The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

1. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Literary Concepts

2. Tragedy Foil Soliloquy Catastrophe Allusion Pun Apostrophe Aside Chorus Literary Terms

3. TRAGEDY • Fate is usually the major cause of the tragic ending. • A drama in which events turn out disastrously for the main characters, often resulting in death.

4. Tragedy contd… • Tragic Flaw: • Refers to a personality trait of a main character that leads to his or her downfall (thus creating a tragic hero)

5. FOIL • A character whose personality or actions are in striking contrast to those of another character. By using a foil, a writer highlights the other character’s traits or mood.

6. SOLILOQUY • A speech that a character gives when he/she is alone. • Purpose is to let the audience know what the character is thinking.

7. CATASTROPHE • On a plot structure diagram, this would be the equivalent of the resolution to the tragedy.

8. ALLUSION • Reference to a well-known work of literature, a famous person, or historical event with which the reader is assumed to be familiar with.

9. PUN • A play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings. • Puns can have serious as well as humorous uses.

10. APOSTROPHE • A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity.

11. ASIDE • A remark that is spoken in an undertone by a character in a play and that is heard by the audience but not by the other characters on the stage.

12. CHORUS • One actor who serves as a narrator. His job is to “hook” the audience’s interest by telling them just enough to quiet them down and make them eager for more.

13. ROMEO AND JULIET • As we read the play in class, look for these literary concepts. Shakespeare used all of them to make his play more appealing to the Renaissance audience.