Romeo and Juliet Literary Terms Flashcards
alliteration
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
allusion
A reference to something else, such as mythology.
apostrophe
When someone addresses an imaginary character in speech, marked sometimes by an “O”.
aside
When a character speaks to nobody in particular.
blank verse
An unrhyming verse written in iambic pentameter.
comic relief
Comic episodes that offset more serious ones.
Conceit
When two vastly different things are linked by the use of metaphors.
dramatic irony
When the audience knows something that the characters don’t.
irony of situation
When an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.
verbal irony
When words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.
foil
A character that shows qualities that are in contrast to the qualities of another character to highlight their traits.
foreshadow
When the writer gives an advance hint at what is to come later on in the story.
hyperbole
Something that is largely exaggerated.
irony
Used to show the differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention.
metaphor
When a comparison is made between two objects with little in common.
metonymy
When the name of a thing is replaced with the name of something it is closely related to.
monologue
A long speech made by only one character.
oxymoron
Two words in a row that are opposites.
paradox
A contradiction, but not with two words in a row like an oxymoron.
personification
When a thing, idea, or an animal is given human attributes.
pun
A play on words, produced by using similar words that have different meanings.
simile
A comparison made between two things using the words like or as.
soliloquy
When a character reveals their thoughts when talking to themselves.
meiosis
An understatement.
anagnorisis
The moment of realization in Greek tragedy.
