Literary Terms For The Crucible

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drama

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a story that is told in action by actors who impersonate the characters of the story

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theme

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basic underlying concept or idea of the play as dramatized through conflicts of characters with each other or with circumstances of life

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setting

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the physical and sometimes intangible background of time and place

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characterization

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creation of believable fictional personalities by useing explicit statement by another character; character's appearance; character actions and reactions; conversations; character's thoughts

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conflict

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central problem which results from confrontation of two opposing forces (protagonist vs. antagonist)

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mood

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the pervading impression, feeling, or emotion created for the reader/viewer

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tone

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attitude expressed by the speaker or writer of a literary selection; established by choice of words or phrasing and by atmosphere and surrounding events

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foil

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a person who, through strong contrast, enhances the distinctive characteristics of another

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reversal

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unexpected change in character

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paradox

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a statement of circumstances that seems contradictory but may be true

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protagonist

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the primary character in a character; the character with whom the audience usually has the most sympathy

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antagonist

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the character or force that is directly opposed to the protagonist

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tragedy

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in drama, a play that recounts a series of events in the life of a person of significance or arouses emotions of pity and fear in the audience; events which culminate (end) in an unhappy catastrophe

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tragic hero

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the protagonist in a tragedy; virtuous, better than ordinary people; brought from happiness to misery because of a tragic flaw in his character

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tragic flaw

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flaw; error, or defect in the tragic hero which leads to his downfall

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allegory

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a story in which people, things, and happenings have another meaning, as in a fable or parable

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allusion

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a reference to someone or something that is known from history, religion, politics, sports, science, or some branch of culture

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foreshadowing

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events and information that hint or suggest something that will happen later in the selection

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irony

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a discrepancy between appearance and reality

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metaphor

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a comparison between two things not using like or as

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simile

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a comparison between two things using like or as

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symbolism

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the use of one object to suggest or represent another