Jane Eyre

Question 1

Name of actor your essay will focus on

Answer 1

Age, height. facial features, costume

Question 2

Climax

Answer 2

The point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events in a play, often
forming the turning point of the plot and leading to some kind of resolution. See also exposition and dénouement

Question 3

Composite set

Answer 3

A set that contains more than one location.

Question 4

Conflict

Answer 4

The internal or external struggle where it contrasts between ideas or interests that would create dramatic tension

Question 5

Comic relief

Answer 5

a break in tension f the place due to a comic character, line or episode

Question 6

Contrast

Answer 6

dynamic use of opposites or significant differences to create dramatic effects
Examples of ‘opposites’ might include movement/stillness, sound/silence, and
light/darkness. ‘Significant differences’ might include distinct styles or colour of
costumes, or styles of dialogue.

Question 7

Dénouement

Answer 7

The moment in a play when the essential plot point is unravelled or explained,
and the tensions that have driven the drama are resolved. See also climax,
exposition and resolution.

Question 8

Design elements

Answer 8

A general term to refer to props, costume, set, lighting and sound.

Question 9

Dialogue

Answer 9

Spoken conversation used by two or more characters to express thoughts,
feelings and attitudes.

Question 10

Downstage

Answer 10

downstage A position nearer the audience or at the front of the stage. See also upstage.

Question 11

Dynamics

Answer 11

Variations in levels of energy, physical movement, pace or emotional intensity in a
scene. Also used in technical theatre to describe the difference between levels of
sound.

Question 12

Ensemble

Answer 12

An approach to theatre-making that focuses on the combined output of all the
members of a group of performers working together, rather than emphasising
individual performances.

Question 13

Gesture

Answer 13

Any movement of the actor’s body that is used to convey meaning, attitude or
feeling.

Question 14

Inflection

Answer 14

Change in pitch of the voice, specifically the way the voice rises and falls. A rising

Question 15

Intensity

Answer 15

The measurable amount, levels or strength of a given property (for example sound,
light, emotion),

Question 16

Irony

Answer 16

An implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There are several
forms of irony.
Verbal irony is when a writer or speaker says one thing and means something else
(often the opposite of what is said).
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience know more than the characters on
stage.
Situational irony can be described as a discrepancy between what is expected and
what actually happens.

Question 17

Levels

Answer 17

The height or the positioning of a character compared to others. Levels can also
refer to parts of the set that have been elevated or lowered to vary the height of the
playing space

Question 18

Marking the
moment

Answer 18

A dramatic technique used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation.
This can be done in a number of different ways, for example through slow-motion,
tableau, narration, thought-tracking, lighting or music.

Question 19

Moment

Answer 19

A very brief period of time in which there is a significant change in the drama.

Question 20

Mood

Answer 20

The atmosphere or feeling of a performance, often created by the music, setting or
lighting.

Question 21

Motif

Answer 21

Any element of the drama that is used repeatedly to convey symbolic meaning.
Examples might be a gesture, a spoken phrase, a snatch of music or a technical
effect

Question 22

Multi-roling

Answer 22

when an actor plays more than one role in a play

Question 23

Non-verbal
expression

Answer 23

Communicating feelings, responses or attitudes through gesture, physical
movement, facial expression or sounds such as sighs or groans

Question 24

Pace

Answer 24

Rate of movement or speed of action, or the vocal delivery of the text. See tempo

Question 25

Pause

Answer 25

A short period of silence or stillness in a performance when the drama is
communicated non-verbally

Question 26

Physicality

Answer 26

The way in which an actor uses body language to convey character and intention

Question 27

Pitch

Answer 27

The particular level (high or low) of a voice, instrument or tune.

Question 28

Posture

Answer 28

Physical alignment of a performer’s body, or a physical stance taken by a
performer, which conveys information about the character being played.

Question 29

Proscenium

Answer 29

A frame or arch separating the stage from the auditorium. The proscenium
opening was of particular importance to the Realistic playwrights of the nineteenth
century, such as Ibsen and Shaw, for whom it was a picture frame or an imaginary
fourth wall through which the audience experienced the illusion of spying on the
characters.

Question 30

Protagonist

Answer 30

The main character or hero in a play or other literary work

Question 31

Proxemics

Answer 31

Contemporary term for ‘spatial relationships’, referring to the physical distances
between actors on a stage that communicates the relationship between different
characters. Proxemics is also applied to the distance between a performer
and elements of the set, which conveys information about character and
circumstances.

Question 32

Status

Answer 32

The power dynamic between two characters. A high status character would
behave in a dominant fashion, a low status character would behave submissively.

Question 33

Style

Answer 33

The distinctive way in which a play is performed, for example in a naturalistic way
with setting and costume in keeping with the actual period of the play. Alternatively,
a play may be presented in a style deliberately at variance with its original setting or
performance, for example a naturalistic play performed in a minimalist or symbolic
way.

Question 34

Subtext

Answer 34

What a character is really thinking or feeling when they say particular words.
Subtext is linked to motivation

Question 35

Subtext

Answer 35

What a character is really thinking or feeling when they say particular words.
Subtext is linked to motivation

Question 36

Suspense

Answer 36

A feeling of uncertainty as to the outcome, used to build interest and excitement
on the part of the audience

Question 37

Symbolism

Answer 37

The use of symbolic language, imagery, set design or colour to evoke emotions or
communicate ideas

Question 38

Tableaux

Answer 38

A technique in creative drama in which actors create a frozen picture, as if the
action were paused; plural is tableaux.

Question 39

Tempo

Answer 39

The speed at which the action on stage proceeds. Tempo will vary depending
upon the nature of the action and the circumstances in which it takes place. Often
combined with rhythm in dramatic contexts such as in ‘tempo rhythm’. It has a
very similar meaning to pace

Question 40

Tension

Answer 40

The atmosphere created by unresolved, disquieting or inharmonious situations that
human beings feel compelled to address. In the theatre, tension may be caused
by a threat to a character or confrontation between characters, creating a sense
of anxiety in the audience. Alternatively, tension may be created by the tasks or
different objectives characters set themselves, such as: Will they succeed? Who
will win?

Question 41

Transition

Answer 41

Movement, passage or change from one act, scene, section, position, state,
concept, etc., to another

Question 42

Turning point

Answer 42

The climax or high point of a story, when events can go either way