| A | B |
|---|
| Protagonist | The main character, believable, "average or better" person who experience happiness or misery as a result of their reactons to the situations of the plot |
| Exposition | The facts that consitute the literary setting--the kind of play, where and when, who the leading characters are, and teh situations in which they find themselves |
| Atmosphere | The environment of the play, largely created by staging and lighting. The tempos of speech, movement, choice of language all contribute |
| Mood | The emotional feeling of the play |
| Preliminary situation | Part of the Exposition. A clearly defined explanation of events that have occurred before the action of the play. |
| Plot | A series of related events. The development and resolution of the major conflicts |
| Antagonist | The person or the force opposing the protagonist |
| Denouement | A solution of a mystery (if one has been added) and/or an explanation of the outcome |
| Soliloquy | Speeches in which actors talk alone -- think aloud --about themselves and their motives or about other people and situations. |
| Theme | The basic idea of the play, sometimes stated by a character but often left to interpretation. |
| Moral | A lesson or principal contained within a play |
| Dialogue | The lines of the play in which the playwright must make the characters speak as would be expected for time, class, etc. |
| Action | That which happens on stage to hold the audience's attention |
| Situation | The predicament or problem the plot revolves around. |
| Tableau | A scene presented by silent and unmoving actors, showing the results of a violent act. |
