HE Drama Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definitions "My Own Words" Definitions Examples >> Some examples are found elsewhere on the internet

9 flashcards · Literature · by Serenity Underwood

1. oxymoron

   a combination of contradictory or incongruous words a combination of words that hold very different or opposite meanings cruel kindness, loving hate, less is more

2. dramatic irony

   the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny the use of words that hold a different meaning aside from what you think for a humorous or dramatic effect Juliet is unconscious and Romeo believes she is dead so he kills himself

3. sonnet

   a fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically 5-foot iambics rhyming according to a prescribed scheme a poem-like structure made of 14 lines that has five-foot iambics and a prescribed scheme/rhyme “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” —William Shakespeare

4. allusion

   an implied or indirect reference especially in literature an implication or nudge to a reference of a person, event, place, or thing used in literature and writing She felt like she had the golden ticket. (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

5. pun

   the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound the use of words with similar meanings and/or sounds for a humorous effect of some sort The duck said to the waiter, "Put it on my bill."

6. tragedy

   a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (such as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror the main character fighting against a greater force than themselves and being left with loss, sorrow, and negativity Romeo and Juliet

7. aside

   an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters the actor or character speaking outside of the story and to the audience The Office

8. foil character

   (no definition in Merriam-Webster) a character that is created for the sole purpose of highlighting character traits of a protagonist or another character Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter

9. comic relief

   a relief from the emotional tension especially of a drama that is provided by the interposition of a comic episode or element the author's use of words to ease the audience or the reader's emotional state with a humorous effect When a character slips on a banana peel, nobody onscreen is laughing, but the audience still finds it funny.