Vocabulary Definitions

Act- One of the main sections of an opera or play

Aside- Away from a certain group, especially for reasons of privacy

Comic Relief- An amusing scene in a play put in around a serious moment to provide a break from the tension

Dialogue- Conversation between two or more persons

Drama- The art dealing with the writing and performing of a play; a composition composed in prose or verse that presents conflict or contrast of a character

Foreshadow- To show or indicate beforehand

Irony- The use of words to convey a meaning contrary to the literal meaning

Mood- A distinctive emotional quality or character

Oxymoron- A figure of speech in which two words contrast each other's meaning, i.e. pretty ugly

Paradox- A statement that is self-contradictory

Pun- A humorous use of a word to suggest its different meanings, or that sounds alike or nearly alike in sound but is different in meaning

Scene- A division of a play or an act of a play

Soliloquy- An utterance to oneself, or being oblivious to those around you; the act of talking as if alone

Stage Directions- An instruction in written in a play to tell actors what to do or what props will be required

Theme - The unifying or dominant idea in a work of art

Tragic Flaw- The character defect that leads to the downfall of a protagonist in a tragedy

Simile- A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the words 'like' or 'as'

Foil- To prevent the success of

Imagery- The formation of mental pictures using descriptive language

Tone- The way a phrase is conveyed, often depending on the speaker's mood