Drama and Novel Analysis Glossary

A brief remark to the audience while other characters are present.

The moment of highest tension in the dramatic arc.

The final resolution of a plot after the climax.

When the audience knows something a character does not.

The introduction of characters, setting, and situation at the beginning of a work.

A character whose contrasting qualities highlight another character traits.

Presenting events out of time order for narrative effect.

A tragic flaw or error in judgment leading to downfall.

A recurring element that develops meaning through repetition.

Telling events from different viewpoints to show how perspective shapes truth.

The arrangement of events: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

A critical lens examining colonial power relationships in texts.

A speech delivered alone on stage, revealing internal thoughts.

Written instructions for movement, tone, and action in a play.

Underlying meaning beneath surface dialogue and action.

How themes are introduced, complicated, and resolved across a work.

A noble character whose hamartia causes their destruction.

A narrator whose credibility is compromised.