Romeo and Juliet Dramatic Terms

Act A major division in the action of a play. Shakespeare’s play usually have five acts.

Allusion A reference in one work of literature to a person, place, or event in another work of literature or in history, art, or music.

Anachronism Something placed in an inappropriate time. E.g. Wearing a wrist watch in Elizabethan times.

Anagnorisis A moment in a play or other work where the character makes a critical discovery.

Aside Lines spoken by a character in an undertone or directly to the audience, not intended for the other actors on stage to hear.

Blank verse Unrhymed iambic pentameter (almost all of Shakespeare’s dramatic lines are written in this style, particularly the dialogue of the nobility).

Catastrophe A disaster; a horrible event

Catharsis Purification or purgation of emotions

Characterization The personality a character displays; also, the means by which the author reveals that personality.

Comic Relief Humorous incidents that occur as a break in serious moments. The content of the comic relief episode is relevant in some degree to the tragic plot.

Concealment A technique that allows a character to be seen by the audience while remaining hidden from fellow actors.

Conflict A struggle (between two opposing forces or characters).

Couplet Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme. E.g. My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

Drama A literary art form that recreates human life and emotions. The medium is the dialogue and action within a frame of sequential events. Its written form is called a script and its living form is the stage presentation.

Dramatic Structure The five parts of a conventional tragedy: Introduction (Act 1) Complication (Act 2) Climax (Act 3) Falling Action (Act 4) Catastrophe (Act 5)

Epithet A descriptive adjective or phrase used to characterize someone or something. Example: Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover!

Exuent Everyone on stage leaves (or those characters mentioned after the word “exuent”.

Foil A character who sets off another character by contrast

Iambic meter Unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable Example: a gain

Irony Literary technique that portrays differences between appearance and reality. Dramatic irony- a contrast between what the audience perceives and what a character does NOT know Situational- a contrast between what is expected and what really happens Verbal – a contrast between what is said and what is meant

Monologue Narrative style in which one character speaks to one or more listeners whose replies are not given.

Oxymoron A paradoxical utterance joining two terms that in ordinary usage would be considered opposites e.g. “hateful love” or “burning cold”

Prose Ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme or metre. Shakespeare’s lower class characters (servants, tradespeople) usually speak in prose.

Prologue Opening which establishes background details and setting

Pun A play on the meaning of a word(s) E.g. As Mercutio dies, he says “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.”

Scene The smaller units of action within Acts.

Sonnet A Fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in iambic pentameter. The most common rhyme scheme for Shakespeare’s sonnet is: abab cdcd efef gg.

Soliloquy A speech in which a character is alone on stage and expresses thoughts out loud.

Tragedy A serious drama that is a thoughtful examination of human failure and unhappiness. The protagonist is a person of nobility, yet one who usually has a serious fault (the tragic flaw or “hamartia”, who must make a more decision that leads to downfall and death.

Transposition Reversal of usual word order E.g. “What, know you now…” E.g. “Stand you directly in Antonius’ way…”