1. Literary Terms to Know Ms. Palevsky English Concepts
Elements of Drama
Literary Terms to Know
Ms. Palevsky
English Concepts

2. drama
A work of literature designed to be performed in front of an audience

3. comedy
A humorous work of drama

4. tragedy
A serious work of drama in which the hero suffers catastrophe or serious misfortune, usually because of his own actions

5. Act
A division within a play, much like chapters in a novel

6. scene
A division of an act into smaller parts

7. Cast of characters
A list of characters presented before the action begins

8. Stage directions
Italicized comments that identify parts of the setting or the use of props or costumes, give further information about a character, or provide background information

9. Iambic pentameter
A line of poetry that contains 5 iambs of two syllables each

10. dialogue Conversation between two or more characters
Juliet , I love you!
I love you too, Romeo!

11. Only the audience hears. Usually only a few lines.
Aside
Lines that are spoken by a character directly to an audience
Only the audience hears. Usually only a few lines.

12. monologue
A long speech spoken by a character to himself, another character, or to the audience
Other characters hear

13. Other characters don’t hear. Just the actors train of thoughts
soliloquy
Thoughts spoken aloud by a character when he/she is alone, or thinks he/she is alone
Other characters don’t hear. Just the actors train of thoughts

14. Dramatic irony
When the audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not know

15. Name that Element:

16. A conversation between characters

17. Name that Element: See Romeo’s soliloquy in Act II, scene 2 (pg. 609).
A long speech delivered by a character who is alone onstage.
See Romeo’s soliloquy in Act II, scene 2 (pg. 609).

18. In a play, a comment made by a character, but is not heard by the other characters onstage.

19. Name that Element:
A work of literature designed to be performed in front of an audience

20. When the audience or reader knows something that the characters in the story do not know

21. Name that Element:

22. A ________ is a play that ends unhappily.
Most classic ________ deal with serious, universal themes such as
right and wrong
justice and injustice
life and death

23. A ___________ is a play that ends happily and contains humor
boy meets girl
boy loses girl
boy wins girl

24. Name that Element: Found in brackets [ ] or italicized
Describe scenery and how characters speak
C, Center Stage
L, Stage Left
R, Stage Right
U, Upstage or Rear
D, Downstage or Front