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Honors Handbook
Honors English Literary Terms
Critical Reading—Frequently asked questions
A. main idea
B. writer’s purpose
1. fiction
a. develop a character
b. describe a setting
c. advance the plot
2. non-fiction
a. inform
b. persuade
c. entertain
C. organization
a. chronological (first to last)
b. spatial (top to bottom; left to right; inside then outside)
c. order of importance
D. tone—author’s or narrator’s attitude
Reading Fiction
A. Point of View
1. narrator—the storyteller or voice of a narrative (short story, novel)
2. speaker—voice assumed by the writer of a poem
3. point of view—the vantage point from which an author presents the story
a. first person—when the story is relayed by one of the characters (always limited
omniscient)
b. third person—when the story is relayed by a narrator who is not a character in
the story ( can be objective, limited omniscient, or omniscient)
c. objective—the narrator relates only what is said and done by characters
d. limited omniscient—the narrator relates the thoughts and feelings of at least one
character
e. omniscient—the narrator is free to relate the thoughts and feelings of all
characters
4. unreliable narrator—a narrator whose account of events or characters is recognized
by the readers as being faulty, dishonest, or distorted
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B. Setting
1. setting—the place, time, or circumstance in which the action of a story takes place
2. mood—the overall atmosphere or prevailing emotional aura of a literary work
C. Character
1. characterization—the methods used by an author to develop the personality of a
character in a literary work
Elements of characterization include:
a. Description
b. Action
c. Reaction of Others
d. Thoughts
e. Speech
2. protagonist—the central character or hero in the story
3. antagonist—a character in a story or play that opposes the protagonist
4. dynamic character—a character who changes in some way—usually for the better—
during the course of a story
5. static character—a character who does not change during the course of a story
6. flat character—a character who has a single distinguishing trait and is not developed
into a whole personality
7. round character—a character who, through the author’s characterization, has a fully
developed personality
8. stereotype—a conventional character, plot, or setting that possesses no individuality
but may be used by the author to achieve a particular purpose
9. foil—a person or thing that highlights the traits of a character by contrast
10. dialogue—a conversation carried on between two or more people in a literary work;
dialogue can serve many purposes, including characterization, advancement of the
plot, development of the theme(s), and creation of mood
11. epiphany—a moment of enlightenment in which the underlying truth or essential
nature of something is suddenly revealed or made clear to a character
D. Plot—the arrangement of events in a story
1. flashback—an interruption in the continuity of a story by the portrayal of some
earlier episode
2. in medias res—(Latin: in the middle of things) starting a story at some exciting point
and later filling earlier events
3. framed story—a narrative device whereby a story or group of stories is presented
(often told by one of the characters) within the framework of a larger narrative
Example: the movie Titanic
Example: the novel and movie The Notebook
4. foreshadowing—the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in a short
story, novel, play, or narrative poem
5. conflict—a struggle between two opposing forces or characters in a short story,
novel, play, or narrative poem; a conflict can be external or internal
a. man against man
b. man against nature
c. man against society
d. man against self
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6. exposition—in fiction, the narrative passages that establish the basic details or the
story, including setting, time, and characters (the background information)
7. inciting incident—event that introduces the main conflict
8. rising action—action in a narrative that occurs after the exposition, including crisis
and complication, but before the climax
9. complication—the introduction of a new but lesser conflict
10. climax—a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point
in a plot; a point when the action changes course and begins to resolve itself in some
manner
11. falling action—in a narrative, action that occurs after the climax and directly before
the denouement or the resolution of the plot
12. resolution— the outcome of the main conflict
13. denouement—the outcome of remaining complication(s); not all stories will have a
denouement; the word “denouement” is French for “unknotting” or “untying”
E. Symbol
1. symbol—an object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself but also
stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, a belief, or a value
2. allusion—an indirect reference to a person, place, or thing—fictitious, historical, or
actual
Example: Beware the snake that invites you to dinner. (Garden of Eden)
3. analogy—a comparison made between two objects, situations, or ideas that share
something in common but are otherwise totally different
4. microcosm—in literature, refers to a model in which events on a miniature scale
parallel those occurring on a larger scale; literally means “small world”
Example: conflict within a family might be a microcosm of a world at war
5. parable—a short fiction that illustrates an explicit moral lesson
6. fable—a brief story, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson, or moral
7. allegory—a narrative in which characters, events, and in some cases setting,
represent abstract concepts apart from the literal meaning of the story
F. Theme—the underlying meaning of a literary work
G. Style—the distinctive use of language by an author
1. sentence structure—how a speaker or author constructs a sentence affects what the
audience understands. The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader
or listener to a question and creates a tension between speaker and listener. (Think
Yoda Jedi Master: To live do you wish?) Similarly short sentences are often emphatic,
passionate, or flippant, whereas longer sentences suggest the writer’s thoughtful
response. (Example from a scholarship application letter of recommendation: If I
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were independently wealthy, I would fund this student’s education myself. I can’t. You
should.)
