Literary Drama

​Act

​A major division in a play. An act can be sub-divided into scenes. (See scene).

​Archetype

Characters, symbols, or situations that we see over and over again in many pieces of dramatic literature.

​Tragic Flaw

​a defect in the character of a good person (as the hero of a tragedy) that causes his or her destruction.

​Drama

​art of composing, writing, acting, or producing plays

​Conflict

a literary device characterized by a struggle between two opposing forces.

​External Conflict

​struggles between the protagonist and some other force outside of his body

Internal Conflict

​when a character struggles with their own opposing desires or beliefs

​Dramatic Irony

​a literary device by which the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

​Verbal Irony

​meaning something that contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of what he says

​Situational Irony

​when the outcome is the opposite or completely different from what was expected.

​Dramatic Structure

​how the plot or story of a play is laid out, including a beginning, a middle and an end.

Exposition/Initiating Event

​a moment where the action kicks off in the story.

Raising Action

​all the events that happen in a story on the way to the climax.

Complication/Conflict

​The part of the story where the main character is taking some action to resolve the conflict(s) and it's unsuccessful.

Climax

​The turning point of the action in the plot of a play and the point of greatest tension in the work.

Falling Action

​what happens near the end of a story after the climax and resolution of the major conflict.

Resolution/Denouement

​A resolution is where a character within literature solves a problem/conclusion after the climax of a narrative in which the complexities of the plot are unraveled and the conflict is finally resolved.

​Motif

​a repeated pattern—an image, sound, word, or symbol that comes back again and again within a particular story.

​Solioquy

​a monologue that is delivered when the character is alone.

​Monologue

​a long excerpt in a play, poem or story that reveals a character's thoughts and feelings.

​Aside

​a character may turn to the audience to make an observation or quippy remark that the other characters can't hear.

​Dialouge

​a stylized written or spoken exchange between two or more people.

​Dialect

​the way in which a character speaks

​Stage Directions

​an instruction written into the script of a play, indicating stage actions, movements of performers, or production requirements.

​Prop

​Articles or objects that appear on stage during a play.