Appendix 1: Glossary of Term

English- Shakespseare

ambition

an earnest desire for some time of achievement or distinction such as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment

act

a main division of a drama. shakespeare’s plays consist of five acts, with each act subdivided into scenes

allusion

a reference to a literary or historical person or event to explain a present situation

aside

a brief remark made by a character and intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters

atmosphere

the mood established by events, places or situations. ex: the foreboding atmosphere of the words: “fair is foul and foul is fair”

chorus

in ancient greek drama, the singing and dancing group whose words formed commentary or- interpretation of action. in Elizabethan drama the role of the chorus was often taken by one actor, who recited a prologue, or by several actors, who offered commentary on a situation

comic relief

a humorous scene or speech in a serious drama which is meant to provide relief from emotional intensity and, by contrast, to heighten the seriousness of the story

foreshadowing

a hint of what is to come in the story, this is often used to keep the audience in a state of expectancy

imagery

used to describe words or phrases that appeal to the five senses. may create images, but not all images are figures of speech

irony

a contrast between what is and what appears to be

paradox

a statement which seems to be contradictory but is at the same time profoundly logical. it may be used to emphasize a particular theme or idea

scene

a small unit of a play which there is no shift in locale or time

soliloquy

a speech given by a character alone in the stage. the purpose of a soliloquy is to let the audience know what the character is thinking and feeling

tragedy

a type of drama of human conflict which ends in defeat and suffering. often the main character has a tragic flaw which leads to their destruction. sometimes the conflict is with forces beyond the control of the character- fate. evil in the world

infrence

a conclusion based on information given

theme

general idea about life that the play communicates

ex: “too full of the milk of human kindness” - too kind, not ruthless, not willing to do evil to achieve one’s goal

player

actor

prose

paragraph form (everyday form)

verse

poetic form

foil

a character who provides a strong contrast to another character

sonnet

a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in iambic pentameter

iamb

one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable

stage directions

specify such things as the details of the setting and scenery; how the characters should looks, speak, behave; and when and where actors should appear on stage

cast

characters listed at the beginning of a play