Group 3 Literary Terms
by: Mosana Tafere, Alex Martinez, Malak Kallel and
Cepehr Alizadeh
Dialogue, Verisimilitude,
Stage Direction, Speech
Headings, Direct and
Indirect discourse,
Repartee, Aside, Soliloquy
Soliloquy
-a monologue delivered
by a character who is
alone on stage.
- ex. in Shakespeare’s
Othello, Iago is left
alone and turns to the
audience and speaks.
Aside
-a speech, usually brief, that
is heard only by the
audience, or, sometimes is
addressed privately to
another character on stage.
-ex. in Shakespeare’s comedy
The Taming of the Shrew,
Petruchio is in an argument
with his wife. In the middle
of it, he turns to another
character on the stage and
tells them something about
it as if his wife can’t hear it.
Dialogue
Verisimilitude
Definition: conversation between
two or more characters in a
literary work
Primary means of revealing a
character’s feelings and motives
Example: “Hello Wilson, old man,” said Tom, slapping him
jovially on the shoulder. “How’s business?”
“I can’t complain,” answered Wilson unconvincingly. “When
are you going to sell me that car?”
“Next week; I’ve got my man working on it now.”
“Works pretty slow, don’t he?”
“No, he doesn’t,” said Tom coldly. “And if you feel that way
about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.”
Definition: appearing to be real,
“similar to the truth”
Example: Concept of treasure in
Song of Solomon
Speech Headings
● Description of
character’s vocal tones
or gestures as they
speak a line.
○ example; “slapping
him jovially”
Stage Direction
● Available to readers of
the text but needing to
be suggested in
performance.
○ a written instruction in a
play telling an actor
what to do
■ example;limited to
entrances,
exits,and sound
effect
Repartee
Definition: A rapid
fire exchange of
witty remarks in
which each speaker
tries to score
against an opponent
in a verbal fencing
match
Example:
“No sight so sad as that of a naughty child,”
he began, “especially a naughty little girl.
Do you know where the wicked go after
death?”
“They go to hell,” was my ready and
orthodox answer.
“And what is hell? Can you tell me that?”
“A pit full of fire.”
“And should you like to fall into that pit,
and to be burning there for ever?”
“No, sir.”
“What must you do to avoid it?”
I deliberated a moment; my answer, when
it did come, was objectionable: “I must
keep in good health and not die.”
Direct and Indirect Discourse
Direct
Indirect
The speech of a character or what a
character says themselves, similar to
dialogue.
Reporting what the speaker says but not said
directly by the speaker and put into a
sentence.
Example: “You get off early or what?”
“I took off early.”
“Anything the matter?”
“In a way of speaking,” he said and wiped
his lips.
“Not cut back?”
“No, no. They got plenty work. I just--”
“Hm?”
“Sethe, you won’t like what I’m about to
say.”
-Toni Morrison, Beloved
Example: “He said ‘I am a fool’ would be
modified to ‘he said he is a fool’”