Midterm Flashcards
types of signs
index, icon, symbol, synecdoche, dramaturg
Index
represents something by virtue of its pointing to the thing
icon
represents something by virtue of its resemblance to the thing
symbol
represents something abstract
synecdoche
part for the whole (or a whole for its parts)
dramaturg
play, performance, audience
point of plato’s allegory of the cave
to illustrate the idea that most people only experience a limited, illusory version of reality, represented by shadows in a cave, and that true knowledge comes from actively seeking out the higher truth beyond our immediate perceptions, symbolized by escaping the cave and reaching the light of the sun; essentially encouraging critical thinking and the pursuit of philosophical understanding beyond superficial appearances
what happens to those who return to the cave with their newfound wisdom
they’re unable to convince the other prisoners that their beliefs are illusions- they weren’t ready to leave the caves
aristotle
6 elements in order
plot- arrangement of events, most important
character-
thought
diction
sound
spectacle
tragic structure- 9 components
- TRAGEDOI
- royalty or divinity
- rises to great height, only to fall
- falls because of a tragic flaw
- peripeteia “reversal”
- anagnorisis, recognition or a shift from ignorance to awareness
- ends in exile/ death
- inspires catharsis, purging of fear and pity
- pathos, or a destructive or painful act
Freyrags pyramid:
exposition
including event, rising action
climax
falling action
denouement, resolution
two types of plays
climactic and episodic
climactic
plot begins late
covers short space of time
contains a few, extended scenes
restricted locale
small number of characters
plot is linear, few subplots
cause and effect, inevitable development
episodic
plot begins early in the story
covers long period
alternates: short and long scenes
ranges over large space
profusion of characters
not linear, lots of subplots
juxtaposition, not casual
which type of play is eurydice?
eurydice is more of an episodic play because it feels long and dreamlike as opposed to a short timeline, it ranges over a long space
domestic drama
drama within family
modern tragedy
issues within this timeframe
comedy
ironic, funny, good ending
melodrama
dramatized story
differance
meaning is always deferred and unstable, meaning is never fixed but always shifting based on context, interpretation, and language
example of differance
hamlets’ to be or not to be
supplement
something added to something else to improve it, an addition to something complete but actually reveals that the complete thing has been lacking the whole time
erasure
words or concepts are both necessary and inadequate at the same time
something written then crossed out
it both exists and doesn’t exist at the same time
speech vs. writing, presence vs
absence
writing is not just a copy of speech, but has meaning too- speech itself is a type of writing
pharmakon
poison vs. cure, something that both heals and cures- knowledge as a double-edged sword
realism: the groundwork
industrial revolution- rural to urban, rise in literacy, rise in spending money, rise in middle class, rise in rich/poor divide, rise in social consciousness, rise in inner consciousness, rise in consumption of theater
3 important figures of the 19th century:
MARX, DARWIN, FREUD
DARWIN
all creatures were products of their environment
FREUD
asserted that most actions arose from subconscious morivations
father of realism
henrik ibsen (a dolls house)
