Shakespearean Drama literature terms

a story in which the noble main character fails or dies because of a personal flaw or a twist of fate

tragedy

the main character of a tragedy; usually fails or dies because of character flaw or twist of faith

. tragic hero

the force working against the protagonist

antagonist

a character whose personality contrasts with�and thus highlights�the personality of another character

character foil

any clever use of the double meanings or matching sounds of words

word play

a speech in which a character alone on stage "thinks aloud" to himself for herself; let's the audience know what the character is thinking or feeling

soliloquy

unrhymed verse in which each line has five stressed syllables, each one usually preceded by an unstressed syllable

blank verse

Around the pond stood seven willow trees; is an example of

blank verse

a private remark that a character on stage makes to the audience or to another character but that is not heard by other characters on stage

aside

to restate in one's own words what someone else said or wrote

paraphrase

a piece of writing that evaluates the ideas or artistic qualities of another work

critical review

is when the audience knows more than the characters

dramatic irony

The audience is aware of Romeo and Juliet's tragic demise long before the characters themself; this is an example of

dramatic irony

Is a humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood

comic relief