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AP Dramatic Literature Terms Flashcards

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4765321796ActOne of the main divisions of a play or an opera0
4765322703AllegoryA story in which people, things, and events have a parallel, symbolic meaning1
4765325438AntagonistCharacter who opposes the character the audience wants to see succeed (protagonist)2
4765338801ArchetypeA character, action, or situation that is a prototype or pattern of human life generally; a situation that occurs over and over again in literature, such as a quest, an initiation, or an attempt to overcome evil.3
4765341067AsideBrief comment by a character who addresses either the audience or another character but it is assumed that it is not heard by the other characters onstage4
4765343829CharacterA person, or anything presented as a person, in a literary/dramatic work5
4765344626ConflictA struggle between opposing forces. Characters in conflict form the basis of stories, novels, epics, and plays. Types: External/Internal Conflicts6
4765350601Conventionsunrealistic devices or procedures that the audience agrees to accept7
4765351015DramaA story acted out, usually on stage, by actors who take the parts of specific characters8
4765353120DialogueConversation between characters9
4765354057EpilogueA concluding address usually performed directly to the audience10
4765354829EpiphanyA moment of sudden, intuitive understanding; a flash of insight11
4765355948FoilA character in the play who sets off the main character or other characters through comparison12
4765358208Given circumstanceThe information that we can determine about the play (setting, characters, etc.) from the script itself13
4765360988MonologueA long, uninterrupted speech that is spoken in the presence of other characters14
4765361577MotivationA reason that explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way15
4765362520ObjectiveAny goal that a character is working towards16
4765363526PunUsually, the humorous use of a word or phrase to suggest two or more meanings at the same time17
4765364533SceneA division with no change of locale or abrupt shift of time18
4765365763SetScenery and staging of a dramatic production19
4765366553Stage DirectionsA playwright's descriptive or interpretive comments that provide readers (and actors) with information about the dialogue, setting, and action of a play20
4765368355SoliloquyA long, uninterrupted speech that is spoken by a character alone on stage in which the character's inner-thoughts are revealed to the audience21
4765369615Suspension of DisbeliefA willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe the unbelievable; the sacrifice of realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment22

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