literary terms (shakespeare)

Verbal Irony

When a character exaggerates or says one thing when they mean another.

Dramatic IronyThe reader or viewer knows something that

the characters do not know.

Situational IronyThe contrast between what a reader or

character expects and what actually exists or happens.

Literary Terms

Tragic Hero:The main character in a tragedy. Usually nobly born and has a fatal character flaw that leads to their downfall.

Literary Terms

Comic ReliefA humorous scene, incident, or speech that relieves the overall emotional intensity.

Example

Literary Terms

AllusionA brief reference to something outside the work that the reader or audience is expected to know.

Example #1

Example #2

Literary Terms

FoilA foil is a character whose personality or attitudes are in sharp contrast to those of another character in the same work.

Literary Terms

SoliloquyA speech that a character gives when he or she is alone on stage. Its purpose is to let the audience know what the character is thinking.

Aside

A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character, that others are not supposed to hear.

Example