a. inverted order or sentence inversion—This involves constructing a sentence so
the predicate comes before the subject. Can create an emphatic or rhythmic effect.
Example: In California grow oranges.
b. hysteron proteron—(“later-earlier”) The inversion of the natural sequence of
events, often meant to stress the event which, though later in time, is considered
the more important. Example: Put on your shoes and socks.
c. loose sentence—A loose sentence makes sense if brought to a close before the
actual ending. Example: We reached Edmonton/that morning/after a turbulent
flight/and some exciting experiences.
d. periodic sentence—A periodic sentence makes sense only when the end of the
sentence is reached. Example: That morning, after a turbulent flight and some
exciting experiences, we reached Edmonton.
e. antecedent—the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP
Language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long
complex sentence.
f. clause—a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb
g. simple sentence—A simple sentence contains one subject and one verb.
Example: The singer bowed to her adoring audience.
h. compound sentence—A compound sentence contains two independent clauses
joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) or by a semicolon. Example:
The singer bowed to the audience, but she sang no encores.
i. complex sentence—A complex sentence contains one or more principal clauses
and one or more subordinate clauses. Example: She said that she would sing
today.
j. compound-complex sentence—A compound-complex sentence contains two or
more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. Example: The singer
bowed while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores.
2. syntax—consists of sentence structure and word order
a. ellipsis—deliberate omission of a word or words readily implied. Example: If
rainy, bring an umbrella.
b. parallelism—structural arrangement in which several parts of a sentence or
several sentences are developed and phrased similarly to show that the ideas in
the parts are equal in importance.
c. anadiplosis—the repetition of key word, especially the last one, at the beginning
of the next sentence or clause. Example: He gave his life; life was all he could
give.
d. chiasmus—a rhetorical device in which words or phrases initially presented are
restated in reverse order
Example: Do not live to eat, but eat to live.
Example: What is learned unwillingly is gladly forgotten.
Example: It is hard to make money, but to spend it is easy.
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e. antithesis—involves structurally parallel word groupings generally for the
purpose of contrast; balancing one phrase against another
Example: Man proposes; God disposes
f. rhetorical question—question not answered by the writer because its answer is
obvious or obviously desired, and usually just a yes or no. It is used for effect,
emphasis, or provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the facts
at hand.
g. hypophora—rhetorical strategy of author asking then answering a question
h. tautology—a needless repetition of an idea in a different word or phrase.
Example: I myself personally am all for the idea.
Example: “With malice toward none, with charity for all.”—Abe Lincoln
i. periphrasis—roundabout style. Example: Her olfactory system was suffering
from a temporary inconvenience. (instead of) Her nose was stuffy.
j. pleonasm—the use of superfluous or redundant words, often enriching the
thought. Example: Ears pierced while you wait!
Example: No one, rich or poor, will be excluded.
k. epanalepsis—opening and closing a sentence with the same word or phrase for
surprise and emphasis.
