Literary Terms (DRAMA)

act

a major division in the action of a play.

antagonist

the character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story.

antihero

a protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero.

aside

in drama, a speech directed to the audience that supposedly is not audible to the other characters onstage at the time.

catharsis

meaning 'purgation', describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy.

character

person presented in a dramatic or narrative work; characterization is the process by which a writer makes that character seem real to the reader.

dynamic character

a character that undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot.

flat character

embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits in the plot.

hero/heroine

the protagonist, central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.

motivated action

occurs when the reader or audience is offered reasons for how the characters behave, what they say, and the decisions they make.

plausible action

action by a character in a story that seems reasonable, given the motivations presented.

round character

displays the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people.

showing

a method of presenting the character talking and acting, letting the reader infer what kind of person the character is.

static character

does not change throughout the work, and the reader’s knowledge of that character does not grow.

stock character

embody stereotypes such as the 'dumb blonde' or the 'mean stepfather', stereotypes rather than individuals.

telling

the author intervenes to describe and sometimes evaluate the character for the reader.

chorus

In Greek tragedies, a group of people who serve mainly as commentators on the characters and events.

closet drama

play that is written to be read rather than performed onstage.

comedy

work intended to interest, involve, and amuse the reader or audience in which no terrible disaster occurs and usually has a happy ending.

high comedy

refers to the verbal wit.

low comedy

physical action and is less intellectual.

romantic comedy

involves a love affair that meets with various obstacles but overcomes them to end in a blissful union.

comic relief

a humorous scene or incident that alleviates tension in an otherwise serious work.

conflict

struggle within the plot between opposing forces.

crisis

a turning point in the action of a story that has a powerful effect on the protagonist.

drama

derived from Greek word 'drama,' which means 'to do', designed for performance in a theater.

play

general term for a work of dramatic literature.

playwright

a writer who makes plays.

Electra complex

the psychological conflict of a daughter’s unconscious rivalry with her mother for her father’s attention.

epiphany

in fiction, when a character suddenly experiences a deep realization about himself or herself; a truth that is grasped in an ordinary rather than a melodramatic moment.

foil

a character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character.

foreshadowing

introduction early in a story of verbal and dramatic hints that suggest what is to come later.

hamartia

'some error or frailty' that brings about misfortune for a tragic hero; refers to a mistake that a character makes based on circumstances.

hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence that leads a protagonist to disregard a divine warning or to violate an important moral law.

irony

literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true.

iambic pentameter

metrical pattern in poetry which consists of five iambic feet per line.

cosmic irony

when a writer uses God, destiny, or fate to dash the hopes and expectations of a character or of humankind.

dramatic irony

creates a discrepancy between what a character believes or says and what the reader or audience members know to be true.

sarcasm

a strong form of verbal irony that is calculated to hurt someone through, for example, false praise.

situational irony

when there is an incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens due to forces beyond human comprehension or control.

tragic irony

form of dramatic irony found in tragedies such as 'Oedipus the King', where Oedipus ironically ends up hunting himself.

verbal irony

figure of speech that occurs when a person says one thing but means the opposite.

Oedipus complex

Freudian term derived from Sophocles’ tragedy 'Oedipus the King', describing a psychological complex based on a boy’s unconscious rivalry with his father for his mother’s love.

one-act play

play that takes place in a single location and unfolds as one continuous action, presenting characters economically.

plot

author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus.

climax

moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative, marking a turning point in the plot.

falling action

characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s conflicts and complications.

in medias res

term used to describe the common strategy of beginning a story in the middle of action.

pyramidal pattern

divides the plot into three essential parts.

rising action

first part in which complication creates some sort of conflict for the protagonist.

problem play

type of drama that presents a social issue to awaken the audience, rejecting romantic plots.

prologue

opening speech or dialogue of a play that gives necessary exposition.

protagonist

main character of a narrative, central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.

pun

play on words that relies on a word’s having more than one meaning or sounding like another word.

recognition

moment in a story when previously unknown or withheld information is revealed to the protagonist.

reversal

the point in a story when the protagonist’s fortunes turn unexpectedly.

scene

subdivision of an act, units of action with no changes in settings or breaks in continuity.

script

written text of a play including dialogue, stage directions, and other expository information.

setting

physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs.

soliloquy

dramatic convention in which a character alone onstage utters thoughts aloud.

stage directions

playwright’s written instructions about how the actors are to move and behave.

subplot

secondary action of a story that reinforces or contrasts with the main plot.

tragedy

a story presenting courageous individuals confronting powerful forces, revealing the depth of the human spirit.

revenge tragedy

a type of drama featuring a murder that must be avenged, typically including a ghost demanding revenge.

tragic flaw

an error or defect in a tragic hero leading to downfall.

tragicomedy

drama combining elements of tragedy and comedy, often ending happily after serious events.

well-made play

realistic style of play employing suspension created by meticulous plotting.