English Liturature Higer Subject Teminology Flashcards
Allegory
Definition:
Something in a story/play that has links to morality, religion or politics
How it is effective:
Can be used to educate a reader
Anagnorisis
Definition:
The point in a plot (particularly a tragedy) at which the protagonist recognises his/her (or another characters) true identity or discovers the true nature of his/her own situation
How it is effective:
Can be used to effectively conclude a plot, tying us any loose ends
Example:
when Macbeth is fighting Macduff at the end of the play and realises it has all been for nothing
Anaphora
Definition:
Intentional repetition of words
How it is effective:
To emphasise the subject of action
Anthropomorphism
Definition:
A strong attribution of human characteristics to an animal or object
How it is effective:
Depending on context it can make something/someone appear more frightened/adorable
Antithesis
Definition:
A person of a thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else
How it is effective:
To show contrast and exemplify behaviour
Example:
Jack vs Ralph in LOTF or Banquo vs Macbeth
Asyndetic
Definition:
The act of leaving out one or more of the usual conjunctions, creating a list
How it is effective:
Used in a long list to emphasise how many items/ideas there were.
Example:
I gave her food, shelter and clothing
Binary Opposition
Definition:
A pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning
How it is effective:
Helps to strengthen the plot and further the narrative; also introduce contrast
Example:
Good vs Evil
Biblical Allusion
Definition:
Linking/bringing in ideas from the Bible
How it is used:
Makes the situation appear more serious/important
Cacophonic
Definition:
Harsh, discordant sounds (mixed)
How it is effective:
Can be used to show fear, panic, confusion etc.
Catharsis
Definition:
The process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong emotions
How it is effective:
Could take the form of a confession and therefore provide a reader with extra/missing details
Example:
Dr Jekyll’s Confession
Denouement
Definition:
The final part of a play, film or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved
How it is effective:
This enables the plot to reach a clear conclusion and allows for closure for the reader/audience
Didactic
Definition:
Intending to teach - using moral instruction as an ulterior motive
How it is effective:
Can be used to teach the reader something e.g social injustice (A Christmas Carol)
Dramatic Irony
Definition:
Where the reader/audience knows more than the character does
How it is effective:
Used to make the reader/ audience feel more involved, they know what is happening but they are powerless
Epistolary
Definition:
Relating to the writing of letters
How it is used:
Can be used to create another dimension to a text or give us further insight/understanding of characters
Exposition
Definition:
A comprehensive description and explanation of a Theory or idea
How it is used:
Can add further detail, could provide realism
Foreshadow
Definition:
A Warning/indication or foretelling of future events
How it is used:
Can give clues/warnings to a reader; prepare a reader
Fricative
Definition:
Denoting a type of consonant made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening, producing a turbulent airflow
How it is used:
F and Th sounds
Example:
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ - can sound strange and in this case otherworldly
Hamartia
Definition:
A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine
Example:
Macbeth’s hamartia is his ambition and in this example drives the whole play
Homograph
Definition:
Two or more worlds spelled the same but not necessarily pronounced the same and have different meanings and origins
How it is effective:
Provides double meanings to a word. Emphasises importance. Could prove humorous
Example:
Bow and Bow
Hubris
Definition:
Having excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance
How it is effective:
Can be linked with foreshadowing i.e. pride comes before fall
Example:
Macbeth
Motif
Definition:
A dominant or recurring idea in an artistic work
How it is effective:
Gives importance to the idea
Omniscient Narrator
Definition:
A narrator who knows everything
How it is effective:
Can give the reader further insight into the plot/ characters backgrounds
Onomastic
Definition:
Relating the study of the history and the origin of proper names
How it is used:
Can be used to add greater depths to the characters, e.g. Ralph is Angelo Saxon and means ‘council’; Simon is Hebrew and means ‘Listener’
Oxymoron
Definition:
Two words in the same sentence that contradict each other
How it is used:
Causes a reader to stop and think. Can be used to emphasise a situation
Example:
‘Exploding comfortably’ in Storm on the island
Paradox
Definition:
A self-Contradictory statement that, once explained, may prove to be well-founded and reveal the truth
How it is used:
To add greater depth to a story: Mystery, confusion, intrigue.
Example:
Macbeth and the witches
Parataxis
Definition:
Use of very short, sharp sentences
How it is used:
Can add drama/tension to a piece.
Pathos
Definition:
Language that evokes a feeling of pity in the reader
Peripeteia
Definition:
A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances
How it is used:
Can be used to shock a reader or provide them with a satisfying conclusion (depending on the plot)
Plosive
Definition:
A plosive consonant is an abrupt sound made by closing the releasing a bursts of breath. The plosive consonants in English are B,D,P and T
How it is used:
Their effect, especially when used repeatedly is used to create a verbal reflection of events, items or emotions which have a harsh feel such as anger.
Polemic
Definition:
A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something
How it is used:
Can be used to create awareness
Prolepsis
Definition:
The anticipation and answering of possible objections in rhetorical speech or representing a thing as existing before it actually did
How it is used:
Can be used to persuade
Example:
Lady Macbeth Answers Macbeth’s concerns about the plot to kill Duncan
Rhetoric
Definition:
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing
How it is used:
Persuading the audience to be on side with a character
Satire
Definition:
A piece of writing that looks fun at the societal establishment
How it is used:
Used to draw attention to social problems in the world
Staves
Definition:
Musical ‘selections’ used in songs
How it is used:
Breaks down a novel into sections
Syntax
Definition:
The ordering of words in a sentence to create meaning
How it is used:
Adds meaning and vibrancy to sentences and paragraphs
Tautology
Definition:
Conveying the same meaning with different words
How it is used:
Can add a deeper level of meaning/emphasises meaning.
Tricolon
Definition:
Tree parallel clauses, phrases or words which come in quick succession without interruption
How it is used:
Allows points to be emphasised and remembered
Trochaic tetrameter
Definition:
A metre in poetry. This means a poem has four ‘Trochees’ (a long syllable, or stressed, follow by a short, unstressed one)
How it is used:
This is an unnatural way to speak, compared to iambic pentameter, a more natural form
Example:
In Macbeth, the witches speak in trochaic terameter, and the nobles speak in iambic pentameter
Zoomorphism
Definition:
A strong attribution of animal characteristics to a human
