Glossary of Dramatic terms and devices Flashcards
Dramatic irony
Occurs in a piece of literature when the audience knows something that some characters in the narrative do not.
Expressionist theatre
Expressionism is a theatrical style that stresses meaning through production elements such as light, music, setting, and even dance.
Hubris
Excessive pride or self-confidence.
Peripeteia
A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.
Pathos
A quality that evokes pity or sadness.
Motif
A dominant or recurring idea in an artistic work.
Melodrama
A sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions.
Tableau vivant
A silent and motionless group of people arranged to represent a scene or incident.
Leitmotif
A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
Hamartia
A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.
Catharsis
The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
Social Darwinism
An application of the theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. In its simplest form, Social Darwinism follows the mantra of “the strong survive”, including human issues.
Dénouement
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.
Naturalism
Theatre that attempts to create an illusion of reality through a range of dramatic and theatrical strategies.
Plastic Theatre
The use of all stage resources, lighting, sound, music, movement, sets and props, in order to generate a theatrical experience greater than realism.
