Literary Devices in Dramatic Works

Moor: a Muslim of the mixed Berber and Arab people inhabiting NW Africa.

　

Aside:a part of an actor's lines supposedly not heard by others on the stage and intended only for the audience.

　

Antagonist:the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work

　

Characterization (Character):the creation and convincing representation of fictitious characters

　

Climax:(in a dramatic or literary work) a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot.

　

Conflict: discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles: a conflict of ideas.

　

Crisis:a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point.

　

Dramatic Monologue:a poetic form in which a single character, addressing a silent auditor at a critical moment, reveals himself or herself and the dramatic situation.

　

Dialogue:the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc

　

Double Plot:When an author uses two related plots within a single narrative

　

Drama:a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play.


Exposition: rising action of a dramatic play

Falling Action:the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.

　

Foreshadowing:to show, indicate, or suggest in advance; presage

　

Monologue:a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.

　

Rising Action:a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.

　

Resolution (Denouement, Conclusion):the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.

　

Tragedy:a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction.

　

Tragic Flaw:the character defect that causes the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy; hamartia.

　

Protagonist:the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.

　

Theme:a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic

　

Tone:a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc

　

Dramatic Irony:irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.

　

Plot:Also called storyline. the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story

　

Setting:the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc., takes place

　

Symbolism:the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.

　

Motif:a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.