monologue

• A long, uninterrupted speech in the play that is spoken in the presence of other characters.
• A short, interrupted speech in the play that is spoken without the presence of other characters.
• A long, interrupted silent speech in the play that is sung in the presence of other characters.

soliloquy

• Speech delivered while the actor is alone on the stage, letting audience know their internal thoughts.
• Speech delivered while the actor has many other actors around on the stage, letting audience know their internal thoughts.
• Speech delivered while the actor is alone on the stage, letting audience know absolutely nothing.

Aside

• Words spoken by a character in a play to the audience or to another character that are not supposed to be heard by the others onstage.
• Words spoken by a character in a play to the universe or to another character that are heard by all others onstage.
• Words by a character in a novel to the audience or to another character that are supposed to be heard by the others at home.

Prologue

• A long opening section to a play sung by a multiple actors called the “songsters.”
• A brief opening section to a play spoken by a single actor called the “chorus.”
• A brief ending section to a play spoken by a single actor called the “chorus.”

dramatic irony

• The audience is a part of something that the setting on stage is saying; works to build suspense in a text or drama.
• The audience is unaware of something that the characters onstage are aware of; works to build happiness in a text or drama.
• The audience is aware of something that the characters onstage are not aware of; works to build suspense in a text or drama.

enmity

• absolute hatred
• complete kindness
• utter shock and disbelief
• a small fieldmouse

feign

• foreign rain
• reality
• to pretend
• to concede

baleful

• soulful, mournful
• a stack of hay
• mild, meek
• destructive, deadly

wonton

• moral, forthright
• immoral, lewd
• a dumpling
• unkind, mean

poultice

• remedy
• chicken
• disease
• architectural cornice