Romeo & Juliet
Unit 4 - Drama
Characteristics of Drama
O Written to be performed by actors
O Story is told mainly through dialogue
and actions of the characters
Stage Directions
O Typically printed in italics
O Explain how the characters should
look, speak, move, and behave
O Can also describe the setting and
scenery like lighting, props, and sound
effects
Characters/Cast
O The cast of characters is
listed at the beginning of a
play
Dialogue
O Conversation between the
characters
O Plot and characterization is
revealed through dialogue
Acts and Scenes
O The same as chapters in a
book
O They indicate a change in
location or a passage of time
Vocabulary Terms Unique to
Drama
O Tragedy
O Aside
O Soliloquy
O Monologue
O Tragic Flaw
O Tragic Hero
O Comic Relief
Tragedy
O A serious play in which the chief
character passes through a series of
misfortunes leading to a final,
devastating catastrophe (often death)
Aside
O A comment made by a
character that is heard by the
audience, but NOT heard by
the other characters onstage
Soliloquy & Monologue
O A soliloquy is a speech delivered by a
character who is alone onstage
speaking to himself
O Monologue is a speech given by a
character alone on stage to an
audience
Tragic Flaw (hamartia)
O A defect in the protagonist’s
personality in a tragedy that brings
the protagonist to ruin, sorrow, or
death
O Examples: Impetuous, fickle,
defiance, greed, arrogance
Tragic Hero
O The protagonist of a tragedy that
possess a tragic flaw leading to his
downfall or death
O Examples: Romeo & Juliet
Hubris
O Extreme pride or arrogance
Comic Relief
O Occurs when a short, funny episode
interrupts an otherwise serious or
tragic scene.
O It is meant to break the tension after
a particularly intense scene.
Literary Devices
O Both prose and drama share
literary devices
Example: foil characters
O A character that provides a strong
contrast to another character.
O Purpose: to emphasize a character’s
traits or make another character
look better by comparison
Practice!
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