Example: Buster is deeply concerned with promoting the health and well-being of
Buster.”
3. diction—word choice
a. euphemism—the substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a
harsh or blunt one. Example: Using “pass away” instead of “die.”
b. malapropism—a ludicrous misuse of words that sound alike.
Example: You looked ravished this evening.
Example: I’m just an older virgin of my sister.
c. neologism—a new word, usage, or expression
d. palindrome—a word, verse or sentence or a number that reads the same
backward or forward
Example: Able was I ere I saw Elba.
Example: 1881
e. epithet—characterizing and sometimes abusive word or phrase
Example (negative): bastard
Example (positive): Rosy-fingered Dawn
4. Language
a. cliché—a trite or hackneyed expression, idea, plot, character development
Example: blushing bride
b. low diction—use of swear words to show speaker’s social class or emotion
c. dialect—variety of language spoken by a social group or spoken in a certain
locality that differs from the standard speech in pronunciation, vocabulary, and
grammatical form
d. colloquial/colloquialism—the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialism give a work a
conversational, familiar tone. Example: Don’t get burnt in that business deal.
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H. Irony—the contrast between what appears to be and reality
1. situational irony—occurs when a situation turns out differently from what one
would normally expect—though often the twist is oddly appropriate
Example: The plumber’s house floods from broken pipes.
2. verbal irony—when the intended meaning of a statement or a work is different from
what is literally said
Example: I’m so happy to be at the dentist’s office.
3. sarcasm—a type of irony in which a person appears to be praising something but is
actually insulting it. Its purpose is to injure or to hurt.
Example: Yes, I’m sure you’ll make a big splash in that bathing suit.
4. dramatic irony—occurs when a character says or does something that has more or
different meanings from what he thinks it means, though the audience and/or other
characters do understand the full ramifications of the speech or actions.
Example: The audience knows Juliet is not dead, but that she only is sleeping.
5. pun—a play on words with similar sounds or on a single word with different
meanings
Example: They went and told the monk, and the monk tolled the bell.
Example: Frequent uses in literature include I/eye and son/sun
Reading Poetry
A. Word Choice
1. diction—word choice
Example: the effect of choosing (+)slender instead of (-)skinny
Example: the effect of choosing (+)voluptuous, curvy (-)fat, hefty
2. denotation—dictionary meaning. Example: Snail means mollusk in a spiral shell.
3. connotation—the emotional associations that surround a word as opposed to its
denotation. Example: Snail means slimy, slow, gross.
B. Tone—the author’s attitude, whether stated or implied, about his or her subject matter
and toward the audience. Students are often asked to identify the speaker’s tone which
may differ from the author’s. Some examples of tone include affectionate, childish,
confused, friendly, irreverent, passive, petulant, sarcastic, and solemn.
C. Imagery
imagery—the details in a work of literature that appeal to the senses of the reader,
lend the work vividness, and tend to arouse an emotional response in the reader
a. visual—sight
b. olfactory—smell
c. gustatory—taste
d. aural—sound
e. tactile—touch
f. kinetic—movement
D. Figurative Language
1. figurative language—Language used in a nonliteral way. Example: Pull up a seat.
2. figures of speech—An expression in which words are used in a nonliteral way to
achieve an effect beyond the range of ordinary language
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3. simile—A figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things to highlight
something they have in common; this comparison is indicated by a connective, such
as “like,” “as,” or “than”
Example: My love is like a rose. Not an example: A dentist is like a doctor.
4. metaphor—A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison (without the use of a
qualifier such as “like” or “as”) between two things which are basically dissimilar but
share something in common; can be single image or controlling idea.
5. catachresis—From the Greek for “misuse,” a term referring to the incorrect or
strained use of a word. Catachresis often involves a mixed or illogical metaphor.
