King Lear Terms

Elements of Plot Exposition, discovery, point of attack, foreshadowing, complication, climax, crisis, denouement
Exposition Background, identification of characters, relationships, motivation, reveal past, establish environment
Discovery Recognition of truth, character motivation, goals, relationships, emotions
Point of Attack First complication, inciting moment
Foreshadowing Clues inserted in early part of drama, prep for future developments, creates and builds tension, atmosphere, builds to entrance
Complication New force in play, affects course of action, theme determined, beginning and end is planned, accelerate action until climax
Climax Culmination of action, strain, tension, intensifies emotion
Crisis Crossroads, alternate courses of action, good fortune or catastrophe, determines outcome
Denouement Climax to curtain, unraveling, final placement of characters, restoration of order, completion of action
Protagonist chief character
Antagonist Primary opponent of protagonist
Irony Difference between what appears to be and what is, verbal and dramatic
Theme Central universal truth underlying the story, product of plot, universal application
Soliloquy Dramatic character utters their thoughts allowed
Aside Remark by a character in an undertone, only audience hears
Anachronism Person or thing in a different period
Tragic hero Good character, fails as a result of an error in judgment
Hubris Over wheeling pride, arrogance, leads to a tragic hero’s downfall, setting oneself equal to the Gods
Appositive phrase positioned next to a word that supplies defining details about the word-symptom for noun or pronoun
Participial phrase Group of words introduced by a preposition that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to other words in the sentence
Relative Clause Group of words with a subject and verb beginning with a relative pronoun, modifies the main clause
Simple sentence one independent clause that makes sense
Compound sentence more than one independent clause linked with a coordinating conjunction or a semi-colon
Complex sentence one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses linked with a subordinating conjunction
Compound-complex sentence two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clause linked with subordinating and coordinating conjunctions
Parallelism a repetition of structure for effect
Cumulative or loose sentences Begin simply, continue with phrase after phrase, clause after clause
Periodic sentence delays basic sentence pattern
Balance statement Sentence with two parts balanced on either side of a semicolon
Excess of phlegm Sluggish, pale, slow, water
Excess of Yellow Splenetic, choleric, fiery, quick to anger, fire
Excess of blood Sanguine, jovial, lusty, air
Excess of black Maudlin (somber), lovesick, languid, earth
Seven virtues Prudence, fortitude, justice, temperance, faith, hope, charity
Seven sins Pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony, lust
Character Extended verbal representation of a human being
Close reading Detailed study of a poem or passage
Complication Stage of narrative and dramatic structure, major conflicts brought out
Contextual, private, or authorial symbols Symbol that is derived from within the context of the work
Cosmic irony Situational irony connected to a pessimistic or fatalistic view of life
Crisis Point of uncertainty and tension
Cultural or universal symbols Symbols recognized as part of common knowledge
Documentation Granting recognition to the ideas and words of others
Double entendre Double meaning, often sexual or humorous
Drama Individual play, a major genre of literature
Dramatic or objective point of view 3rd person narration reporting speech and action, excluding commentary on actions and thoughts
Dynamic character Character that undergoes change and growth
Enjambment Line that runs over to the next that has no punctuation
Epic Long narrative poem
Essay A short and tightly organized composition dealing with one topic
Fiction Narratives based in the imagination of the author
First person point of view The use of “I” by the speaker
Flashback A method of narration in which past events are introduced into present action
Flat character A character, who is minor, who is static, useful and structural
framing setting The same features of topic or setting used at both the beginning and the end
Hero/ heroine The major male and female protagonists in a drama
limited point of view The 3rd person narrative in which the actions or thoughts of protagonist are the focus of the attention
Literature Written or oral compositions that tell stories, express emotions, dramaticize ideas, etc
Myth Story that deals with the relationships of Gods to humans
Nonfiction prose A genre, essays, articles, and books about real occurences
Omniscient point of view Third person narrative with no limitations describes any or all characters
Parable Allegory designed to illustrate a religious truth
Point of view Speaker or voice of the work