Romeo & Juliet Unit: Literary Terms and Characters

Quiz 1

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase

foreshadowing

a literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story

pun

a joke based on the use of a word, or more than one word, that has more than one meaning but the same sound

dramatic foil

a character that contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) and so highlights various facets of the main characters personality

comic relief

the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension

paradox

a statement or situation with seemingly contradictory or incompatible components. On closer examination, however, the combination of these components is indeed appropriate

apostrophe

a technique by which the writer (character) addresses an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is either dead or absent

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences (serves as one of the building blocks of verse)

consonance

a poetic device characterized by the repetition of the same consonant (or sound) two or more times in short succession

epithet

a descriptive adjective or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality

anaphora

a device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis

motif

a recurrent thematic element in a literary or artistic work

dramatic monologue

an extended uninterrupted speech by a character in a drama. The character may be speaking his or her thoughts aloud, directly addressing another character, or speaking to the audience

soliloquy

a speech by a character, thinking aloud; it allows the audience to “listen in” to the private feelings and thoughts of a character (no other character is present on the stage)

aside

a line “quietly” spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

direct address

words that tell the reader who is being addressed (ex. “A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.” and “Ah, my mistresses, which of you all/ Will now deny to dance?”)

Shakespearean tragedy

drama where the central character/s suffer disaster/great misfortune (due to fate and/or character/fatal flaw)

iambic pentameter

describes a particular rhythm (measured in syllables) that the words establish in each line. These small groups of syllables are called “feet,” and “iambic” describes the type of foot used. “Pentameter” indicates that a line has five of these “feet”

blank verse

a type of poetry, distinguished but having a regular meter, but no rhyme (in iambic pentameter, but without the rhyming)

prose

ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song (only lower classed characters in Shakespearean plays speak this way)