80 LIT Terms

Tragedy

play in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end/catastrophe

Tragic Hero

usually the main character who suffers a downfall because of their tragic flaw

Tragic Flaw

a flaw/weakness in the tragic hero which leads to their downfall/death

Hubris

the tragic flaw of overwhelming pride or arrogance

Motive

the reason for a character’s behavior

Comic Relief

the use of a comic scene to interrupt a series of intense dramatic moments

Pun

a “play on words” based on the multiple meanings of a single word(s) that sound alike but mean different things

Antagonist

opponent who struggles against the hero or protagonist

Protagonist

the central character in a story who drives the action

Soliloquy

a long speech made by a character in a play while no other characters are on stage

Monologue

a speech by a single character without another character’s response

Aside

words spoken by an actor directly to the audience, which are not “heard” by the other characters on stage

Blank Verse

also called unrhymed iambic pentameter

Prose

the ordinary form of spoken or written language, does not have a regular rhythmic pattern

Irony

a difference or contradiction between appearance and reality

Dramatic Irony

when the audience knows something about events that the characters do not

Verbal Irony

when you say one thing, but mean the opposite (sarcasm)

Situational Irony

the outcome of a situation is opposite than what was expected

Allusion

a reference to a well

Foreshadowing

clues to future events

Motif

a recurring word, phrase, action, etc. which becomes important

In medias res

action on the stage begins “in the middle”

Apostrophe

calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or thing (“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)

Argument

writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader to adopt a particular opinion or course of action

Narrative

story told in fiction, non

Oversimplification

description of something in a way that does not include all the facts or details (and that causes misunderstanding)

Meter

rhythmical pattern determined by the number and types of stresses, or beats in each line

Parallelism

a repetition using the same sentence structure or verb tense

Sonnet

14 line poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter

Analogy

comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but other ways unalike

Context

set of facts or circumstances surrounding an event or a situation in a piece of literature

Syntax

sentence structure

Style

the choices an author makes when writing such as diction, syntax, and other literary devices

Direct Characterization

the author directly tells the reader what the character is like

Indirect Characterization

the author gives clues about a character by describing what a character looks like, does, and says, as well as how other characters react to them

Internal Conflict

a character struggles with his or her own opposing desire, beliefs, or needs (man vs. self)

External Conflict

a character struggles against an outside force (man vs. man, nature, society)

Dynamic Character

develops, changes, and learns something

Static Character

remains the same and does not change

Round Character

complex, showing many different qualities or personalities, revealing faults as well as virtues

Flat Character

one dimensional

Foil

a character who provides a contrast to another character

Symbol

a character, place, thing, or event that represents a larger idea

Allegory

story or tale with two or more levels of meaning where the characters, setting, and objects are symbolic

Moral Allegory

the author tells the story to teach a lesson, usually one about good and evil

Social Allegory

deals with civilization, the social structures with which human beings try to organize themselves

Religious Allegory

deal with issues of salvation and damnation

Archetype

situations, characters, images, or symbols that are so common or significant that they have a universal importance and are seen in tales of various cultures

Theme

the central message or insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

Mood

the feeling the reader gets from a piece of literature

Tone

the attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters, or the audience

Imagery

descriptive language using the five senses to create word pictures

Personification

a non-living object is given human characteristics

Suspense

a rising curiosity or anxiety in readers that makes you want to keep reading

Situational Irony

something happens that directly contradicts what you expected to happen

Verbal Irony

when someone says one thing but really means something else

Dramatic Irony

the audience knows or understands something that the characters in the play do not

Paradox

a statement that expresses two contradictory ideas, but is actually true

Satire

writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change

Assonance

repetition of same or similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonant sounds (e.g. low, tow, given, distance)

Ballad

a short musical narrative song or poem that usually recounts a single exciting or dramatic episode

Consonance

repetition of consonant sounds before and after different vowels

Epic

a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods and heroes

Free Verse

poetry not written in a regular pattern or meter or rhyme

Genre

category of literary work characterized by a particular form or style (e.g. fiction/non

Memoir

an account of one’s personal life or experiences

Author’s Purpose

an author’s main reason for writing (e.g. to inform, entertain, or persuade)

Juxtaposition

an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

Onomatopoeia

use of words that imitate sounds (e.g. hiss, barking)

Exposition

introduces characters, conflict, and setting

Rising Action

suspense increases, learn more about characters and conflict

Climax

turning point, main event of story

Falling Action

suspense decreases, learn outcome/consequences of turning point

Denouement

the end, loose ends are tied up