Example: the tooth of a comb
Example: “I listen vainly, but with thirsty ear.” –D. MacArthur
6. synesthesia—generally, a psychological process whereby one kind of sensory
stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another. For example, the sight of ants
might make you feel itchy. In literature, synaesthesia refers to associating two or
more different senses to the same image. Example: the title of the Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ song “Taste the Pain” (1989) Example: She wore a screaming red skirt.
7. conceit—An elaborate, extended, and often surprising comparison made between two
very dissimilar things that exhibits the author’s ingenuity and cleverness; (from the
Italian “concetto,” meaning concept, bright idea).
Example: e.e. cummings’ “she being Brand”
8. hyperbole—A figure of speech in which exaggeration or overstatement is used for
special effect. Example: I told you a thousand times to finish your homework.
9. understatement—A figure of speech in which restraint or lack of emphasis is used.
a. meiosis—the intentional understatement for humorous or satiric effect
Example: I have a little work to do on that 20-page term paper.
b. litotes—a type of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the
negation of its opposite
Examples: “This is no small problem.” “not bad” “she was not unbecoming”
10. personification—A figure of speech in which abstractions, ideas, inanimate objects,
or animals are given human qualities.
Example:
Sunday Rain
The window screen is trying to do its crossword puzzle
But appears to know only vertical words.
—John Updike
11. pathetic fallacy—The attribution of human emotions to inanimate nature. Different
than personification in that the focus is to show an emotion. Usually a sign of bad
writing, especially when weather is used to show character emotion.
Example: ominous lightning when bad guy shows up.
12. apostrophe—A figure of speech in which a character or narrator directly addresses
an abstract concept, an inanimate object, or a person who is not present.
Example: Sing in me, O Muse!
Example: O Oedipus, father and brother!
Your marriage strikes from the grave to murder mine.
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13. metonymy—A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for
another with which it is closely associated.
Example: The use of the word “Washington” to mean the U.S. government.
Example: The White House issued a statement (whole to part; big represents smaller)
14. synecdoche—A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the
whole; the specific is used for the general.
Example: A hired hand works on a ranch (part to whole; small represents bigger)
15. paradox—a statement that appears to be self-contradictory but nonetheless has valid
meaning. Example: The more we learn the less we know.
16. oxymoron—a phrase that combines two seemingly contradictory elements
Examples: bittersweet, dear enemy, jumbo shrimp, wise fool
17. aphorism—a brief, sometimes clever saying that expresses a principle, truth or
observation about life.
Example: “Sometimes indolence can be exhausting.”—Peter Cameron
E. Sound Devices
1. rhyme—the exact repetition of sounds in at least the last accented syllable of two or
more words
a. internal rhyme—rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry
b. end rhyme—rhyming of words at the ends of lines of poetry
c. slant rhyme—two words or syllables that have approximately the same vowel
sounds but not exactly; also called near, off, half or partial rhyme
d. feminine rhyme—a rhyme in which the similarity of sound is in both of the last
two syllables. Example: weary and dreary
e. masculine rhyme—a rhyme of one-syllable words (e.g. “jail” and “bail”) or of
stressed final syllables (e.g. “divorce” and “remorse”)
f. eye rhyme—rhyme in which two or more words look the same and are spelled
similarly but have different pronunciations, for example, “have” and “grave”; also
called sight rhyme
g. rhyme scheme—the ordered patterning of end-rhymes in a metrical composition
2. refrain—regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem; equivalent to a chorus in
a song
3. anaphora—the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several
successive clauses, verses, or paragraphs
Example: See Ginsberg’s “Howl” or Whitman’s “Respondez”
4. alliteration—the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or within
them, especially in accented syllables
Example: Cold are the crabs that crawl on yonder hills. (repetition of hard c sound)
5. assonance—the repetition of similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables or words
Example: An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king (repetition of long i sound in
blind, despised, and dying)
6. consonance—the repetition of consonant sounds that are preceded by a different
