lit terms: plot Flashcards
Catastrophe
The concluding action of a classical tragedy containing the resolution of the plot
Comic relief
A humorous incident introduced into a serious literary work in order to relieve dramatic tension or heighten emotional impact
Dilemma
A situation in which a character must choose between two courses of action, both undesirable
Deus ex machina
(God from the machine) the resolution of a plot by use of a highly improbably chance or coincidence
Indeterminate ending
An ending in which the central problem or conflict is left unresolved
Inversion
A reversal in order, nature, or effect
Motivation
An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action
Anticlimax
A sudden descent from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential
Mystery
An unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation, used to create suspense
Paradox
A statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements
Plot
The sequence of incidents or events of which a story is composed
Plot manipulation
A situation in which an author gives the plot a twist or turn unjustified by preceding action or by the characters involved
Plot device
An object, character, or event whose only reason for existing is to advance the story
Prologue
An introduction or a preface, especially a poem cited to introduce a play
Red herring
A literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item or person of significance
