Drama and Shakespearean Language Flashcards

Grade 9 · English · Flashcards

Key terms for reading and analyzing Shakespeare and dramatic literature.

Flashcards

Soliloquy: Character alone on stage speaks thoughts aloud to the audience — reveals inner truth
Aside: Brief remark to the audience, unheard by other characters on stage
Dramatic Irony: Audience knows something a character does not — creates tension or tragedy
Foil: Character whose contrasting traits highlight qualities in another character
Iambic Pentameter: Shakespeare's verse: 10 syllables, 5 iambs (da-DUM) per line
Thou / Thee / Thy: Informal second-person pronouns in Shakespeare = 'you / you / your'
Hath / Doth: Shakespearean third-person: hath = has, doth = does
Wherefore = Why: 'Wherefore art thou Romeo?' means 'Why are you Romeo?' — not asking location
Stage Direction: Instructions in a play script describing action, movement, or setting
Subtext: The unspoken meaning beneath what characters actually say — what they truly want or feel
Monologue: A long speech by one character — unlike soliloquy, other characters may be present
Comic Relief: Humorous scenes or characters in a tragedy that provide brief emotional release for the audience