Glossary of Drama Terms

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary and definitions related to key terms in drama, focusing on tragic elements and structures.

Aside

Words spoken by an actor directly to the audience that are not heard by other characters on stage.

Catastrophe

The action at the end of a tragedy that initiates the denouement of a play.

Catharsis

The purging of feelings of pity and fear that occur in the audience of tragic drama.

Comic relief

The use of a comic scene to interrupt a succession of tragic moments.

Deus ex machina

A god who resolves the entanglements of a play by supernatural intervention.

Fourth wall

The invisible wall between the audience and the actors on stage.

Gesture

The physical movement of a character during a play used to reveal character.

Hamartia

A fatal error or mistake by the protagonist that leads to catastrophe.

Hubris

The sin of over-aspiring pride or insolent daring.

Implied Stage Action/Direction

Actions in a play suggested within the dialogue.

Monologue

A speech by a single character without another character's response.

Nemesis

The punishment or cosmic payback for acts of hubris.

Psychomachia

The inner conflict between good and evil within a character.

Recognition (Anagnorisis)

The moment a character understands their true situation.

Reversal (Peripateia)

The turning point in the plot where the protagonist's situation changes unexpectedly.

Soliloquy

A speech meant to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

Stage direction

Descriptive comments by a playwright regarding dialogue, setting, and actions.

Staging

The spectacle of a play including actor positioning, scenic background, props, and lighting.

Subplot

A subordinate plot that exists alongside the main plot.

Tragedy

A type of drama where characters experience reversals of fortune, usually for the worse.

Tragic flaw

A weakness in character leading to the downfall of the tragic hero.

Tragic hero

A character of high repute whose downfall results from a fatal flaw.

Revenge Tragedy

A type of tragedy that dramatizes the experiences of a wronged hero seeking vengeance.

Aristotelian Tragedy

Tragedy depicting the downfall of a good person through a fatal error.

Hegelian Tragedy

Tragedy as a dynamic conflict between two opposing forces or values.