drama (test 2) Flashcards
what is drama?
A literary work usually intended for performance onstage before an audience
what is tragedy?
A serious drama that relates the events in the life of a protagonist, whose error in judgment results in their downfall and culminates in catastrophe
what is comedy?
A play, light in tone, designed to amuse and entertain, that usually ends happily, often with a marriage
what is satire?
Literary expression that uses humour and wit to attack and expose human folly and weakness
what is a parody?
An imitation of a piece of writing, copying some features such as diction, style, and form, but changing or exaggerating other features for humorous effect
what is metafiction?
Self-reflexive fiction that examines the nature and status of fiction itself and often seeks to test fiction as a form
what is mise-en-scene?
Arrangement of all the elements on stage at a given moment or throughout a performance. Elements include decor, lighting, props, casting, acting style, costumes, and blocking
what are props?
Objects that are used by performers onstage or are necessary to complete the set
what is blocking?
Pattern and arrangement of performers’ movements onstage with respect to each other and to the stage space, usually set by the director
what is realistic?
A type of theatre dedicated to the reproduction of life and the creation of the illusion of nature, especially as it appears to the eye and ear; usually deals with ordinary people in ordinary situations, moving in scenery that closely imitates reality
what is presentational?
A type of theatre in which there is little or no illusionism in the acting and staging (as opposed to representational or naturalistic theatre)
what is dialogue?
A conversation between two or more characters in a literary work
what is monologue/soliloquy?
A speech in which a dramatic character reveals what is going through his or her mind by talking aloud to herself or himself
what is aside?
A convention in drama whereby a character onstage addresses the audience to reveal some inner thought or feeling that is presumed inaudible to any other characters in earshot
what is style?
Individuality of expression, achieved in writing through the selection and arrangement of words and punctuation
what is diction?
Words chosen in writing or speaking
what is syntax?
Sentence structure or word order; the relationship between words and among word groups in sentences
what is denotation?
The literal dictionary definition of a word
what is connotation?
The associations that attach themselves to a word, deeply affecting its literal meanings
what is concrete imagery?
Imagery based on that which can be touched, seen, tasted, heard, or felt; not abstract
what is figurative imagery?
Words that carry suggestive or symbolic meaning beyond the literal level. The most important example is the metaphor, but other examples also include similes
what is a metaphor?
A figure of speech that makes an imaginative comparison between two literally unlike things
what is a simile?
A verbal comparison in which a similarity is expressed directly, using like or as
what is tenor?
The subject of a figure of speech like a simile or a metaphor; usually, the part of a figurative image that is actual and present (“literal”). In a simile it is the part that comes before “like” or “as”
what is the vehicle?
The image, activity, or concept used to illustrate or represent the tenor, or subject, of any figure of speech; usually the part of a figurative image that is imaginative and absent (“figurative”). In a simile it is the part that comes after “like” or “as”
what is a symbol?
Something that suggests or stands for an idea, quality, or concept larger than itself. A symbol is different from a metaphor since what is given—the symbol—is the vehicle of the meaning or tenor which is usually only implied
what is an allegory?
A form of symbolism in which ideas or abstract qualities are represented as characters or events in a story, novel, or play
what is an allusion?
A reference to some character or event in literature, history, or mythology that enriches the meaning of the passage
what is a motif?
A pattern of identical or similar images recurring throughout a passage or entire work
what is tone?
The attitude a writer conveys towards their subject or audience
what is verbal irony?
A major discrepancy or difference between the literal meaning of a statement and its intended meaning
