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allusion

Back

a reference to a person, place, historical event or work of art that the reader is expected to recognize

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pun

Back

a play on words (Ex: Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.)

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aside

Back

an on-stage whisper (the audience can hear it, but some or all characters on stage pretend they cannot hear it)

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oxymoron

Back

two contradictory (opposite) terms used together (Ex: jumbo shrimp)

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dramatic irony

Back

when the audience understands more about the events of a play than the character(s)

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foreshadowing

Back

when the author drops clues or hints that lead the reader to predict future events

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simile

Back

a comparison of two unlike things using like or as (Ex: She was like a tiger, ready to pounce.)

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metaphor

Back

a comparison of two unlike things without using like or as (Ex: She was a tiger, viciously attacking her enemy.)

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personification

Back

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea (Ex: The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.)

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soliloquy

Back

a speech by a character who is alone on stage and revealing private thoughts