An Inspector Calls Key Terms: Flashcards
Alliteration
the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of words in close succession.
Allusion
an indirect reference to a concept or theme without explicit mention.
Antithesis
the direct opposite of a concept or person.
Archetype
a person or thing who is a typical example of something, usually a personality type, with clear, recognisable characteristics.
Caricature
an imitation where particular notable characteristics are exaggerated to a comic or grotesque effect.
Colloquialism
an informal word or phrase used in normal or familiar conversation.
Connotation
an impression, idea, or feeling associated with a word or phase beyond its literal meaning.
Dramatic Irony
when the audience knows more about a situation than the characters discussing or experiencing it, meaning they know whether a character’s prediction or statement is correct.
Dichotomy
a division or contrast between two opposed things.
Epithet
referring to a person or thing with an adjective or phrase that describes a defining characteristic (e.g. “the blue-eyed boy” or “the Once and Future King”).
Epitome
a perfect example or embodiment of a concept.
Euphemism
replacement of a crude or offensive expression with a more vague, mild expression (e.g. “water closet”).
Foreshadowing
giving a hint or warning of a future event, either explicitly or implicitly.
Grotesque
ugly and distorted, physically or figuratively, in a way that is comic or repulsive.
Hyperbole
exaggerating in a way that should not be taken literally.
Imagery
using language to create a visual picture.
Innuendo
an implicit remark or hint, particularly one that is supposed to be suggestive or inappropriate.
Interjection
a sudden remark, used often as an interruption or aside in a text.
Juxtaposition
two contrasting concepts or characters placed close together in a text.
Manifestation
a physical expression or realisation of an abstract idea through a character, object, place, or event.
Metaphor
describing a person, object, or concept as something it cannot literally be, but that has recognisable and defining implications for it (e.g. “the sky was a stormy sea”).
Oxymoron
a figure of speech where two contradictory terms are used in succession (e.g. “deafening quiet”).
Parody
imitating a particular style, genre, or piece of work with deliberate exaggeration to create a comic effect.
Sarcasm
saying the opposite of what one means or something that is obviously not true or reasonable, in order to mock or show contempt
Satire
using irony, exaggeration, humour, or ridicule to criticise someone’s stupidity or cruel behaviour, particularly in a political context
Semantic Field
using words that are linked by a particular concept, context, or connotation throughout a text or a section of a text (e.g. “fire”, “smoke”, “devils”, and “demons” could be a semantic field of Hell).
Sibilance
the repetition of an “s” sound in a word, sentence, or section of text.
Simile
comparing something to something else in a nonliteral way, in order to convey a particular idea or quality about the original thing.
Situational Irony
when the outcome of an event is different than what was expected by the characters and the audience.
Symbolism
using a character, object, or event to represent something else, particularly an abstract idea.
Book-ending
starting and ending a piece of literature with the same word, sentence, event, or idea.
Chinese Box Narrative/Frame Narrative
when a story is told within a story, often through different perspectives and forms (e.g. letters, diary entries, or word of mouth).
Chronological
when events are told in the order they occurred
Cyclical
when the same sequence of events repeats throughout a story.
Exposition
information provided through stage directions, narration, dialogue, or description, used to introduce the audience to crucial background information.
In Media Res
starting in the middle of the action.
Parallelism
using components that are similar in grammar, structure, or meaning within a sentence or multiple sentences, or throughout the text as a whole (e.g. “He came, he saw, he conquered”).
Refrain
a word, phrase, or sentence that is repeated throughout a text.
Tricolon
three parallel clauses, words, or phrases in quick succession (e.g. “Eye it, try it, buy it”)
Allegory
A story, character, place, or event is used to convey a hidden meaning, typically moral or political, about real-world events or issues (e.g. Eva Smith’s death is an allegory for the mistreatment of the lower classes).
Dialogue
A conversation between two or more people.
Microcosm
using a place, group of people, or event in the small-scale to represent something much larger (e.g. The Birlings are a microcosm for upper class, Capitalist society.)
Monologue
a long speech by one character.
Morality Play
a form of theatre from the Medieval era designed to teach the audience a lesson about good behaviour.
Mouthpiece
when the playwright places a character in the play who acts as a spokesman for their own views and beliefs.
Parable
a story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson, typically told in the Bible by Jesus.
Realism
a form of theatre that focuses on everyday, middle-class life in order to create an illusion of reality, and suggests that individuals have the power to choose what they do.
Real Time
when the events in the play are happening at the same time as they would in real life, meaning there are no time jumps or periods of sped-up or slowed-down time.
Set
the stage, scenery, and props used to represent the setting of the play.
Stage Direction
an instruction given in the script of a play to indicate how a line is given, what a character should do, or how the sound effects and lighting should be used.
