Key Terms Glossary Language Structure/Narrative Context/concept Analogy - comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Catalyst – an element which enters a narrative which causes a reaction – usually an increase in conflict and tension. Ambition - desire and determination to achieve success. Emotive language - describes words and phrases meant to evoke an emotional response to a subject. Dramatic irony – when the audience is aware of information that the character is not aware of. Hierarchy – system where citizens are ranked according to relative status or authority. Iambic Pentameter - a line of verse ten syllables in length each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable. Enigma – mystery and ambiguity developed for dramatic effect – withholding of information for the purposes of the narrative. Historical context - refers to the moods, attitudes, and conditions that existed during a certain time. Imperatives – command words (usually verbs). Foreshadowing - a warning and indication of a future event. Hubris – excessive pride which inevitably leads to one’s downfall. Oxymoron - a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction – example: “fair is foul and foul is fair” Irony - the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Loyalty - giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance. Personification – human characteristics given to a nun-human form. Motif – a repletion of a certain idea or symbol in a narrative Machiavellian - cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics Pun - a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings. Semantic Field - a lexical set of semantically related items, or simply, words and phrases with a similar meaning or context to the subject. Patriarchy - a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Rhetorical question - a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. Suspense - a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen Regicide - the deliberate killing of a monarch Soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself especially by a character in a play. Tyranny - cruel and oppressive government or rule.