Drama Terms

Comedy: A literary work that is amusing and ends happily, usually in marriage Tragedy: A drama that reveals the unfortunate downfall of a person, and ends in death or misfortune

Farce: a type of drama in which ridiculous and stereotyped characters are involved in far-fetched situations (melodrama) Satire: writing that ridicules human weakness, vices, or folly in order to bring about social change

Verbal Irony: a disparity between what is said and what is actually intended Situational Irony: a disparity between what is normally expected and what happens

Dramatic Irony: Irony created by a disparity between what the audience knows and what the characters know cosmic Irony: irony created by a sense that the universe or gods are toying with you

Set: The background, furniture, and stationary items on stage Props: Items used in a play, such as a sword

Staging: how things look on stage – where actors stand, entrances and exits, set, props, lighting, sound, etc. Stage direction: A playwright's comments that provide information about how things are said, acted, gestured, or staged.

Chorus: A group of characters in Greek tragedy who comment on the action of a play, often while performing a formalized dance – used in Greek drama to convey communal emotion. Parabasis: When the chorus addresses the audience directly (breaking 4th wall)

Tragic Flaw: a character trait or mistake in the protagonist of a tragedy that leads to a downfall, usually death or exile. Hamartia: a criminal act committed in ignorance or for the sake of the greater good (tragic flaw, “missing the mark”) Hubris: Excessive pride, thinking oneself above humans or as one of the gods.

Pathos: the quality of a drama or piece of art to evoke emotions (particularly of pity, sorrow, or fear) in the audience. In successful tragedy this leads to catharsis. Catharsis: A term used by Aristotle to describe an emotional release experienced by the audience at the end of a tragedy

Comic Relief: a comic scene in a tragedy after a serious scene that by contrast intensifies the emotions aroused by the serious scene. Dramatic Exposition: The use of dialogue to present information and events that occur before the play or offstage

Dialogue: A conversation between two people Monologue: A long speech spoken by one character Soliloquy: A monologue that a character speaks alone to himself revealing thoughts and feelings to the audience Aside: An actor in a play says something that other characters in the play aren’t supposed to hear, but the audience can