Literary Terms & Dramatic Devices used in Literature
Allusion- a direct or indirect comparison to a historical event or person. (comparing your gorgeous
friend to Aphrodite)
Aside - a speech spoken by a character to himself when there are other characters on stage. Only the
audience is to hear the lines.
Blank Verse - consists of lines of Iambic Pentametre which are unrhymed
Catharsis - is a purgation of emotion felt by the audience upon witnessing a tragic representation of
suffering and defeat.
Coincidence - the occurrence of events without apparent causal connection
Contrast- the jusxtaposition of opposites.
a)of character ie. between two best friends in a novel
b)between characters e.g., Macduff and Banquo
c)in atmosphere
Dramatic Irony - the effect produced when a speech or situation has one meaning for the actor and an
inner or opposite one for the audience. (the audience shares the author's knowledge of an outcome of
which a character is ignorant)
Figurative Language – language that uses figures of speech to create imagery such as simile,
personification, allusion and metaphor (SPAM)
Foil - a character or situation which serves to offset another by contrast
Foreshadowing - a hint or suggestion of what is to come.
Hubris- the overconfidence which leads a character to overlook a divine warning or to break a moral
law. Pride, self assurance,
Iambic Pentametre - iambic metre is recognized by a light syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Pentametre refers to the number of feet in the metric line (five).
Irony - words that mean something different from what they seem to say on the surface. Irony may
range from a complete reversal of meaning to a subtle qualification of the surface meaning. eg. Calling
a painting that you find unattractive a "masterpiece".
Imagery- an expression rich in images. A reoccurring image
Metaphor - A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things seemingly quite
different without saying “like” or “as”. eg. Your dress is a kite in the wind
Metre - is a unit recognizable through a stress pattern. If the rhythm of stresses is of approximately
equal units it is called a metre
Nemesis - just reward or punishment. Also called poetic or retributive justice
Parallelism- occurs when the earlier events in a play are balanced against those in a later part. e.g. the
first set of prophecies in Macbeth vs the second set.
Pathetic Fallacy - the representation of nature as being in sympathy with or affected by the deeds or
feelings of man.
The one red leaf, the last of its clan
The cruel, crawling foam
Pathos - pity felt for a character who suffers
Personification – a technique in which inanimate objects are given human qualities or actions.
Protagonist - the principal actor or character in a play or novel. Today the protagonist has come to be
the equivalent of the hero.
Pun - a play on words involving the sound of words
Satire - the use of irony or ridicule to expose fault or foolishness
Supernatural - an agency above or outside the forces of nature
Suspense - the feeling of anxiety felt by the audience because of uncertainty about the outcome
Tragedy - a drama in which the protagonist or hero fails or is destroyed.
Tragic Hero - is a main character in a drama who most effectively evokes the audience's pity and
terror. He is neither thoroughly good not thoroughly evil but a mixture of both.
Flaw or Tragic Flaw - the tragic hero is led by his "harmatia" or " error of judgement" to great
misfortune. It causes the tragic hero to fail.
Soliloquy - is the act of talking to oneself, silently or aloud. It is a convenient device to inform the
audience of a character's motives, intentions and state of mind. A soliloquy is then no longer an aside.
A soliloquy may do the following:
1. Reveal character, thoughts or motive of the speaker, or it may also reveal the character of the
person spoken about
2. Advance the plot or foreshadow action to take place in the future
3. Create atmosphere
Shakespearian sonnets are written in poetry. Generally, each line consists of ten syllables or five
poetic feet. A regular line of poetry will contain five iambic feet although there may be substitutions of
other feet within the line. One metrical foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stresses
syllable. For example:
Her father loved me, oft invited me
Still questioned me the story of my life
Othello
Poetic feet
-iambic
-dactylic
-trochaic
-anapestic
-spondaic
Figurative Language Remember SPAM
SIMILE – a figurative comparison using like or as. My face looked like a tomato
PERSONIFICATION – a technique in which inanimate objects are given human
qualities or actions
ALLUSION – a direct comparison to a historical event or person. E.g. comparing
your girlfriend to Aphrodite. (greek goddess of Love)
METAPHOR – a figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two
things seemingly quite different e.g. Your dress is a kite in the wind. Unlike a
simile is doesn’t use “like” or “as”
Figurative Language Remember SPAM
SIMILE – a figurative comparison using like
or as. My face looked like a tomato
PERSONIFICATION – a technique in
which inanimate objects are given human
qualities or actions. (The seaweed clung to
the side of our boat.)
ALLUSION – a direct comparison to a
historical event or person. E.g. comparing
your girlfriend to Aphrodite. (greek
goddess of Love)
METAPHOR – a figure of speech in which
a comparison is made between two things
seemingly quite different e.g. Your dress is
a kite in the wind. Unlike a simile is doesn’t
use “like” or “as”