Protagonist
hero or main character of the story
Antagonist
the bad guy, or opposing character
Foil
is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.
Dynamic
a character who changes under conflict
Static
a character that does not change throughout the story
Direct
narrator tells you what to think
Indirect
through actions and dialogue, other characters, infer about that character
Motivation
the character that motivates other characters
Theme
main idea or the purpose of a piece of writing
universal theme- one word and a main theme should be a complete sentence
Motif
a recurring symbol that carries meaning leading toward a larger theme
Paradox
ideas that seem unacceptable or contradicting, but can be true (love is war)
Internal Conflict
within one's self; self vs self
External Conflict
outside the person; person vs person, person vs society, person vs nature
Exposition
the act of explaining something
Initiating Conflict
the start of a problem
Rising Action
a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.
Climax
the most intense, exciting, or important point of something
Falling Action
The events of a drama after the climax but before the resolution
Resolution
an answer or solution to something
Denotation
dictionary meaning of the word
Connotation
our own perspective of the word
Tone
the attitude of the writing leaves you feeling (longer time period)
Mood
a temporary type of feeling
Simile
a comparison using like or as
Metaphor
a comparison not using like or as
Oxymoron
a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings
Imagery
use of descriptive language, or figurative language, to create a visual picture of the text
Personification
giving a non living object human qualities
EX: (the tree groaned)
Hyperbole
exaggeration
EX: (The test killed me)
Epic Poem
long, serious, poetic narrative about a significant event, often featuring a hero
Homeric Simile
a detailed comparison in the form of a simile that is many lines in length that compares something heroic or godly to everyday life
Stock Epithet
adjectives that point out special traits of people or things
Invocation
the act of asking for help or support
Epic Hero
a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events