english terms shakespeare Flashcards
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a long speech where a character talks to themselves, revealing their thoughts to the audience.
aside
An aside is a short comment to the audience that other characters on stage can’t hear.
monologue
A monologue is a long speech by one character, spoken to other characters or the audience
malapropism
A malapropism is when someone mistakenly uses a wrong word that sounds similar to the correct one, often creating a funny or confusing effect.
Example: “Texas has a lot of electrical votes” (instead of electoral votes).
alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
motif
A motif is a recurring theme, symbol, or idea in a story, artwork, or piece of music. It helps to develop the overall message or meaning.
Example: The use of dark clouds in a story to represent impending doom could be a motif.
equivocation
Equivocation is when someone uses ambiguous or unclear language to hide the truth or mislead others, often to avoid taking a clear stance.
Example: Saying, “I didn’t say you were wrong,” instead of directly addressing a mistake.
chorus (play)
In a play, a chorus is a group of characters who comment on the events or provide background information, often speaking or singing in unison. They help guide the audience’s understanding of the story.
catharsis
Catharsis is the emotional release or relief that a person feels after experiencing intense emotions, often through art, like watching a tragic play. It allows the audience to purge feelings of fear or pity.
the great chain of being
The Great Chain of Being is an ancient concept that sees the universe as a hierarchical structure, with everything having a specific place. At the top are divine beings (like God), followed by angels, humans, animals, plants, and inanimate objects, all in a strict order.
paradox
A paradox is a statement or situation that seems contradictory or impossible but may actually reveal a deeper truth.
Example: “Less is more.”
tragic hero
A tragic hero is a character in a story who has a flaw or makes a mistake that leads to their downfall, often evoking pity or fear in the audience. They are typically noble or high-ranking but doomed by their own actions.
prose
anything but a peom, lacks rythm
blank verse
rythmical pattern, shows higher education
pun
a play on words to show wit
apostrophe (literary device)
An apostrophe in literature is when a character addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or a thing as if it can respond. It’s like speaking to something that isn’t physically there.
Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?” (from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII).
