Key Words Deffinitions Flashcards
What does hamartia mean?
A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero
What does aside mean?
A remark made by the character that only the audience can hear, not the other characters
What is a soliloquy?
An act if speaking ones thoughts aloud, heard by everyone
What is motif?
A recurring element that has symbol significance in a story, that produces a theme or mood
What does foreshadow mean?
A warning or indication of a future event
What does resolution mean?
A firm decision to do or not to do something
What does climax mean?
The peak, most intense point of something
What does catharsis mean?
The process of releasing repressed or strong emotions
What does peripeteia mean?
A sudden reversal in fortune or change in circumstance
What is a pentameter?
A line of verse consisting of 5 feet, a foot being a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables
What is pathetic fallacy?
The use of weather to set a mood or atmosphere in a story/play
What is the protagonist?
The leading role in a novel/play
What is dramatic irony?
A form of irony expressed through structure/ expression of what one said and using language to signify the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect
What is regicide?
The killing of a king
What does autocratic mean?
In relation to an absolute ruler
What does hubris mean?
Excessive pride or self confidence, like arrogance, vanity, pride
What does infanticide mean?
The crime of a person who kills an infant, possibly their own child
What is a massacre?
An indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people
What is another word for a flashback?
Analepsis
What is another word for a flash-forward?
Prolepsis
What does maternal mean?
Of or relating to the feelings of a caring mother
What does paternal mean?
Of or related to a caring father, opposite to maternal
What does morality mean?
Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, system of ones values and ethics
What does purgatory mean?
In catholic theology it is the state between physical death and going to heaven where sinners suffer as you are being ‘purified’
What is regicide?
The action of killing a king
What is tragedy?
An event that causes a immense destruction, suffering and distress, it is a type of play that often doesn’t have a happy ending
What does treason mean?
The act of betraying someone or something, often ones country when changing allegiance
What is a tyrant?
A cruel and oppressive ruler who people want to , and do, remove
What is an uprising?
The act of resistance or rebellion, a revolt against something a group of people are against
What does usurp mean?
To take something (usually a position of power) illegally or by force
What is symbolism?
The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
What is a semantic field?
A set of semantically related ideas
What does euphemism mean?
When a harsh or blunt word is replaced by an indirect one referring to something unpleasant
What does Bildungsroman mean
A novel dealing with ones younger years and becoming an adult
What does aberration mean?
Typically an unwelcome departure from what is normal, usual or expected. An unwelcome change
What does abhorrent mean?
Inspiring disgust or loathing
What is an allegory?
A story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
What is an allusion?
An expression that calls something to the audiences mind without mentioning it explicitly (often about society)
What does anxiety mean?
A feeling of worry or unease about something with an uncertain outcome
What does atavism mean?
The reappearance of a characteristic from an old ancestor, reversion to a primitive type
What does consciousness mean?
The state of being aware and responsible of one surroundings
What does debased mean?
Reduced in quality or value
What does degenerate mean?
Having lost the physical, mental or moral qualities considered normal
What does depraved mean?
Morally corrupt or wicked
What does duality mean?
The quality or condition of being dual
What does duplicity mean?
Deceitfulness, deceptive and dishonest
What does epistolary mean?
A literary work in the form of letters
What is ethics?
Moral principles that govern a persons behaviour, their sense of right and wrong
What are eugenics?
The science of improving a population via genes
What does feral mean?
In a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication
What is a genre?
A style or category of art, music or literature
What does metamorphosis mean?
The process/ change of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in 2 or more distinct stages
What does perversion mean?
Distortion or corruption of the original cause, meaning or state of something
What does respectability mean?
The quality of being socially acceptable, valued
What does professional mean?
Relating or belonging to a profession, a paid occupation
What does colloquialism mean?
Phrases that are not formal, used in ordinary conversation
What is an antagonist? Who is the main antagonistic character in NLMG?
A person who actively opposes someone or is hostile, such as Ruth in NLMG
What is personification?
The attribution of human characteristics to something non human
