1. Shakespeare
Macbeth

3. Literary Terms
Equivocation – an expression or statement that is vague and deliberately misleading
Antithesis – the use of words or phrases that contrast with each other to create a balanced effect
Paradox – a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true
Soliloquy – the act of speaking alone, often used as a theatrical device that allows a character’s thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience
Incantation – ritual chanting or use of “magic words”
Allusion – a suggested link in the text to something outside of the text, usually a historical person, historical event, or literary figure
Tragic Flaw – a character flaw that causes the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy
Aside – a remark made by an actor, usually to the audience, that the other characters on stage supposedly cannot hear
Comic Relief - a comic scene or passage inserted into a serious work, used to provide relief from tension, or the further heightening of tension

4. Tragedy - a serious play with a tragic theme, often involves a heroic struggle and the downfall of a major character
Bank Verse – unrhymed poetry that has a regular rhythm and line length (especially iambic pentameter)
Iambic Pentameter – the most common rhythm in English poetry, has five iambs (one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable) in each line (ten syllables following the da DUM pattern)
Monologue – a long speech spoken by a character in the presence of others
Dramatic Irony – a situation, or the irony arising out of a situation, in which the audience has a fuller knowledge of what is happening than the character does
Verbal Irony – a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is expected

5. Imagery – figurative language used in poetry, plays and other literary works (examples are similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, irony, understatement)
Metaphor – a comparison without the words like or as
Simile – a comparison using the words like or as
Symbolism – a person, place, or thing that represents something else
Foreshadowing – to suggest that something, often something unpleasant, is going to happen
Irony - the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. "What a wonderful weekend! I worked all day Saturday and Sunday."
Hyperbole - obvious and intentional exaggeration: “I'd give my whole paycheck for a glass of water.”
Personification – assigning human characteristics to things, animals, or ideas for artistic effect
Understatement - set forth in restrained, moderate, or weak terms