1. Drama Terms Romeo and Juliet By Erin Salona

2. Definition A play that ends happily

3. Term Comedy

4. Definition A play that ends unhappily

5. Term Tragedy

6. Definition A dramatic work based on an actual historical event or person– a combination of fiction and nonfiction

7. Term History

8. Definition The final revelation or outcome of a tragedy

9. Term Catastrophe

10. Definition The main character in a Shakespearean tragedy. Is nobly born and has great influence in his or her own society. Has one of more serious character flaws which lead to his downfall.

11. Term Tragic Hero

12. Definition Subdivision of a play

13. Term Act

14. Definition Further subdivision of an act

15. Term Scene

16. Definition A person whose function it is to communicate words and emotions to an audience; he or she assumes the personality of the character

17. Term Actor or Actress

18. Definition Those who view the play and should be responsive to the action and the feeling or mood portrayed as the actors lead them into the play

19. Term Audience

20. Definition The hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes

21. Term Protagonist

22. Definition The character who opposes or competes with the protagonist

23. Term Antagonist ''I'm all about empowerment. I empower my Cheerios to live in a state of constant fear by creating an environment of irrational, random terror.''

24. Definition A character whose qualities contrast with those of another character. A writer might use a foil to emphasize or de-emphasize another character’s traits.

25. Term Foil The businessman’s foil; makes him look more attractive in comparison

26. Definition All of the stage furnishings, objects, etc.

27. Term Props

28. Definition A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character that others on stage are not supposed to hear. Its purpose is to reveal the character’s private thoughts.

29. Term Aside

30. Definition A single person speaking alone– with or without an audience.

31. Term Monologue

32. Definition A 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. This is a type of monologue.

33. Term Soliloquy

34. DEFINITION A joke that comes from a play on words. Examples: A prisoner's favorite punctuation mark is the period. It marks the end of his sentence. When William joined the army he disliked the phrase 'fire at will'.

35. More examples There was a sign on the lawn at a drug re-hab center that said 'Keep off the Grass'. A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired. I decided that becoming a vegetarian was a missed steak. Two peanuts were walking in a tough neighborhood and one of them was a-salted. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

36. TERM Pun

37. Definition Left of the stage from the actor’s point of view.

38. Term Stage Left

39. Definition Right of the stage from the actor’s point of view.

40. Term Stage Right

41. Definition Area of the stage closest to the footlights and audience

42. Term Downstage

43. Definition Area of the stage farthest away from the footlights and the audience

44. Term Upstage

45. Study for your Drama Terms & Shakespeare Background Quiz This Wednesday (blue)/ Thursday (gold) Review pages 1-3 in your Romeo & Juliet study packet Quia games available from my website