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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