vowel; repetition of the ending consonant sound
Example: love/live, pitter/patter, alone/lean
Example: fierce/universe, add/read, mill/ball, torn/burn
7. onomatopoeia—a word or words that imitate the sound of the thing spoken of
Examples: zoom, whiz, hiss, hum, buzz, sizzle, and crash
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8. euphony—smooth, pleasant sounding choice and arrangement of sounds
9. cacophony—harsh sounding, jarring sound; dissonance
F. Rhythm and Meter
1. rhythm—the recurrence of stresses and pauses in the language of a literary work or a
speech; when rhythm falls into a regular, identifiable pattern, we refer to it as meter
2. accent—when a syllable is given a greater amount of force in speaking than is given
to another; also called a stress
3. foot—a division of verse consisting of a number of syllables, one of which has the
principal stress; the basic unit of meter in poetry
a. iamb—a metrical foot consisting of two syllables, the first unstressed, the second
stressed
b. trochee—a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an
unstressed syllable
c. anapest—a metrical foot consisting of three syllables, two unstressed followed by
one stressed
d. dactyl—a three-syllable metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed
by two unstressed syllables
e. spondee—a metrical foot consisting of two accented syllables
f. pyrrhic—a metrical foot of two unstressed syllables
4. meter—a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry
a. monometer (1 foot)
b. dimeter (2 feet)
c. trimeter (3 feet)
d. tetrameter (4 feet)
e. pentameter (5 feet)
f. hexameter (6 feet)
5. scansion—the process of demarking the metrical feet of a poem and marking the
accented (stressed) and unaccented (unstressed) symbols to indicate the meter of the
poem. Process: (1) divide line by syllables (2) mark stresses (3) find pattern
U / U
/
U
/ U
/ U
/
But soft what light through yonder window breaks
Double double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
6. iambic pentameter—poetry consisting of a line of five iambs; the most common
verse line in English poetry; a meter especially familiar because it occurs in all blank
verse, heroic couplets, sonnets
7. blank verse—verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter; Shakespeare’s plays are
written in blank verse
8. free verse—poetry that does not have a fixed meter or rhyme scheme
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9. caesura—a light but definite pause within a line of poetry
10. alexandrine—in English verse, a line of iambic hexameter, usually having a caesura
after the third foot
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made
11. end-stopped line—a line of poetry that contains a complete thought, usually ending
with a period, colon, or semicolon, and therefore ends in a full pause; the opposite of
a run-on line
12. enjambment—the employment of run-on lines of poetry, whereby the meaning of
the statement is carried from one line to the next without a pause
13. run-on line—a line of verse that does not express a complete thought, but rather, the
thought continues on to the next line and there is no pause at the end of the run-on
line; a run-on line is the opposite of an end-stopped line
14. feminine ending—an unaccented syllable at the end of a line of poetry
15. masculine ending—an accented syllable that ends a line of verse
G. Stanzas—Poetic Divisions
1. stanza—a group of lines that are set off and form a division in a poem
2. couplet—two successive lines of verse that have the same meter and in many cases
rhyme
3. heroic couplet—two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter; in Shakespeare’s plays the
heroic couplet often indicates the end of a scene or act
4. tercet—a group of three lines set off in the poem either by a stanza break or by a
distinctive rhyme scheme
5. terza rima—a sequence of tercets whose rhymes link them together in the pattern
aba bcb cdc ded efe and so on. Best known as the verse form of Dante’s Divine
Comedy, it is not often strictly used in modern English poetry, but a sequence of
tercets in blank verse may be used to have a similar effect.
6. quatrain—a stanza of four lines
7. sestet—a six-line unit of verse that can stand alone as a stanza or as the concluding
part of an Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet
8. rime royal—seven-line, iambic pentameter stanza rhyming ababbcc
9. octave—a group of eight lines set off in the poem either by a stanza break or by a
distinctive rhyme scheme
10. ottava rima—a stanza in eight pentameter lines, rhymed abababcc
11. Spenserian stanza—nine lines with rhyming couplet ababbcbcc
12. canto—a large division of long poem, usually a narrative poem
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I.
