| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Dialogue | Speech between two or more characters on stage |
| Monologue | A long speech delivered by a character during a dialogue |
| Soliloquy | A stage convention in which a character is not speaking to anyone but is thinking out loud and thus speaking the truth as far as he or she understands it |
| Aside | Speech which only the audience can hear (a character's thoughts out loud) and which the other characters on stage cannot hear |
| Prose | Everyday speech, without specific rules of rhyme or rhythm |
| Rhymed Verse | Usually end rhyme, with a pattern of aa, bb |
| Blank Verse | The verse Shakespeare most often emplys in his plays - unrhymed and each line has 10 syllables and had iambic pentameter |
| Iambic Pentameter | Rhythm based on iambs = "foot" (one stressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). A measure of five of these feet. |
| Pun | A play on words. Usually funny use of words that has more than one meaning |
| Motif | The repetition of an idea or theme in a work of literature |
| Medias Res | Actions on the stage begin "in the middle" |
| Dramatic Question | The central question that lingers on the audience's mind at the end of each scene. Based on the plat events that have unfolded on stage, the audience is wondering how these events will affect the future of the play |
| Tragic Hero | A male or female character who must experience a tragic reversal (situation changes from good to bad) |
| Free Will | A character's own action, the opposite of fate |
| Tragic Flaw | The flaw that causes the hero's fall -proof that no human is perfect |
| Hubris | The flaw of incredible arrogance, or an overwhelming egotism that blinds the hero to reality |
| Dramatic Irony | A time in the play when the audience possess knowledge that the character does not |
| Catharsis | A release of emotions that the audience experiences during a tragedy |
| Fate Vs. Free Will | When the hero blames fate for their downfall, however free will is a vital aspect of a tragedy - THEME |
| Blindness Vs. Sight | A large ego (arrogance) often blinds people from reality, and blind people are even able to "see" more - THEME |
| Ignorance Vs. Knowledge | Ignorance can often blind people from acting a certain way rather than if they had the full knowledge - THEME |
Combine with other sets
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