IB English Literature: Drama – Tragedy Terminology – Flashcards
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Act I: creates mood, tone, setting; introduces characters and conflict(s). The play's Exposition conveys information that is relevant to understanding the plot such as setting, events that have already occurred, mood, and main characters.
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Exposition
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Act II: action rises and tension builds because of conflicts between various characters
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Complication
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Act III: peak of action and the turning point of the play; action and intensity decline after this act
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Climax
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Act IV: focuses on actions of the forces who oppose the protagonist; suspense is maintained until the tragedy occurs
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Falling Action
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Act V: the moment that marks the protagonist's tragic flaw, usually ending in the hero's death.
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Catastrophe (Denouement)
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A protagonist who starts out in a high rank in society; well respected; and fall to disaster because of a character flaw and forces beyond his/her control.
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Tragic Hero
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A personality failure that cannot be overcome and leads to the hero's downfall and/or death.
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Tragic flaw
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When the audience knows something that characters on stage do not know.
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Dramatic Irony
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When a character says one thing, but really means something else.
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Verbal Irony
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A literary outcome in which bad characters are punished and good characters are rewarded.
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Poetic Justice
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An extended metaphor that controls the entire poem.
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Conceit
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An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.
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Invective
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A character who complements/contrasts main character, & whose interaction with the main character give insight to the main character's nature.
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Foil
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Demise of tragic hero because of things he can't control (e.g. fate) & things he can control (e.g. decisions, bad judgment)
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Paradox of tragedy
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"The function of tragedy is to effect a pleasurable catharsis of the emotions of pity and terror."
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Aristotle's definition of tragedy
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A release of emotions (e.g. crying at the end of a movie): The emotional purgation of negative feelings known as Catharsis involved, according to Aristotle's Poetics, two emotions: Eleos (pity) and Phobos (fear). If the audience did not feel pity for the tragic hero in a play, or feel fear at his downfall, the play failed in its purpose.
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Catharsis:
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The reversal of fortune in the life of the tragic hero.
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Peripeteia
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Tragic hero's recognition of his contribution to his downfall, & his reaction & change thereafter; what allowed the TH to have tragic capactiy.
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Anagnorisis
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Tragic flaws/errors in judgment that lead to downfall of TH
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Hamartia
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A form of personification that applies human-like characteristics to animals or objects
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Anthropomorphism
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A story told within another story.
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Hypodiegesis
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Gradually exposing the reader to background information about the story's world to subtly clue the readers into the world the author is building.
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Incluing
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Dramatic dialogue characterised by briefly, punchy intermittent dialogue between two characters; each of whom both normally speak in verse.
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Stichomythia
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a play or novel containing elements of both tragedy and comedy
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Tragicomedy
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(n.) a play filled with ridiculous or absurd happenings; broad or far-fetched humor; a ridiculous sham
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Farce
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A 19th century artistic movement in which writers and painters sought to show life as it is rather than life as it should be
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realism
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a statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar
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double entendre
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A device in which a character in a drama makes a short speech which is heard by the audience but not by other characters in the play
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aside
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flashback; an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point in the story
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analepsis
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In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.
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deus ex machina