Poetic Forms
A. Types of Poems
1. lyric—a poem that expresses an emotion or state of mind, creating a single, highly
personal impression upon the reader
2. narrative poem—a poem that tells a story or provides an account of an event or
events
3. ode—a formal, ceremonious, and complexly organized form of lyric poetry; odes are
usually rather long and often commemorate an important event or celebration such as
a marriage or a public ceremony
4. elegy—a lament or a sadly meditative poem, sometimes written on the occasion of
death; usually formal in language and structure and solemn or melancholy in tone
5. dirge—a funeral hymn; a slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing
grief or mourning.
6. homily—a moralizing talk or writing; a sermon (especially a long, boring one)
7. pastoral—a conventional form of lyric poetry presenting idealized view of rural life
8. dramatic monologue—a lyric poem in which the speaker addresses someone whose
replies are not recorded; in a dramatic monologue, the poet adopts the voice of a
fictive or historical voice or some other persona
9. epic—a long narrative poem describing the deeds of a great hero, great adventures,
and matters of national or global significance and sometimes featuring supernatural
forces
10. mock heroic—satirical poem which gains meaning by giving dignity to subject that
does not deserve it; most common is the mock epic, such as Alexander Pope’s Rape
of the Lock
11. ballad—a narrative song or poem passed on orally
12. romance—a narrative form that originated in the Middle Ages that can be written in
prose or poetry; adventure, magic, and love
13. epigram—a short poem that ends in a witty or ingenious turn of thought, to which the
rest of the composition is intended to lead up
you fit into me
like a hook into an eye
a fish hook
an open eye
--by Margaret Atwood
14. limerick—a five-line comic verse form with a rhyme scheme of aabba, with the first,
second, and fifth lines in trimeter and third and fourth in dimeter
15. parody—a humorous imitation of serious writing; parodies will often imitate the
style of a writer for a humorous effect
16. didactic—poetry whose purpose is to teach the reader some kind of lesson
17. epistle—a literary letter; formal composition written in the form of a letter addressed
to a distant person or group of people. Unlike common personal letters, which tend to
be conversational and private compositions, epistles are carefully-crafted works of
literature, intended for a general audience.
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B. Poetic Structures and Forms
1. sonnet—a fourteen-line lyric poem, written in iambic pentameter
a. Italian sonnet or Petrarchan sonnet—an initial octet (eight lines) followed by a
sestet (six lines), usually having a rhyme scheme of abbaabba/cdecde
b. English sonnet or Shakespearean sonnet— rhyme scheme abab/cdcd/efef/gg; is
usually presented in a four-part structure in which a theme or idea is developed in
the first quatrains and then is brought to a conclusion in the couplet
c. Spenserian sonnet—rhyme scheme abab/bcbc/dede/ff; sometimes recognizable
by use of older spelling allowing word play and eye rhymes.
2. villanelle—a poetic form that usually is comprised of five tercets, each rhyming aba,
and a concluding quatrain, rhyming abaa, with the first and third lines of the first
tercet alternating as refrains throughout the poem
3. sestina—a complicated verse form comprised of six sestets and a concluding tercet,
with the end words of each line of the first sestet being repeated in the subsequent
stanzas
4. concrete poem—a poem in which the visual arrangement of the letters and words
suggests its meaning
5. epigraph—a motto or quotation at the beginning of a book, poem, or chapter that
usually indicates its theme. Example: In the opening of To Kill A Mockingbird, it
reads “Lawyers, I suppose were children once.” –Charles Lamb
6. haiku—a Japanese poetic form that is comprised of three unrhymed lines of five,
seven, and five syllables respectively
7. epitaph—poem to be inscribed on a tomb, or an imitation of such
Friend, on this scaffold Thomas More lies dead
Who would not cut the Body from the Head.
