Drama Terms

A character's main drive or purpose

A secondary character whose situation parallels the main character's

Hinting at what is to come-sometimes through an object that becomes important later in the play.

A character or force against which another character struggles

This person undergoes an important change or development during the play

A group of characters (esp. in a Greek tragedy) who act like narrators and comment on the action without participating

The arrogant pride in a character that will ultimately lead to his/her demise

A hero's weakness, usually resulting in his/her demise

The playwright's instructions to the actors.

A parallel or smaller plot that coexists with the main action of the play

The invisible division between the characters and the audience.

A dramatic work in which the main theme is triumph over adverse circumstances.

A subdivision of an act - one event or conversation

An introductory speech that introduces background information or characters

The events in the play

A character who undergoes little to no inner change

A type of drama in which characters experience a reversal in fortune, usually for the worse.

A conversation between two or more characters

The major division in a play; can be divided into scenes.

When a character says something to the audience that isn't heard by the other characters

Lines spoken by only one character

The main character in the literary work - the one we "root for"