Drama Terminology

Drama Terminology • Act – a major division of a play • Allegory – a story in which people, things and actions represent an idea or a generalization about life; often contains strong moral lesson • Allusion – a reference in literature to a person, event, or literary work • Apostrophe – the addressing of someone or something, usually not present, as though present (ex. Oh Captain, my Captain! Death be not proud) Drama Terminology • Apron – the front portion of the Proscenium Stage • Aside – a speech directed to the audience that is not audible to the other characters on stage at that time • Blackout – all lights on stage are “dropped” • Blocking – directions for actors’ movements on stage • Catastrophe - The concluding action of a drama, especially a classical tragedy, following the climax and containing a resolution of the plot. Drama Terminology • Catharsis – meaning “purgation,” it describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy. The audience faces the misfortunes of the protagonist, which elicit pity and compassion. Simultaneously, the audience also confronts the failure of the protagonist, thus receiving a frightening reminder of human limitations and frailties. Ultimately, however, both these negative emotions are purged, because the tragic protagonist’s suffering is an affirmation of human values rather that a despairing denial of them Drama Terminology • Character – a person or thing in a story – Antagonist - is the person or thing working against the protagonist – Dynamic – one that undergoes some type of change because of the action in the plot – Flat – embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily accessible to readers (could be stereotypes “dumb blonde” or “evil stepmother”) – Main – central character to the story/protagonist – Minor - less important character in a literary work, but still is needed for explanation or development of plot – Protagonist – central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy – Round – display inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people – Static – one that doesn’t change throughout the work, reader’s knowledge of character does not grow – Tragic hero – has the potential for greatness but is doomed to fail; trapped in a situation that cannot be won; makes some sort of tragic flaw, this causes fall from greatness; still wins a moral victory and spirit lives on Drama Terminology • Characterization – creation of characters for a play or story – Direct – telling the audience/reader exactly what you want them to know about the characters (Killer is a really mean guy.) – Indirect – Showing the reader the character instead of telling the audience about the character Drama Terminology • Chorus – the repetition of a line or phrase of a poem at regular intervals, especially at the end of a stanza • Climax – high point of story; is the turning point, and usually the most intense point in the story • Comedy – literature with a love story at its core. The basic plot often develops as follows: an old, established society tries to prevent the formation of a new one (the union of a young couple). The young couple succeeds in the end. Human errors or problems may appear humorous Drama Terminology • Conflict – the problem or struggle in a story that triggers the action. There are five basic types: person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. fate/God • Connotation – creating associations while also using explicit definitions • Crisis – a high point in the conflict that leads to the turning point or climax • Denotation – dictionary definition Drama Terminology • Denouement – the outcome, solution, unraveling, or clarification of a plot in a drama; final revelation or outcome • Dialect – a type of information diction. Dialects are spoken by definable groups of people from a particular geographic region, economic group, or social class. Writers often use dialect to contrast and express differences in educational, class, social, and regional backgrounds of their characters • Dialogue – the conversation carried on by the characters in a literary work Drama Terminology • Epiphany – in fiction, when a character suddenly experiences a deep realization about himself or herself; a truth which is grasped in an ordinary rather than a melodramatic moment • Exposition – writing or speaking that sets forth or explains; detailed explanation • Farce – an exaggerated comedy based on broadly humorous, highly unlikely situations Drama Terminology • Flashback – going back to an earlier time in a story for the purpose of making something present clearer • Foil – character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist) • Foreshadowing – to be a sign of something to come; indicate or suggest before hand Drama Terminology • Gesture – anything done or said to convey a state of mind, intention, etc.; often something said or done merely for effect of as a formality • Hubris – the flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero • Imagery – the words or phrases a writer selects to create a certain picture in the reader’s mind, usually based on sensory detail Drama Terminology • Irony – combination of circumstances or a result that is opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate – Dramatic – where the reader/audience sees a character’s mistakes or misunderstandings, but the character does not – Situational – there is a great difference between the purpose of a particular action and the result – Verbal – where the writer says one thing and means another Drama Terminology • Metaphor – a figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used of one is applied to another (all the world’s a stage) • Mood – the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader/audience; happiness, sadness, peacefulness • Motif – an often-repeated idea or theme in literature Drama Terminology • Paradox – a statement that seems contrary to common sense, yet may, in fact, be true • Plot – the action or sequence of events in a story; contains 5 basic elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement • Point of View – the vantage point from which the story is told – 1st person – where a central character or another minor character tells the story using “I” – 3rd person – where a voice outside of the story tells the story using “he” or “she” to describe the characters and actions • Limited/Objective • Omniscient – having infinite knowledge; knowing all things; usually in 3rd person Drama Terminology • Proscenium Stage – Greek stage; contains an apron – also known as a picture frame stage Drama Terminology • Repetition – the act of repeating something over and over again • Satire – a literary work in which vices, follies, stupidities, abuses, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt • Scene – a division of a play, usually part of an act, in which conventionally the action is continuous and in a single place • Simile – a comparison of two unlike things in which a word of companion (like or as) is used Drama Terminology • Soliloquy – a speech delivered by a character when he/she is alone on stage • Staging – to present, represent, or exhibit on or as on stage • Symbol – a person, place, thing, or event used to represent something else • Syntax – the ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns Drama Terminology • Theme – the statement about life a particular work is trying to get across • Tone – the overall feeling, or effect, created by a writer’s words. May be serious, mock-serious, humorous, or satirical • Tragedy – a serious play or drama typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending • Tragicomedy – a play or other literary work combining tragic and comic elements