Drama Literary Terms

Act

a major unit or division of a play

allusion

a word or phrase that make reference to another place, person, story, or event, thereby bringing to mind other, related ideas

antagonist

the opponent or adversary of the hero or main character of a drama; one who opposes and actively competes with another character in a play, most often with the protagonist.

antihero

a protagonist who does not have the heroic qualities of the traditional protagonist

antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, phrases, or words so as to produce an effect of balance

aside

a brief remark or passage spoken by a character directly to the audience (or to themselves), which other characters on stage are not supposed to hear, revealing private thoughts, feelings, or commentary

cartharsis

the process of expressing and purging strong emotions, such as fear and pity, to achieve a sense of renewal

characterization

the way in which a writer creates or constructs a fictional character

chorus

a group of performers who sing, dance, or recite in unison; in greek drama, the chorus was the group of performers who sang and danced between episodes, narrated off stage action, and commented on events

comedy

a play that treats characters and situations in a humorous way. in shakespeare’s time, a comedy was any play with a happy ending that typically told the story of a likable character’s rise to fortune. in ancient greece, comedies dealt with almost exclusively with contemporary figures and problems. low comedy is physical rather than intellectual comedy; high comedy is more sophisticated, emphasizing verbal wit more than physical action.

conflict

the internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that creates dramatic tension

context

the relationship between a text and its historical, social, and cultural backgrounds

denouement

the solution, clarification, and/or unraveling of the plot of a play

Dialect

language and grammar specific to a particular race, group, or culture

dialogue

spoken conversation used by two or more characters to express thoughts, feelings, and actions

dramatic irony

usually refers to situations where the audience knows something that the characters don’t; irony occurs when the characters say or do smth in ignorance of the truth

dramatic structure

the organization of a dramatic text or passage, its shape or development over the course of the play, including aspects of time, order of events, and plot devices

epilogue

a summary speech delivered at the end of a play that explains or comments on the action

farce

a subcategory of dramatic comedy that uses improbable, humorous situations, extensive exaggeration, and violent physical humor to entertain the audience

flat character

an uncomplicated character who doesnt develop or change over the course of a play, or exists only to advance the plot

foil

a character whose traits, values, or motivations contrast with the protagonist

foreshadow

an indication beforehand of smth that is aboiut to happen

genres

in drama, the different types of play and their different characteristics and conventions

hemistichomythia

a type of drama dialogue where characters exchange short utterance of half a line

juxtaposition

a figurative language device in which contrasting elements are placed side by side to highlight their differences or create a specific emotional or thematic impact

metaphor

a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things by saying one is the other, transferring qualities to create deeper meaning, vivid imagery, and to explain abstract ideas

monologue

a long speech made by one actor; a monologue may be delivered alone or in the presence of others

Mood

the tone or feeling of the play, often engendered by the music, setting, or lighting

motivation

the reason or reasons for a character’s behavior; an incentive or inducement for further action for a character

motive

in drama, the emotional goals or objectives of a character; such as the need to be loved or admired, or aims related more closely to the action, such as to become king or gain revenge on a rival

multifaceted

having many sides, aspects, or faces

non verba;

not to do with words; in this case, coming from the actor’s physical performance rather than what they say

onomatopoeia

words or phrases that siund like the things they describe

paradox

a situation or statement that involved two or more seemingly contradictory facts or qualities

personification

the attribution of human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts

polemic

a powerful attack on someone or something

prologue

a speech which introduces a play

props

short for properties; any article, except costume or scenery, sued as part of a dramatic production any moveable object that appears on stage during a performance

protagonist

the main character or hero in a play or other literary work

puns

a type of word play where the words have more than one meaning or simple, clever dialogue between characters

satire

a play in which sarcasm, irony, and ridicule are used to expose or attack folly or pretension in society

scene

a small section or portion of a play

sensory recall

an acting technique whereby a sight, smell, taste, sound, or feeling is recalled along with its cause and the actor’s reaction to it

setting

when and where the action of a play takes place

simile

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid; uses “like” or as in the comparison

situational irony

a discrepancy between expected results and the actual results

soliloquy

a speech given by a character speaking their thoughts aloud, either alone or oblivious of any possible hearers

stage directions

instructions in the script that tell the actors what to do and where to move on stage; may also provide info about the setting

staging

information given about how the stage should look at various times in th eplay; also called blocking

status

the levwl of power a particular character has, which can be external or emotional or physical; status can fluctuate or chnages in a play

stichomythia

a dramatic technique that involved two characters taking turns speaking in alternating lines of verses

symbol

an object or event used in literature to represent something else; often this representation alludes to a depper meaning

symbolism

the use of symbolic language, imagery, or color to evoke emotions or ideas

tension

the use of symbolic language, imagery, or color to evoke emotions or ideas

theme

the basic idea of a play; the idea, point of view, or perception that binds together a work of art

tragedy

a play depicting man as a victim of destiny. the characterstics of tragedy have evolved over time to include any serious play in which man is a victime of fate, a character flaw, moral weakness, or social pressure. according to aristotle, the prupose of tragedy is to arouse poty and fear in the audience and pruge them at the play’s conclusion (catharsis)

tragic flaw

the defect in the tragic hero that leads to his or her fall

tragic hero

the central figure in a tragedy; typically, tragic hero is a person of basically good character who passes from ahppiness to misery because of a character flaw or error in judgement

tricolon

a rhetorical device that uses three parallel words, phrases, or clauses to create a powerful impression

universality

the ability to appeal to ppl regardless of place and time

utterance

any single unit of speech, which might includes sighs, cries, gasps, and so on

verbal irony

when a writer or speaker says one thing and means something else (often the opposite of what is said)