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Flashcards

Dramatic Terminology

Bethany Fieldhouse English Literature A-Level English 51 cards

Cards in this deck (51)

  1. 1CATHARSISPurging or cleansing of the emotions as a result of watching a tragedy
  2. 2HUBRISExcessive pride, arrogance, self-regard. Hubris can cause HAMARTIA
  3. 3PROTAGONISTThe main character in a play
  4. 4PITY AND FEAREmotions aroused in the audience as a result of watching the protagonist’s suffering. They feel fear that such events could happen to them and pity for the tragic figure.
  5. 5HAMARTIAError of judgement made by protagonist which leads to final catastrophe
  6. 6PERIPETEIAA reversal of fortune
  7. 7ANAGNORISISRecognition - where the protagonist recognises/discovers the truth of his (or her) situation, leading to a reversal of fortune (PERIPETEIA)
  8. 8DRAMATIC IRONYWhen the audience knows things that the characters on stage do not.
  9. 9HYPERMETRIC LINEWhen a line of verse is too long - one or more syllables in addition to those usually found in line of verse (SCANSION)
  10. 10EXPOSITIONBackground information (on, for example, characters, events and settings) to explain the unfolding events
  11. 11ANAPHORAWhere a word or phrase is repeated at the BEGINNING of successive phrases
  12. 12EPIPHORAWhere a word or phrase is repeated at the END of successive phrases
  13. 13IAMBIC PENTAMETERPoetry with 10 syllables per line and 5 stressed beats: di dum, di dum, di dum, di dum, di dum
  14. 14BLANK VERSENon-rhyming verse, written in iambic pentameter. Each line begins with a capital letter
  15. 15PROXEMICSThe spatial relationships between actors / characters on stage
  16. 16APOSTROPHEWhen a writer addresses an imaginary person, concept, non-human figure, a dead character and so on
  17. 17ANTAGONISTA character or group of characters who stand in opposition to the protagonist - thus creating dramatic conflict
  18. 18SOLILOQUYA speech which reveals the character’s inner thoughts to the audience without acknowledging other characters
  19. 19CLIMAXThe point in a narrative where the conflict or tension reaches the highest point. Also referred to as a crisis
  20. 20MALCONTENTA character type who is discontented with and thus rails against the establishment. KING LEAR = EDMOND
  21. 21MOTIFA recurring symbol, word, idea, image and so on - any recurring element that has symbolic significance
  22. 22REGISTERThe informality/formality of a character's speech style
  23. 23PATHOSThe creation of feelings of pity/sorrow/sympathy in a play
  24. 24SUBTEXTThe underlying meaning or intent behind the words
  25. 25DECLARATIVEA statement
  26. 26IMPERATIVEA command/order
  27. 27INTERROGATIVEA question
  28. 28EXCLAMATIVEAn exclamation
  29. 29INTERJECTIONA word used to express an (often sudden) expression
  30. 30UNMITIGATEDDirect, clear, abrupt
  31. 31MITIGATEDSoftened, hedged
  32. 32INCITING INCIDENTAn incident that introduces the conflict in a tragedy eg Lear: "Which of you shall say doth love us most"
  33. 33CATASTROPHEThe death of the protagonist
  34. 34DENOUEMENTThe outcome or resolution of the play
  35. 35SEMANTIC FIELDWords that are connected by topic or subject
  36. 36SHARED LINESWhere the line of iambic pentameter is shared between characters - can indicate harmony or conflict
  37. 37HALF LINEWhere a character ends a line of iambic pentameter early, leaving a silence in the meter
  38. 38FIGURATIVE LANGUAGELanguage (such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole) which goes beyond the literal meaning of words
  39. 39PERSONIFICATIONRepresenting inanimate objects as if it were human
  40. 40PATHETIC FALLACYGiving human qualities to nature
  41. 41PROLEPSISReferring to a future development as if it has already occured
  42. 42ANALEPSISReferring to something that happened earlier
  43. 43FORESHADOWINGHinting at events, actions, or revelations to come - allows the audience to anticipate a characters date
  44. 44FOREGROUNDINGGiving prominence to something in a text
  45. 45BINARY OPPOSITIONUnderstanding one idea (eg masculine) because we understand its opposite (feminine)
  46. 46BATHOSDescent into mundane or trivial language or ideas from more noble or elevated language or ideas
  47. 47CONNOTATIONAssociations evoked by a word beyond its literal meaning
  48. 48UNITIESThree principles for tragedy: unity of time, unity of place, unity of action
  49. 49JACOBEANJames I's reign (1603-1625)
  50. 50ELIZABETHANElizabeth I's reign (1588-1603)
  51. 51SYNTAXThe arrangement of words in sentences

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A-Level English Literature (DRAMA) Flashcards on Dramatic Terminology, created by Bethany Fieldhouse on 09/05/2016.
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