Key Terms Notes

Romeo & Juliet Literary Devices Notes

Elements of Drama

●     Tragedy

A play that ends typically in the death of the main character, and the demise of his/her hopes and dreams.

●     Tragic Hero

The protagonist of a tragedy who typically is passionate, violent, or energetic, and has some tragic flaw that causes his or her demise.

●     Tragic Flaw

A character trait possessed by the tragic hero that usually causes or influences the downfall into the tragic ending.

●     Comedy

A play that ends, typically, in the victory of the main character, and the attainment of his or her hopes and dreams, often in marriage.

●     Comic Relief

A character in a tragedy or comedy who, through stupidity, vice, folly, ignorance, or wit, often causes some laughs and entertains the viewer in the midst of the plot.

●     Soliloquy

A long dramatic monologue spoken directly from a character to the audience, unheard by other characters, and often revealing the inner thoughts and desires of the character.

●     Dramatic Irony

Irony is when expectations do not match with reality—dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters do not.

●     Tone

The attitude expressed behind the quality of one’s words, whether the author’s or the character’s.

Character devices

●     Foil

Two characters who contrast each other, are radically different in order to highlight the other’s traits or highlight the traits of the main character.

●     Conflict

An issue from which the plot derives, often including differing goals or desires between two characters or two groups of characters.

Plot devices

●     Foreshadowing

An allusion, through character development, language, or plot, that suggests the ending or another event later in the story.

●     Theme

An idea + commentary on that idea developed by the details of the story. Often developed through repetition of key ideas, phrases, words, or events.

Rhetorical Devices

●     Hyperbole

Overstatement or exaggeration.

“There is no world without Verona walls/ But purgatory, torture, hell itself./ Hence banished is banished from the world,/ And world’s exile is death.”

●     Pun

A play on words that capitalizes on the multiple meanings and similar spellings of words.

“Gregory, on my word we’ll not carry coals.

No, for then we should be colliers.

I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw.

Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar.”

●     Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things which states the comparison in a way that claims the two things are one and the same.

“My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/ To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

●     Imagery

Any language that involves detailed descriptions that evokes sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell.

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?”

●     Malapropism

An intentional mis-use of a word for the sake of a joke or characterization of a foolish character.

“If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you.” Conference should replace confidence, showing how flustered the nurse is.

●     Oxymorons

Short phrases referring to a single thing that actually have opposite meanings.

“Living death.”

●     Repetition

Repeated words, phrases, events, words, phrases, events, or ideas.

“O woe! O woeful, woefule, woeful day!”

●     Allusion

An implied or explicit reference to another literary work, history, or text.

“Venus smiles not in a house of tears.

●     Personification

Using human character traits to describe a non-human thing.

“Dry sorrow drinks our blood.”