| A | B |
|---|
| asides | lines spoken directly to the audience |
| fantasy | the type of drama that deals with unreal characters, dreams, and imaginary times and places |
| satire | a type of high comedy; a humorous but sometimes savage attack on the accepted conventions of society |
| hubris | the most common form of hamartia; excessive pride |
| parody | a type of low comedy that mocks a certain person or work, often incorporating caricature |
| performance art | the form of monodrama that involves juxtaposing many different elements of theater in a novel way |
| play of ideas | a type of drama that deals with a social problem, such as racism; often called a problem play |
| tragedy | a type of play that is sober and thoughtful and is based on complex human emotions and conflicts |
| comedy | a general term for drama in which the protagonist is a less-than-average character who achieves goals in a humorous way |
| anticlimax | a letdown in a play ocurring when the audience has built up anticipation for a particular event that never happens |
| burlesque | a type of low comedy that mocks a broad topic |
| hamartia | the term used by Aristotle to represent a character weakness or error in judgment |
| psychological drama | a form of drama that portrays the complexities of the human psyche |
| allegory | a play that teaches moral principles through characters who personify abstract qualities and concepts |
| monodrama | a play written to be performed by one actor |
| pathos | the quality in drama that arouses the pity and compassion of the audience |
| caricature | a device that is often used in parody; the exaggeration of a physical feature or gesture to produce humor |
| melodrama | a type of drama, based on the structure of tragedy, that is characterized by its use of stock characters and implausible plots |
| plant | using an idea, a line, or an action emphasized early in a comedy to set up a joke later in the play; also called foreshadowing |
| catharsis | a purging or cleansing that results in an emotional release |
| sentimental comedy | a type of drama that presents material in an emotional and ideal way; a reaction to Restoration drama |
| screen scenes | a device of farce in which some actors hide from other actors and overhear onstage dialogue |
| romantic comedy | a type of drama that presents virtuous heroines and flawless heroes in happily ending love affairs; the Merchant of Venice is an example |
| comedy of manners | a type of high comedy that focuses on the pretenses of a particular segment of society - particularly the upper classes |
| farce | a type of low comedy that often includes screen scenes, practical jokes, and physical comedy |
