1. Terms for Drama
English I

2. act
subdivision of a play
Example: Act I
Act II
Act III
Act IV
Act V

3. scene further subdivision of an act (acts are made up of scenes)
Example: scene i, scene ii, scene iii, scene iv
Act I, scene i
Act I, scene ii

4. dialogue
conversation between characters in a play

5. comedy
a play that ends happily

6. tragedy
a play that ends unhappily

7. protagonist
the hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes

8. antagonist
the character who opposes or competes with the protagonist

9. theme
important central idea or message about life presented through the play
The message = Theme

10. plot
the chain of events that make up the play

11. soliloquy
a character’s speech, alone on stage, that expresses his or her thoughts and feelings to the audience (SOLO – ALONE …thinking aloud)

12. monologue
a long speech given by ONE character in a play, story or poem (directed to other characters)

13. aside
a remark made by one character to another, or to the audience; unheard by other characters

14. dramatic foil
a character whose personality traits contrast with and highlight those of another character in a play (opposite characters in a scene/play together)

15. dramatic irony
a contradiction between what a character thinks or says and what the audience knows to be true.

16. character flaw
a character’s personality trait that contributes to his or her downfall (weakness)

17. blank verse poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
(one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable)