Much Ado - Literary Terms and Techniques

Front

apostrophe

Back

Describes not only a mark of punctuation, but also a literary technique in which a speaker addresses something or someone who is unable to respond within the text.

Front

malapropism

Back

An author’s deliberate misuse of a word for humorous effect.

Front

metonymy

Back

The use of a related item to stand for the thing being discussed.

Front

epistrophe

Back

A rhetorical device often used in persuasive speech.

Front

aside

Back

Words spoken by a character on stage that are meant to be heard by the audience, but not by the other characters. This technique is often used to give the audience insight into a character’s internal reactions to the scene at hand.

Front

conflict

Back

In any play, the plot is driven by conflicts—both external conflicts that occur between characters and their environment and internal conflicts that take place within a character. An external conflict is one that takes place between a character and outside forces, including other characters.

Front

dramatic irony

Back

Occurs when the audience is aware of something that characters do not know. Like many Elizabethan comedies, Much Ado About Nothing abounds with examples of dramatic irony that lend both conflict and humor to the plot.

Front

situational irony

Back

Occurs when a situation has results contrary to those expected.

Front

soliloquy

Back

A speech delivered by a character while alone on stage. Often, soliloquies provide insights into a character’s thoughts, emotions, and motives for action.

Front

subplot

Back

A secondary plot that runs alongside the main action of the play.