Vocab 2/23 Flashcards
Act
the major subunit into which the action of a play is divided. The number in a play typically
ranges between one and five, and these are usually further divided into scenes
Amelioration
the act of relieving ills and changing for the better.
Aside
A dramatic device in which a character speaks directly to the audience and is understood to
be unheard by other characters.
Ballad
a story told through song
Diminutive
Very small
Distort
make false by mutilation or addition
Harbinger
something indicating the approach of someone or something
Imminent
close in time, about to occur
Incessantly
without interruption
Inflict
to impose something unpleasant
Mewling
Crying or whining
Monologue
in drama, a speech that a character gives to either themselves, the audience, or
another character
Motif
an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Often collections of
symbols, this helps reinforce the central themes of a work
Pantaloon
sixteenth century slang for an old man; similar to our word “geezer”
Playwright
A person who writes plays
Premonition
An early warning about a future event
Prophetic
foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
Reproach
To express criticisms toward
Sans
French for “without”
Scene
a minor subunit into which the action of a play is divided. They typically divide the acts
of a play
Soliloquy
a type of monologue in which the character is in conversation with him/herself
Theme
a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature
Tone
reflects the writer’s attitude toward the subject matter or audience of a literary work
Treble
the high voice of a small boy
