Drama Terms

comedy

a literary work that is amusing and ends happily, usually in marriage

tragedy

a drama that reveals the unfortunate downfall of a person, and ends in death or misfortune

tragic flaw

a character trait or mistake in the protagonist of a tragedy that leads to a downfall, usually death or exile.

Hamartia

a criminal act committed in ignorance or for the sake of the greater good

hubris

Excessive pride, thinking oneself above humans or as one of the gods.

pathos

the quality of a drama or piece of art to evoke emotions in the audience

catharsis

a term used by Aristotle to describe an emotional release experienced by the audience at the end of a tragedy

comic relief

a comic scene in a tragedy after a serious scene that by contrast intensifies the emotions aroused by the serious scene.

dramatic exposition

The use of dialogue to present information and events that occur before the play or offstage

dialouge

a conversation between two people

monolouge

a long speech spoken by one character

soliloquy

A monologue that a character speaks alone to himself revealing thoughts and feelings to the audience

aside

An actor in a play says something that other characters in the play aren’t supposed to hear, but the audience can