Characteristics of Shakespearean Tradegy Flashcards
What is a tragedy?
Is a drama in which ends in catastrophe, mostly with the death of the main characters.
What is a Tragic hero/ Protagonist?
-the character or characters around whom the story revolves around
- they are the most important characters in the story
-usually, the person the audience most relates
to
-who the audience wants to see succeed
Antagonist
- a major character in the play whose ideas and/or values conflict with those of the protagonist.
- tendency is to think of the antagonist as the “bad guy,” but this is not always the case.
What is a foil?
A foil is a character who is almost exactly the opposite of another character, used to make a
comparison.
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is when a character voices their thoughts out loud when they are alone or when they think that they are alone. This helps the audience to know what is going on in the character’s mind.
Aside
Words spoken by a character directly to the audience or to another character, that others on stage do not hear. It reveals the character’s private thoughts.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a situation in the story in which the audience knows something that the
characters do not know.
-Helps build suspense
Comic Relief
A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood. It serves to heighten the seriousness of the main action by contrast.
Chorus
A person or group of people who act as a narrator, commentator, or general audience to the action of the play.
Pun
jokes that result from multiple word meanings or rhyming sounds
Blank verse
form of poetry that resembles natural speech
Foreshadowing
writer’s use of hints or clues in early scenes to suggest events that will occur later.
Motif
Recurring thematic element. A dominant idea or central theme.