--J.V. Cunningham
8. eulogy—work of praise in prose or poetry, often on the occasion of death
Drama
A. Elements of Drama
1. dramatic situation—a situation that drives the plot of a drama that involves the
dynamic relation between a character and a goal or objective and the obstacles that
intervene between the character and the objective
2. exposition—scenes that introduce the main characters and introduce the dramatic
situation
3. in medias res—a Latin phrase meaning “in the middle of things”; used in reference
to narratives that begin in the middle of the action
4. flashbacks—an interruption in the continuity of a story by the portrayal of some
earlier episode
5. rising action—action in a narrative that occurs after the exposition, including crisis
and complication, but before the climax
6. climax—a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point
in a plot; a point when the action changes course and begins to resolve itself in some
manner
7. falling action—in a narrative, action that occurs after the climax and directly before
the denouement or the resolution of the plot
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8. declining action/return—the falling action of a drama; after the climax, before the
denouement
9. denouement—the resolution of the plot of a literary work; the final unraveling of the
complications of a plot; the word “denouement” is French for “unknotting” or
“untying”
10. deus ex machina—a Latin term meaning “the god from the machine”; in ancient
dramas, a god would often descend to the stage to rescue the protagonist from doom;
thus, this term is used to refer to any power, event, person, or thing that comes in the
nick of time to solve a difficulty
11. monologue—a speech given by one character intended for other characters to hear
12. soliloquy—a dramatic convention whereby a character speaks his or her thoughts
aloud; a speech to oneself
13. aside—a brief comment delivered in the presence of other characters but not intended
for them to hear; conveys the internal thoughts of a character
B. Types of Drama and Their Characteristics
1. tragedy—dramatic or narrative writing in which the protagonist suffers disaster after
a significant struggle; tragedies inspire fear and pity in the audience
2. tragic flaw—in a tragedy, the flaw in the protagonist that leads to his or her downfall
3. peripeteia—a sudden change of events or a reversal of circumstances
4. tragic irony—refers in instances in a tragedy when the protagonist experiences a
misfortune that is contrary to what he or she expected to happen
5. catharsis—the purification of emotions by vicarious experience, especially through
drama
6. pathos—that quality in speech, writing, music, or artistic representation that excites
feelings of pity or sadness; the power of stirring tender or melancholy emotion
7. comic relief—an amusing scene, incident, character, or speech introduced into a
serious or tragic work to relieve tension
8. tragicomedy—a drama that combines elements of tragedy and comedy
9. comedies—a play written primarily to amuse the audience, usually featuring a
protagonist whose fortunes take a turn for the better
10. hamartia—a frailty or flaw in the tragic hero’s personality; a tragic flaw.
11. high comedy—a comedy that appeals to the intellect using verbal wit, a clever plot,
and visual elegance, usually having upper-class characters
12. hubris—over-reaching pride; feelings of invincibility and infallibility.
13. low comedy—comic actions based on broad physical humor, scatology, crude
punning, and the argumentative behavior of ignorant and often lower-class characters
14. farce—a highly comic, light-hearted drama, usually involving stock situations and
characters and based on a far-fetched humorous situation
15. satire—a literary work in which prevailing vices or follies of a character or
characters are severely criticized or humorously held up to ridicule through the use of
irony, wit, humor, or sarcasm
16. melodrama—a sensational nineteenth-century play that featured a suspenseful, plotoriented drama with all-good heroes, all-bad villains, simplistic dialogue, and soaring
moral conclusions
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Honors Handbook
17. realism—a quality of fiction and drama in which the events and people are depicted
without idealization or sentimentalization; emphasizes ordinary people in everyday
situations
C. Dramatic Characters
1. protagonist—the central character
2. hero/heroine—the central character
3. villain—an antagonist who is deliberately evil
4. supporting character—a character in a drama who helps to forward the plot but is
neither a major cause nor a major victim of the play’s events
5. stock characters—a character who is of little consequence to the dramatic situation
and its ultimate resolution, but who nonetheless may serve to advance the plot,
provide humor, or provide contrast with the main character
6. chorus—in ancient Greek drama, a group of actors who sang and danced in unison
and provided commentary on the actions of the main characters
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