| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allegory | A story illustrating an idea or a moral in which objects take on symbolic meanings |
| Allusion | An indirect reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work |
| Ambiguity | A statement that can contain two or more meanings |
| Antagonist | A person or force which oposes the protagonist in a literary work |
| Anti-hero | In fiction, the anti-hero is a protagonist who is lacking the traditional heroic attributes and qualities |
| Archetype | An image, character, or pattern of circumstances that recurs throughout literature and thought consistently enough to be considered a universal concept or situation |
| Carpe diem | A latin phrase that translated means "seize the day", meaning "make the most of today" |
| Catharsis | A purging of emotions brought about by a work of art |
| Comic relief | A comic interlude that relieves the tension in a moment of intense drama |
| Conflict | In a plot, conflict occurs when the protagonist is opposed by some person of force in the story |
| Connotations | A words secondary meaning |
| Denotation | Dictionary definition |
| Denoument | Part of a drama which follows the climax and leads to the resolution |
| Epic | A long work, usually in poetry, that deals with some important theme and usually features a classical hero |
| Falling action | The series of events which take place after the climax |
| Foil | A character who sets off the main character or other characters by comparison |
| Hamartia | The "fatal flaw" of a character that causes his/her downfall |
| Hubris | When a character has so much pride, he/she puts himself beyond God |
| In medias res | A story that begins in the middle of its action |
| Irony | There are three types of these |
| Irony of situation | When the reverse of the expected happens or when the person you least expect to do something, does it |
| Dramatic irony | When the viewer knows what the character does not know |
| Mood | Atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work |
| Persona | A "second self" created by the author through whom th narrator relates to |
| Plot | The structure of a story (usually includes rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution" |
| Protagonist | The hero or central character of a literary work |
| Resolution | Occurs after the climax and is known as the new norm, states the way things will be |
| Rising action | Part of the drama that begins with exposition and sets the stage for the climax |
| Satire | Not meant to be funny, but usually is to ridicule the subject of work |
| Subplot | A smaller story found in the big story |
| Thesis | Declares what you believe and what you intend to prove |
Combine with other sets
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