the general term for literary techniques that portray differences between appearance & reality, or expectation & result
tragedy
a work of literature that results in a catastrophe for the main character
characterization
the act of creating & developing a character
round character
a character with who has many personality traits, like a real person.
protagonist
the main character in a literary work
stage directions
comments on how & where action happens
climax
the high point of interest or suspense
antagonist
a character or force in conflict with the protagonist
flat character
A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story
foil
a character who provides a contrast to another character
tragic flaw
literary term that refers to a personality trait of a main character that leads to his or her downfall.
aside
a short speech delivered by an actor in a play; often directed to the audience & is presumed to be inaudible to the other actors
dramatic irony
a contradiction between what a character thinks & what the reader or audience knows to be true
fourth wall
an imaginary wall that separates the events on stage from the audience.
monologue
A literary device where a single character presents a speech in order to express his/her collection of thoughts and ideas aloud.
verbal irony
words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant
theme
a central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work
suspense
a feeling of uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work
drama
a work in verse or prose presenting a story in pantomime or dialogue, containing conflict of characters, particularly the ones who perform in front of...
foreshadowing
the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur
soliloquy
a character delivering a soliloquy talks to himself — thinking out loud— so that the audience better understands what is happening to the character in...
conflict
a struggle between opposing forces
situational irony
an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience
dialogue
a conversation between characters
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