Terminology - Dramatic Texts Flashcards
What is deus ex machina?
Literally “god from the machine”, an implausible plot twist which saves the day at the end of the story
A staple feature of melodrama
What is dramatic irony?
Where the audience is aware of something that the characters in the text are not
What is expressionism?
A style of drama that represents the world non-literally, using fantastical or heavily symbolic elements
What is in media res?
“In the middle of things” - a scene or story which starts in the middle of action rather than the beginning
What is melodrama?
A style of drama or novel which contains overblown emotion and improbable events
What is mise-en-scene?
The arrangement of the scenery, props etc. on the stage of a theatrical production
What is pathos?
Sadness or sympathy created by the characters of events of a text
What is realism?
A style of drama that aims to represent the world in a realistic and believable way
What is are stage directions?
Directions provided to directors and actors to tell them how to produce or perform a play
What is verisimilitude?
When the setting and style of a drama is designed to mimic real life
