Shakespeare, Literary Terms, and Dramatic Terms

strive

• make great efforts to achieve or obtain something

• to give up easily

• to avoid challenges

• to work without any goals

banished

• send (someone) away from a country or place as an official punishment.

• to welcome someone back to a place

• to promote someone to a higher position

• to imprison someone for a crime

wherefore

• for what purpose?

• why; for what reason?

• how come?

• what for?

dramatic foil

• a character who provides a contrast to another character

• a character who is the main protagonist

• a character who serves as a mentor

• a character who is always in conflict with others

William Shakespeare

• English poet, playwright, actor, and businessman born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564

• Famous painter known for his landscapes and portraits

• Renowned scientist who developed the theory of relativity

• Influential philosopher and author of 'The Republic'

soliloquy

• A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character ALONE on stage

• A dialogue between two characters

• A brief comment made by a character to the audience

• A speech given by a character to persuade others

confession

• A formal declaration of one's faith

• Acknowledging and telling one's sins to a priest

• A public statement of regret

• A private conversation with a friend

precocious

• Exceptionally early in development or occurrence

• Unusually slow in development

• Occurring at a normal pace

• Late in development or occurrence

Early Modern English

• English at the time of Shakespeare and the King James Bible (1611)

• A form of English used in the 19th century

• The English language before the Norman Conquest

• A dialect of English spoken in the American colonies

strife

• conflict or struggle

• peace and harmony

• joy and celebration

• friendship and unity