is confined to a single location

Unity of Action

Play has one central plot, with no or very few subplots

Verbal Irony 

When a character says one thing but intentionally means the opposite of their literal words

Tragic Hero

Noble or virtuous character in a drama whose downfall is brought about by a personal flaw or error in judgement, often resulting in pity and fear from the audience

Tragic Flaw

character defect in a protagonist that leads to their downfall in a drama

Hammartia

Fatal flaw or crucial error that leads to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance of a character, particularly a tragic hero, that ultimately leads to their downfall