| A | B |
|---|
| tableau | in ancient Greek theater, a scene presented by silent, unmoving actors, showing the results of a violent act |
| climax | the turning point of the action... the moment of intense crisis that determines the outcome of the conflict |
| atmosphere | the environment of a play created by staging and and lighting |
| denouement | the term that describes the untangling of complications in a play and the resolution of these complications |
| protagonist | the main character of a play |
| dialogue | the spoken lines of a play |
| initial incident | the first important event from which the rest of the plot develops |
| exposition | that which explains the where, when, why, and who in a play |
| neoclassicists | French and Italian dramatists who relied on the use of the three unities: time, action, and place |
| falling action | The series of events following the climax |
| soliloquy | a speech in which an actor, alone onstage, thinks aloud, sharing his character's thoughts and motives with the audience |
| motivation | the reason behind each action of a character |
| antecedent action | an explanation of events that have occured before the action of the play begins; also known as preliminary situation |
| plot | the series of related events that take place in a play; including the development and resolution of the major conflict |
| Aristotle | Greek philosopher who described the key elements of a play |
| conclusion | the logical outcome of the preceding action |
| theme | a basic idea that gives unity and purpose to a play |
| moral | a lesson or principle taught by some plays |
| antagonist | the person or force opposing the protagonist |
| rising action | the series of events following the intitial incident in which situations develop from the conflict to lift the level of interest |
| mood | the emotional feeling of a play |
| chorus | a group of characters who are used in some forms of drama to inform the audience of the preliminary situation |
| proscenium arch | a structure that frames the stage, separating it from the auditorium |
| dramatic situations | the basis of all drama; Georges Polti suggests thirty-six of them |
| preliminary situation | the explanation of events that occured before the action of the play begins |
