Julius Caesar Act I-II Literary Terms

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Complication

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A situation or detail of a character that complicates the main thread of a plot; a small problem in addition to the main problem that adds interest.

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Conflict

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Opposition between forces, often driving the plot of a story.

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Dramatic Irony

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A literary and theatrical device in which the reader or audience knows more than the characters they are following.

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Tragedy

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A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.' For example, 'Poor man, I know he would not be a wolf but that he sees the Romans are but sheep.'

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Simile

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A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as.' For example, 'as brave as a lion.'

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Aside

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A dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, revealing their thoughts or feelings while other characters on stage are not aware.

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Anachronism

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An error in chronology, where something is placed in a time period where it does not belong.

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Blank Verse

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Unrhymed iambic pentameter, often used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse.

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Pun

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A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or similar-sounding words, for humorous or rhetorical effect.