Lorraine

Hansberry

ARaisininthe Sun

Dramatic Terms

English 10

Parts of a Play

• Act: A major division in the action of a play.• Dialogue: Spoken interchange or conversation

between two or more characters in a play• Scene: a division of an act in a drama

Setting: The time/place in which a story occurs

• Mood/Atmosphere: the feeling conveyed by setting details through description, which can foreshadow later events or the emotional tone of a scene

Character: any actor in a drama

• Protagonist: the main character that is involved in most of the action/decision-making

• Antagonist: person or thing working against the protagonist

• Foil: a character who, through difference or similarity, brings out a particular aspect of another character by serving as a contrast or challenge

• Static/Flat Character: one who does not change throughout the course of the play

• Dynamic/Round character: one who changes significantly throughout the course of the play

Plot: the story or events of a play

• Exposition/Introduction: introduction of main characters, setting, and conflict

• Rising Action: events occurring as a result of the main problem

• Turning Point/Climax: the decision to solve the main problem

• Falling Action: events occurring as a result of the turning point decision

• Dénouement/Conclusion: the problem’s solution (for better or worse) or stasis in which nothing happens

Figurative Language: Words used to create a special effect or feeling using figures of speech

that compare, exaggerate, or changes the meaning of an object or idea.

• Allusion: a reference to a widely-known person, place, thing or event

• Symbol: the use of a person, place, thing or event to represent an idea/emotion

Irony: use of a word/phrase to mean the opposite of its literal or intended meaning

• Dramatic: reader/audience sees a character’s mistakes or misunderstandings, but the character does not

• Verbal: writer/character says one thing but means another (ex.: sarcasm)

• Situational: a significant difference between the purpose of a particular action and what actually happens

Theme: idea about life conveyed through a work of literature

Themes in A Raisin in the Sun include• Dreams• Stereotyping/Prejudice/Racism• Gender Issues• Family• Perseverence