Romeo and Juliet Lit. Terms

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Monologue

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A long speech by a character during a conversation; the character controls the conversation, or monopolizes it.

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Pun

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A play on the multiple meanings of a word, or a play on two words that sound alike but have different meanings.

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Dramatic Irony

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When the audience knows something that a character doesn't know.

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Allusion

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A brief reference to something outside the work that the reader or audience is expected to know.

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Situational Irony

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When we expect one thing but the opposite occurs or is true.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

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Foil

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A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities of the other character.

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Aside

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A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

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Soliloquy

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An act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself, especially in a play.

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Foreshadowing

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A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.