Romeo And Juliet Terms Flashcards
Tragic hero
The most important character in tragedy, born into nobility and is responsible for his/ her own fate
Tragic flaw
One or more serious errors in judgment that the tragic hero makes, usually a character flaw such as pride or indecisiveness , in most tragedies, the tragic hero eventually realizes his mistake and faces death with great dignity and honor
Comedy
Drama that deals with light and amusing subjects or with serious subjects in a light , familiar, or satirical manner
Satire
A kind of comedy that ridicules people , practices, or institutions in order to reveal their failings
Farce
Comedy that places flat, one dimensional characters in ridiculous situations
Stage directions
Written instructions that explain how to perform a play, including how the characters should look, speak, move , and behave . They also specify details of the setting and scenery. They are normally written in italics and enclosed in brackets
Chorus
In Elizabethan drama , the chorus is portrayed by one actor, who often spoke the prologue and epilogue of the play . Unlike other actors, who engaged in dialogue, the chorus spoke directly to the audience
Dialogue
Conversation between characters
Monologue
Character speaks directly to another character or to himself or herself
Soliloquy
The character speaks his/her innermost thoughts when there are not any other characters on stage
Aside
A character says something to the audience that the other characters are not supposed to hear
Situational irony
The outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected
Verbal irony
A person says one thing but means another
Dramatic irony
The reader or audience knows something the characters do not
Blank verse
Unrhymed poetry or iambic pentameter. Each work has 5 units, or feet, each foot is made up of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This means that there are ten syllables per line , and every second syllable is stressed
Example of blank verse
Be pa / tient, for / the world / is broad / and wide
Foil
Character who provides a strong contrast to another character
Pun
Humorous play on words. Usually involve words that are similar in sound or a word that has several meanings
Shakespearean sonnet
Fourteen line sonnet that uses the rhyme scheme : abab cdcd efef gg
Tragedy
Drama (play) in which main character suffers from a fall from good fortune
