Dramatic Dramatic Literary TermsLiterary Terms

Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s Romeo Romeo and Julietand Juliet and and A A

Midsummer Night’s Midsummer Night’s DreamDream

Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

blank verseblank verse

poetry written in unrhymed poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameteriambic pentameter

catastrophecatastrophe

the action of the end of a the action of the end of a tragedy that initiates the tragedy that initiates the dénouement or falling dénouement or falling actionaction

catharsiscatharsis

the purging of the feelings of the purging of the feelings of pity and fear that, according pity and fear that, according to Aristotle, occur in the to Aristotle, occur in the audience of tragic dramaaudience of tragic drama

charactercharacter

a character is a person or an a character is a person or an animal who takes part in the animal who takes part in the action of a literary work action of a literary work (round: many different (round: many different traits; flat: only one trait)traits; flat: only one trait)

comedycomedy

a literary work, especially a a literary work, especially a play, that has a happy play, that has a happy endingending

dramatic personaedramatic personae

Latin for the characters or Latin for the characters or personas in a playpersonas in a play

dramatic monologuedramatic monologue

a poem or speech in which a a poem or speech in which a fictional character addresses fictional character addresses the listenerthe listener

foil foil

a character who provides a a character who provides a contrast to another character contrast to another character (in (in R&JR&J the fiery Tybalt is a foil the fiery Tybalt is a foil for the good-natured Benvolio)for the good-natured Benvolio)

iambic pentameteriambic pentametera common meter in poetry a common meter in poetry

consisting of an unrhymed line consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable syllable and an accented syllable (translation: ten beats per line, (translation: ten beats per line, stress on every other beat)stress on every other beat)

pathospathos

a quality of a play’s actions that a quality of a play’s actions that stimulates the audience to feel stimulates the audience to feel pity for a character (pathos is pity for a character (pathos is always an aspect of tragedy and always an aspect of tragedy and sometimes an aspect of comedy)sometimes an aspect of comedy)

plot plot (elements in Shakespearean drama)(elements in Shakespearean drama)

the sequence of events in a the sequence of events in a literary work (exposition, literary work (exposition, exciting force, rising action, exciting force, rising action, climax, falling action, climax, falling action, catastrophe)catastrophe)

sonnetsonnet

a fourteen-line lyric poem, a fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter with a iambic pentameter with a specific rhyme schemespecific rhyme scheme

stage directionsstage directions

notes included in a drama to notes included in a drama to describe how the work is to be describe how the work is to be performed or stagedperformed or staged

in additionin addition

in addition to the terms within this in addition to the terms within this PowerPoint, students are PowerPoint, students are responsible for the “Glossary of responsible for the “Glossary of Terms” handout and a review of Terms” handout and a review of last semester’s literary devices (on last semester’s literary devices (on wiki at itsmillertime.pbworks.com), wiki at itsmillertime.pbworks.com), especially antagonist, dialogue, and especially antagonist, dialogue, and protagonistprotagonist