Drama Literary Terms

Front 1

a major division in the action of the play, comprising one or more scenes.

Back 1

act

Front 2

the most prominent of the characters who appose the protagonist or hero(ine) in a dramatic or narrative work. the_____ is oftten a vilian seeking to frustrate a heroine of hero, but in those works in which the protagonist is represented as evil, the ______ will often be a virtuous or sympathetic character, such as Macduff in Macbeth

Back 2

antagonist

Front 3

a short speech or remark spoken by a character in a drama, directed either to the audience or to another character whcih by convention is supposed to be inaudible to other characters on stage

Back 3

aside

Front 4

the final resolution of denouement of the plot in a tragedy, usually involving the death of the protagonist

Back 4

catastrophe

Front 5

the effect of purgation or purification achieved by tragic drama, according to Aristotle's argument in hi Poetics (4th century BC).

Back 5

catharsis

Front 6

any of the persons involved in a story or the distinguishing moral qualities and personal traits of a ______

Back 6

character

Front 7

a character whose character is summed up in one or two traits

Back 7

flat character

Front 8

a character whose character is complex and many sided

Back 8

round character

Front 9

a stereotyped character: one whose nature is familiar to us from prototypes in previous fiction

Back 9

stock character

Front 10

a character that is changed by the actoins in which he or she is involved

Back 10

dynamic character

Front 11

a character that remains unchanged or little changed throughout the course of the story

Back 11

static character

Front 12

the turning point or high point in a plot's action

Back 12

climax

Front 13

the interruption of a serious work, especially a tragedy, by a short humorous episode that relieves emotional tension

Back 13

comic relief

Front 14

a clash of actions, desires, ideas, or goals in the plot of a story.

Back 14

conflict

Front 15

a decisive point in the plot of a play or story, upon which the outcome of the remaining action depends and which ultimately precipitates the catastrophe or denouement

Back 15

crisis

Front 16

the portion of a plot that reveals the final outcome of its conflicts or the solution of its mysteries

Back 16

denouement

Front 17

"god from the machine) the resolution of a plot by use of highly improbable chance, coincidence or artificial device that solves some difficult problem or crisis

Back 17

Deus ex machina

Front 18

a concluding section of any written work during which characters' subsequent fates are briefly outlined

Back 18

epilogue

Front 19

the setting forth of a systematic explanation of or argument about any subject, or the opening part of play or story, in which we are introduced to the characters and their situation, often by reference to preceding events

Back 19

exposition

Front 20

the segment of the plot that comes between the climax and the conclusion

Back 20

falling action

Front 21

a character whose qualities or actions serve to emphasize those of the protagonist or of some other character by providing a strong contrast with them

Back 21

foil

Front 22

the Greek word for error or failure, used by Aristotle in hi Poetics (4th century BC) to designate the false step that leads the protagonist in a tragedy to his or her downfall. It is not tragic flaw. It is the action the character takes.

Back 22

hamartia

Front 23

the main character in a narrative or dramatic work. The term protagonist is preferable since the leading character may not be morally or otherwise superior.

Back 23

hero or heroine

Front 24

the Greek work for insolence or affront, applied to the arrogance or pride ofthe protagonist in a tragedy i which he or she defies moral lawas or the prohibitions of the gods. "the pride before the fall"

Back 24

hubris

Front 25

in the middle of things: the technique of beginning a story in the middle of the action

Back 25

in medias res

Front 26

an extended speech uttered by one speaker, either to others or as if alone.

Back 26

monologue

Front 27

the teller of a story

Back 27

narrator

Front 28

trustworthy narrator

Back 28

reliable narrator

Front 29

untrustworthy narrator

Back 29

unreliable narrator

Front 30

narratoro that is uncomprehending (child, simple-minded adult_ who narrates the story without realizing its true implications

Back 30

naive narrator

Front 31

narrator who keeps interrupting the narrative to address the reader

Back 31

intrusive narrator

Front 32

the careful arrangement by an author of incidents in a narrative to achieve a desire effect

Back 32

plot

Front 33

an introductory section of a literary work or an introductory speech in a play

Back 33

prologue

Front 34

the central character in a story

Back 34

protagonist

Front 35

the part of a plot that leads through a series of events of increasing interest and power to the climax or turning point.

Back 35

rising action

Front 36

a subdivision of an act or of a play not divided into acts

Back 36

scene

Front 37

the general locale, time in history or social milieu in which the action of a literary work takes place

Back 37

setting

Front 38

a dramatic speech uttered by one character speaking aloud while alone on stage, or while under the impression of being alone.

Back 38

solioquy

Front 39

the information provided in addition to the dialogue to help a reader visualize the setting, characters, and action

Back 39

stage directions

Front 40

a type of drama in which the protagonist, a person of unusual moral or intellectual stature or outstanding abilities, suffers a fall in fortune due to some error or judgment or flaw in his or her nature

Back 40

tragedy

Front 41

the defect of character that brings about the protagonist's downfall in a tragedy

Back 41

tragic flaw

Front 42

the point in the plot where the protagonist's situation changes for the better or worse; after thi the action begins its movement toward a final resolution

Back 42

turning point

Front 43

the principal evil character in a play or story

Back 43

villain