DRAMA TERMINOLOGYA

ct – a major division of a playA

llegory – a story in which people, things and actions represent an idea or a generalization about life; often contains strong moral lesson

Allusion – a reference in literature to a person, event, or literary work

Apostrophe – the addressing of someone or something, usually not present, as though present (ex. Oh Captain, my Captain! Death be not proud)

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

A

side – a speech directed to the audience that is not

audible to the other characters on stage at that time

C

atastrophe - The concluding action of a drama,

especially a classical tragedy, following the climax and

containing a resolution of the plot.

DRAMA TERMINOLOGYC

haracter – a person or thing in a story• Antagonist - is the person or thing working against

the protagonist• Dynamic – one that undergoes some type of

change because of the action in the plot• Flat – embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or

traits that can be readily accessible to readers • Main – central character to the story/protagonist• Minor - less important character in a literary

work, but still is needed for explanation or development of plot

• Protagonist – central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy

• Round – display inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people

• Static – one that doesn’t change throughout the work, reader’s knowledge of character does not grow

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

C

haracterization – creation of characters for a

play or story• Direct – telling the audience/reader exactly what you

want them to know about the characters (Killer is a really mean guy.)

• Indirect – Showing the reader the character instead of telling the audience about the character

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

C

limax – high point of story; is the turning point, and usually

the most intense point in the story

C

omedy – literature with a love story at its core. The basic

plot often develops as follows: an old, established society

tries to prevent the formation of a new one (the union of a

young couple). The young couple succeeds in the end.

Human errors or problems may appear humorous.

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

Conflict – the problem or struggle in a story that triggers the action. There are five basic types: person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. fate/God

Connotation – creating associations while also using explicit definitions

Crisis – a high point in the conflict that leads to the turning point or climax

Denotation – dictionary definition

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

Denouement – the outcome, solution, unraveling, or clarification of a plot in a drama; final revelation or outcome

Dialect – a type of information diction. Dialects are spoken by definable groups of people from a particular geographic region, economic group, or social class. Writers often use dialect to contrast and express differences in educational, class, social, and regional backgrounds of their characters

Dialogue – the conversation carried on by the characters in a literary work

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

E

piphany – in fiction, when a character suddenly experiences

a deep realization about himself or herself; a truth which is

grasped in an ordinary rather than a melodramatic moment

E

xposition – writing or speaking that sets forth or explains;

detailed explanation

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

Flashback – going back to an earlier time in a story for the purpose of making something present clearer

Foil – character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist)

Foreshadowing – to be a sign of something to come; indicate or suggest before hand

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

G

esture – anything done or said to convey a state of mind,

intention, etc.; often something said or done merely for effect of

as a formality

I

magery – the words or phrases a writer selects to create a

certain picture in the reader’s mind, usually based on sensory

detail

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

I

rony – combination of circumstances or a result that is

opposite of what is or might be expected or considered

appropriate• Dramatic – where the reader/audience sees a character’s

mistakes or misunderstandings, but the character does not• Situational – there is a great difference between the purpose

of a particular action and the result• Verbal – where the writer says one thing and means another

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

M

etaphor – a figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a

word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used of one is applied to another

(all the world’s a stage)

M

ood – the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader/audience;

happiness, sadness, peacefulness

M

otif – an often-repeated idea or theme in literature

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

Plot – the action or sequence of events in a story; contains 5 basic elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement

Point of View – the vantage point from which the story is told

• 1st person – where a central character or another minor character tells the story using “I”

• 3rd person – where a voice outside of the story tells the story using “he” or “she” to describe the characters and actions• Limited/Objective• Omniscient – having infinite knowledge; knowing all

things; usually in 3rd person

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

Repetition – the act of repeating something over and over again

Satire – a literary work in which vices, follies, stupidities, abuses, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt

Scene – a division of a play, usually part of an act, in which conventionally the action is continuous and in a single place

Simile – a comparison of two unlike things in which a word of companion (like or as) is used

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

S

oliloquy – a speech delivered by a character when he/she is alone on

stage

S

taging – to present, represent, or exhibit on or as on stage

S

ymbol – a person, place, thing, or event used to represent something else

S

yntax – the ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns

DRAMA TERMINOLOGY

T

heme – the statement about life a particular work is trying to get across

T

one – the overall feeling, or effect, created by a writer’s words. May be

serious, mock-serious, humorous, or satirical

T

ragedy – a serious play or drama typically dealing with the problems of

a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending