Twelve Angry Men Literary Terms

Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama Thought/Theme/Idea Action/Plot Characters Language Music Spectacle

Thought/Theme/Idea What the play means

Action/Plot The events of the play; What happens

Characters The people presented in the play

Language Word choices made by playwright; enunciation of actors

Music All sounds in a play; contributes to mood, intensity, etc.

Spectacle Visual elements of the play such as costumes, scenery, special effects, etc.

Direct Characterization The writer makes direct statements about a character's personality and tells what the character is like.

Indirect Characterization The writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him.


Conflict Opposition between two characters or forces.

Irony A situation or statement in which the actual outcome is the opposite of what’s expected.

Theme A unifying idea in a literary work; the moral or lesson.

Protagonist The principle character in a work of fiction.

Antagonist A character who works against the protagonist in a play.