English 9 Midterm (Literary Terms)

Characterization

the way people (characters) are portrayed by an author

conflict

the struggle between two opposing forces, including person vs. person, person vs. nature, and person vs. himself

antagonist

the principal character or object that creates conflict in opposition to the protagonist

climax

the peak moment in the story, often the point at which the reader's interest and emotional intensity reach the highest point

foreshadowing

hints or clues to indicate events or situations that will occur later in the plot

Protagonist

the central character or hero of the story

irony

when an event turns out to be the opposite of what one expected

mood

feeling or atmosphere created by the writer

plot

sequence of events in a story

Point of view

method of narrating a literary work: first person, third person, or third person omniscient

setting

the time, place, and circumstances of the story

rising action

when the story begins to develop conflict

resolution

tying up loose ends of the conflict and plot line, at the end of the story

symbolism

the use of symbols where a person, place, thing, or activity stands for something else; ex. A dove for peace, the flag for our country

theme

the main idea in a story. It is a perception about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader.

Montague or Capulet? Balthasar

Montague

Montague or Capulet? Benvolio

Montague

Montague or Capulet? Peter

Capulet

Montague or Capulet? Juliet

Capulet

Montague or Capulet? Romeo

Montague

Montague or Capulet? Nurse

Capulet

Montague or Capulet? Tybalt

Capulet

Montague or Capulet? Paris

Capulet

Montague or Capulet? Friar Lawrence

Neutral, an advisor to both Romeo and Juliet

Montague or Capulet? Prince

Neutral, prince of Verona

Montague or Capulet? Mercutio

Montague

First person

The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters.

Third Person Objective

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.

Third Person Limited

The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.

Third Person Omniscient

The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

Second Person

The author uses you and your, is rare; authors seldom speak directly to the reader.