DRAMATIC TERMS AND “THE CRUCIBLE”
DRAMATIC TERMS Political drama- reflects the author’s opinion on a political theme or issues Biblical allusions- references to figures, stories, or settings from the Bible; characters will use biblical allusions to defend themselves or accuse others
DRAMATIC CONFLICT Conflict- a struggle between opposing forces Internal conflict- conflict that takes place within a character who is torn by his/her own competing or contradictory values or desires External conflict- a conflict that takes place between a character and an external force (ex: society, nature, fate, or another person)
IRONY AND FLAWS Dramatic irony- a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows Verbal irony- a contrast between what a character says and what is really meant Tragic flaw- a mistake or unwise decision; what causes the tragic hero’s downfall
CHARACTERS Characters- the people who participate in the action of the play Dynamic character- a character who undergoes a dramatic change Static character- a character who does not undergo a change, but stays the same
ENEMIES Protagonist- the main character in the story in which all the events revolve around (not necessarily the good guy…) Antagonist- the person or thing opposing the protagonist (not necessarily the bad guy…)
STORY LINE Plot- all the events in a story Exposition- the beginning of a story where the author introduces characters, ideas, setting, etc. Rising action- the sequence of events in the story that lead to the climax Climax- the most important element of a story; the turning point in the story where everything changes, nothing will be the same Falling action- the events after the climax that lead to the resolution Resolution- the end of the story when the major conflicts are resolved and the story comes to an end
DRAW THIS IN YOUR JOURNAL Falling Action Exposition Climax Rising Action Resolution
LAST VOCAB WORD AND A QUESTION… Crucible- a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures; a place or occasion of severe test or trial. How do the two definitions relate to one another?