Dramatic Devices Flashcards
Scene
A small unit of a play in which there is no shift of locale or time.
Act
A main division of a drama
Aside
A brief remark made by a character that is intended to heard by the audience but not by the other characters.
Irony
A contrast between what is and what appears to be.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that comparing two unlike things that are essentially alike in some way.
Foreshadowing
A hint of what is to come in a story.
Comic relief
A humorous scene or speech in serious drama that is meant to provide a relief from emotional intensity.
Foil / antagonist
A character who contrasts and parallels the main character in a story.
Metonymy
A type of metaphor in which something closely associated with a subject is substituted for it ( the crown = the king ).
Imagery
Words or phrases that appeal to the five senses
Simile
A figure of speech comparing two essentially unlike things which are alike in one aspect ; uses like or as.
Soliloquy
A speech given by a character alone on stage to let the audience know what the character is thinking or feeling.
Paradox
A statement which seems to be contradictory but at the same time profoundly logical.
Tragedy
A type of drama of human conflict which ends in defeat and suffering.
Atmosphere
The tone or mood established by events, places and situations.
