shakespeare terms

act

an act is a major division in a play like a chapter in a book. it can be sub divided into scenes. the 5 act structure became the convention in Shakespeares period, but modern playwrights today prefer to use the three act structure

recognition/anagnorisis

this is a term that comes from Aristotle’s poetics about tragedy and refers to the scene in which the tragic hero recognises his mistake or gains some insight into the meaning of life before he dies at the end of the play

aside

words spoken by an actor directly to the audience, but not heard by other characters on stage during a play

blocking

the planned movement of the actors on stage as planned by the director to best execute the dialogue and action of. a play

catharsis

the purging of the feelings of pity and fear in the audience. the audience should experience this at the end of a tragedy

character foil

two characters who are in similar situations in the play but make different decisions. one often makes a wiser decision that the other while the other characters decision can lead to tragedy. this serves as a comparison

character motivation

includes the thoughts, desires, wishes etc of the character to achieve a goal. this can lead to mistakes or wise decisions

climax

the major turning point of the action in the plot of a play and the point of greatest tension in the work

comic relief

provides a moment of relief from the drama of a play, typically paralleling the drama that’s interrupted

complication

and intensification of the conflict in a play in which the situation is worsened for the main character

deus ex machina

‘machine of the gods’: refers to the Ancient Greek machinery that would enable actors to float on stage and play the parts of gods

cosmic irony/irony of fate

when a deity toys with the character in a way that the outcome is clear to the observer, but the character hopes for escape

dialogue

the conversation of characters

dramatic irony

the type of irony in which the audience is privy to information that another character doesn’t know, providing dramatic tension

exposition

the first stage of a play in which essential background d information is introduced to the audience

falling action

when the events and complications begin to resolve themselves and tension is released

flashback

an interruption of a plays timeline to describe or present an incident that occurred prior to the main time frame of the plays action

flat character

stereotypical, static characters who don’t change in the course of a play

foreshadowing

a technique in which an irrelevant element is introduced early in the story and becomes significant later

fourth wall

the imaginary wall that separates the audience from the action that is taking place on the stage. if the audience is addressed directly it is referred to as ‘breaking the 4th wall’

hubris

implies arrogant, excessive self pride or confidence, and a lack of perception or insight due to pride in one’s abilities (greek word)

inciting incident

the first incident leading to the rising action of the play

linear plot

a traditional plot sequence in which the incidents in the drama progress in chronological order

monologue

a speech by a single character to another character or group of people in which they don’t respond

peripeteia/reversal

the point at which the action of the plot turns in an unexpected direction for the protagonist from failure to success or success to failure

point of attack

the point in the story at which the playwright chooses to start dramatising the action; the first thing the audience will see or hear as the play begins

resolution/denoument

the sorting out or unraveling of a plot at the end of a play/novel/story

rising action

the series of complicating events that lead to the climax of the play

scene

plays being broken into acts and subdivided into scenes

situational irony

when the opposite of whats expected to happen actually happens

soliloquy

speech meant to be heard by the audience but not the characters on stage (inner thoughts)

stage direction

narration that provides readers information about the play (setting/action/dialogue)

staging

the process of selecting, designing, and coordinating the visual elements of a play, including set, actors' positions, and movements to convey the story.

static character

a character who does not undergo significant change throughout the story, often remaining the same in personality and perspective.

stock character

A stereotypical character whose traits are instantly recognisable, commonly used in various storytelling forms.

subplot

a secondary plot that runs parallel to the main storyline, often complementing or contrasting with it.

suspension of disbelief

the willingness of an audience to accept the fictional world of a story as reality, allowing them to engage with the narrative without skepticism.

tragedy

a dramatic work that presents the downfall of a dignified character, often due to a tragic flaw or fate.

tragic flaw

a characteristic or trait of a character that leads to their downfall in a tragedy.

unity of time, place and action

the principle that a play should occur within a single time frame, in one location, and focus on one main storyline.

verbal irony

a figure of speech in which what is said is different from or the opposite of what is meant, often used for humorous or emphatic effect.