Drama Vocabulary

stage directions instructions of how the play is to be

performed or staged; includes when characters enter and leave the stage

drama a work in verse or prose meant to

portray life or emotion through action and dialogue

acts and scenes the basic organizational structure of a

play

classical play a play that is widely acknowledged

for its outstanding and enduring qualities

dialogue the lines spoken between characters

in fiction or a play; the main way in which plot, character, and other elements are established

dramatic convention a set of rules employed to create a

desired dramatic effect that is understood by the audience

monologue a dramatic convention in which a

speech is given by a single character, either alone or to others

soliloquy a dramatic convention in which a

speech is given by a character while, or as if, alone; literally, “talking to oneself”

foil a character in literature who has

qualities that are in sharp contrast to another character, thus emphasizing the traits of each

pun a play on words that have similar

sounds but more than one possible spelling or meaning

foreshadowing hints in the text about what will occur

later in the plot

aside A remark or passage by a character

in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play