Literary Terms Flashcards
Antagonist
Character who is the main opposition to the protagonist
Authorial voice
The author, as distinct from the characters she/he has created, speaking directly to the reader
Denouement
End of the play, in which plot the strands are drawn together, questions answered and conflict is resolved
Dialogue
Line spoken by characters to each other
Dramatic irony
When the audience is aware of key information of which at least one character on stage is unaware
Dramatic tension
Uncertainty of outcome, usually caused by conflict that the audience feels must be somehow resolved; suspense
Epigraph
Quotation placed at the beginning of a poem novel or play, hinting at its meaning
Expressionist
Presenting a distorted, exaggerated form of reality. The Expressionist movement started in Germany in the early 20th century in visual arts, and exercised a considerable influence on drama and film as well as literature
Figurative language
Language in rich by figures of speech such as a metaphor
Foreshadow
Hint at what is to come later in the narrative
Hubris
The overweening pride that is the cause of the downfall of the tragic hero
Harmartia
The fatal flaw of a tragic hero, for example hubris
Melodrama
Play with the sensational plot, violent, often bloodthirsty incident, and with Over simple characterisation of heroes and villains
Morality play
A type of mediaeval or Tudor plate with stock characters which aims to educate the audience morally
Pathos
Quality which evokes strong feelings of pity and sorrow. This quality can of course be tinged with mawkish sentimentality
Tableau Vivant
A living picture, a group of silent motionless actors representing a dramatic event
Trope
Any figure of speech in which a word is used to represent something else – metaphors and similes or tropes
Unities
The rules demanding unity of time, place and action in a play. Comes from Aristotle and is regarded by literary theorists as imperative for the construction of a drama
Solipsism
A self centred view of the world which holds that nothing of relevance exists outside oneself
Sophism
And argument intended to mislead
Double entendre
And ambiguous remark; often a person with sexual connotations
Malcontent
A person common in Jacobean society as well as drama, the role carries connotations of melancholy and dissatisfaction, quite often recently so, and is often directed against the excesses of court life
Senecan tragedy
The Roman poet Seneca adapted Greek drama for non-theatrical presentations for lighting certain essential characteristics such as revenge disaster declamation
