Romeo and Juliet

1. Romeo and Juliet Literary Terms

2. Page One • Act-larger section of a play, made up by scenes • Scene-smaller section of the play • Playwright-a person who writes dramatic literature or drama • Prologue-an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background information. • Stage directions- instructions that tell the cast who is on stage, where to stand, etc.

3. PAGE TWO • Protagonist-the main character • Antagonist-someone/something that provides conflict for the main character • Flat characters-a minor character in a work of fiction who does not undergo change or growth • Round characters-a character who undergoes change. They have many aspects to their personality.

4. PAGE THREE • Allusion: a reference to another literary work, time period, etc. • Analogy: comparison between things • Foreshadowing: a hint of what is to come • Oxymoron: a phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together. • Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things. • Pun-a play on words • Symbolism-the use of symbols to invest things with a “deeper” meaning. • Theme-central idea to a text

5. Page four • Plot: the sequence of events in a play, novel, movie, etc. • Dramatic structure: the structure of a dramatic work such as a play or film • Exposition: Where our story begins • Rising action: events leading up to the point of highest intensity • Climax: the turning point or point of highest intensity • Falling action: events leading to the resolution • Resolution: the point in a work where the conflict is resolved

6. PAGE FIVE • Setting: where the story takes place as determined by location, weather, time period • Comedy: a dramatic work that deals with a more uplifting and humorous theme • Tragedy: a dramatic work that deals with a more somber theme. • Tragic flaw: a trait of the tragic hero that leads to his/her downfall • Tragic hero: the hero of the piece, who has a trait that causes their own downfall • Motivation: the driving force behind a characters actions

7. PAGE SIX • Prose-a natural rhythm of speech • Verse- a more metrical way of writing • Blank verse-made up of lines of iambic pentameter, but they do not rhyme. • Shakespearean sonnet-14 lines of iambic pentameter using the following rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG • Iambic pentameter—5 lines of iambic meter. Iambs are what you call duple metered feet. (two syllables) and they rotate in pronunciation with unstressed/stressed syllable patterns: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day

8. PAGE SEVEN • Irony-contrast, between what the expectations of a situation are and what is really the case • Verbal irony-when a character says one thing, but means another • Situational irony-where the outcome of a situation is opposite of what you expected • Dramatic irony-when the audience members are aware of something that is unbeknownst to the characters on stage.

9. PAGE EIGHT • Aside- a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, but it is unheard by the other characters. • Soliloquy-a long speech delivered by one character who is alone on stage. This speech reveals the characters inner thoughts and desires. • Monologue-a long speech delivered by one character while other characters are present. • Chorus-a group of performers in plays who comment on the action of the play • Dramatic foil-a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. • Pun: play on words