Iambic Pentameter – a line of verse consisting of 10 syllables that follows an unstressed/stressed pattern Couplet – two lines of verse that form a unit (usually rhyme and have the same meter) Sonnet – a poem of 14 lines with a formal rhyme scheme Shakespearean (English) sonnet – 3 quatrains and 1 couplet with rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg Pun – a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings Aside – speech directed towards the audience that is not supposed to be heard by other characters in the scene. An aside is usually used to let the audience know what a character is about to do what he or she is thinking.

Blank Verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter Characterization – the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. This can be through direct or indirect characterization. Classical Allusion – a reference to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events. Oxymoron – a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction Exposition – introduces characters and setting; provides basic information about relationships between characters and an initial conflict between them

Characterization Direct Characterization – author tells directly what the characters are like/what their motives are Indirect Characterization – author shows us what the characters are like through: S – speech T - thoughts E – effect on others A - actions L - looks

Irony – contrast between expectation and reality – between what is said and what is really meant,, between what is expected to happen and what really does happen, or between what appears to be true and what is really true. Verbal irony – speaker says one thing but really means something completely different Situational irony – contrast between what would seem appropriate and what really happens (or contrast between what we expect vs. what actually happens) Dramatic irony – occurs when the audience or the reader knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know Foil – character who is used as a contrast to another character. Can be used to accentuate and clarify distinct qualities of two characters.

Soliloquy – long speech in which a character who is onstage alone (or without any other characters hearing) expresses his or her thoughts aloud. Dramatic convention in which the audience is overhearing the private thoughts of a character. Rising action – development of conflict and complications in the plot that leads to the climax of the story Monologue – a long speech by one character in a play during a conversation with other characters Hyperbole – figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or to create a comic effect. Intensifies a description or emphasizes something. Foreshadowing – the use of clues in a text to hint at events that will occur later in the plot