| A | B |
|---|
| aside | a character's remark, either to the audience or to another character that others on stage are not supposed to hear. |
| catastrophe | the final revelation or outcome of a tragedy |
| pun | a joke that comes from a play on words |
| dramatic irony | the audience or reader knows something that a character does not know |
| foil | a character whose qualities contrast with those of another character |
| tragedy | a drama that ends in catastrophe |
| tragic hero | someone who is nobly born and who may have great influence in his or her own society. He has one or more serious character flaws which leads to his downfall |
| comedy | a dramatic work often light and humorous in tone |
| history | a dramatic work based on an actual historical event or person |
| act | subdivision of a play |
| scene | further subdivision of an act |
| soliloquy | a speech that a character gives when he or she is alone on stage to let the audience know his or her internal thoughts |
| protagonist | the hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes |
| antagonist | the character who opposes or competes with the protagonist |
| props | all of the stage furnishings, objects, etc. |
| theme | important central idea presented by the play |
| stage left | left of the stage from the actor's point of view |
| stage right | right of the stage from the actor's point of view |
| upstage | area of the stage away from the footlights and audience |
| downstage | area of the stage close to the footlights and audience |
| actor | person whose function it is to communicate words and emotions to an audience |
| audience | those who view the play |
| monologue | a single person speaking alone--with or without an audience. |
