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| Drama | A literary art form that recreates human life and emotions. The medium is a dialogue and action within a frame of sequential events. Drama has both a written form (a script) and a living form (the stage presentation). |
| Theme | An observation of life which serves as a controlling idea in a literary work. A theme is seldom presented word-for-word but is more often found as an abstract idea, surfacing through the actions and dialogues of characters, the use of symbols and recurring images, or the manipulation of other literary devices. |
| Symbolism | An economic method for exploring the unknown through the known. A familiar object is used to represent the unfamiliar. The substitution demands that the reader transfer the relevant characteristics of the known to the unknown. |
| Plot | The progression of events in a literary work. Each part of the plot is so essential that if one part were removed, the whole structure would be disturbed. |
| Characterization | The creation of believable fictitious personalities. |
| Conflict | Results from the struggle of two opposing forces. One of the forces is usually a person. That person usually confronts one or more of five basic kinds of opposition. Opposition includes other people, forces of nature, society, fate, and internal elements battling for control. |
| Setting | The time and place of a narrative. The physical aspects of setting include time of day or other particulars of the environment, such as location, topography, and the placement of objects. The intangibles of setting include lifestyle and the predominant spiritual or moral atmosphere. |
| Romantic Comedy | A kind of comic drama that focuses on love. Romantic comedies often feature disguises, stumbling blocks to true love, idealized female characters, outdoor settings, and happy endings. |
| Dramatic Conventions | Techniques that substitute for reality. These techniques give the audience information they could not glean from straightforward presentation of action. Conventions must be realistic enough that the audience can experience that “willing suspension of belief” so essential to good drama. |
| Concealment | A convention that allows a character to be seen by the audience while remaining hidden from fellow actors. This convention provides a spark for plot developments and lends an opportunity for the differing perceptions of characters to be displayed. |
| Soliloquy | A convention that allows a character to “converse” with himself or herself by expressing thoughts aloud. This introspection reveals thoughts and feelings of the character that would otherwise remain unvoiced. |
| Aside | A convention that lets a character speak directly to the audience without being overheard by other characters on stage. This device allows opportunities for witty wordplay, foreshadowing, and character contrasts. The convention also tends to promote greater audience involvement. |
| Dramatic Irony | Occurs when a character’s words or acts carry a larger meaning that the character does not perceive. The audience, however, is fully aware of the character’s situation and can realize the total import of the action. |
