Drama Literary Terms

Antagonist Character or group in conflict with protagonist Ex: Tybalt vs. Romeo, the Prince, feuding Montagues and Capulets

Aside Lines said to another character; heard only by the audience and intended recipient, not the other characters on the stage Ex: Gregory and Sampson p.9 Act I, Scene I

Audience Group of spectators/listeners

Blank Verse Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter; major verse form in Shakespeare’s plays Ex: p. 40 Nurse’s monologue Any conversations that do not rhyme

Cast Characters in a play

Chorus In Elizabethan drama; actor (s) recite prologue or epilogue and sometimes comments on the actions of characters Ex: Chorus reads prologue I, prologue II

Comedy In general, story ends happily

Conflict Struggle between two opposing forces Ex: Montagues vs. Capulets

Couplet Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme Ex: Last two lines of prologue p. 2 Last two lines p. 66 Act I Sc. 5

Downstage Front part of stage

Drama A work written to be performed by actors

Dramatic Irony Occurs when the audience knows something important that the character in the play does not know Ex: conversation between Benvolio and Montague – lets audience know about Romeo’s behavior p.18-19

Epilogue Short summary at the end of a work

Foil A character who sets off another character by contrast Ex: Benvolio (peacekeeper) and Tybalt (short tempered)

Iambic Meter Unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable Ex: Shall I/ = Shall – U and I - / Shall I = one unstressed and one stressed syllable is an iamb

Iambic Pentameter Five verse feet with each foot an iamb (total of ten syllables) Ex: Shall I/ comPARE/ thee TO/ a SUM/mer’s DAY?/

Monologue Long speech made by one person, often monopolizing the conversation Ex: Nurse p. 41, Mercutio p. 53, and Juliet p. 85

Oxymoron A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms Ex: p. 20 “O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing…” “O heavy lightness, serious vanity…feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health…”

Prologue Lines introducing a play (summary) Ex: p. 2 for Act I, p. 72 for Act II

Protagonist Central character of a play; engaged in struggle or conflict with another character or group Ex: Romeo, Juliet

Pun Play on the multiple meanings of a word or words that sound alike but have different meanings Ex: p. 53 Mercutio: “My dream told me that dreamers often lie” Romeo: “They lie in bed while they dream about the truth”

Satire Writing that ridicules something in order to reveal a weakness Ex: Saturday Night Live, Scary Movies, Date Movie

Setting Where the action occurs; often revealed in stage directions Ex: Prologue Verona, Mantua (Cities in Northern Italy)

Soliloquy Long speech made by someone alone on stage; usually expresses private thoughts Ex: Act 2, Scene 2 Balcony Scene p. 79

Stage Directions Notes that describe how a work is to be performed or staged; usually include lighting, sound effects, movements, etc. Ex: p.5 Sampson and Gregory enter carrying swords and small shields p. 10 (aside to Sampson) p. 10 (draws his sword)

Stage Directions Cont.

Tragedy Depicts serious or important events; main character typically comes to an unhappy end Ex: Romeo and Juliet

Upstage Back part of stage