Macbeth Literary Devices

Question 1

Alliteration

Answer 1

repetition of an initial consonant sound in a sequence of words

Question 2

Allegory

Answer 2

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

a reference to something of historical or cultural significane;

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines, stanzas, sentences, or paragraphs

Question 5

Antagonist

Answer 5

a character that opposes the protagonist’s goals and interests, which creates conflict in the work

Question 6

aside

Answer 6

a brief speech that is heard only by the audience, and not by the other characters who are also on the stage; it often represents a thought being said aloud

Question 7

Assonance

Answer 7

a repetition of vowl sounds in a sequence of words with different endings

Question 8

characterization

Answer 8

the techniques by which an author represents the moral, intellectual, and emotional natures of the characters

Question 9

confidant

Answer 9

a secondary character in the story, often a friend or authority figure, whose role is to listen to the protagonist’s secrets, examine their characrter, and advise them on their actions

Question 10

conflict

Answer 10

a struggle between two opposing forces

Question 11

consonance

Answer 11

the repetition of certain consnant sounds in close proximity

Question 12

deus ex machina

Answer 12

literally, “god out of the machine”; any improbable, unprepared-for plot contricance intorduced late in a literary work to resolve the conflict

Question 13

dialogue

Answer 13

a character’s spoken words

Question 14

double entendre

Answer 14

word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risque or indecent

Question 15

end rhyme

Answer 15

a rhyme that occurs at the end of a line

Question 16

epiphany

Answer 16

a sudden, overwhelming insight or revelation

Question 17

foil

Answer 17

a character who contrasts with the protag. in ways that bring out the protag.’s moral, emotional, or intellecual qualities

Question 18

foreshadowing

Answer 18

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later int he plot

Question 19

hyperbole

Answer 19

a point stated in a way that greatly exaggerated

Question 20

iambic pentameter

Answer 20

a line verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short syllable followed by one long syllable

Question 21

imagery

Answer 21

when a writer uses descriptive language to engage the reader

Question 22

irony

Answer 22

when a literary work presents a deliberate contrast between two levels of meaning

Question 23

metaphor

Answer 23

comparing two things without using ‘like’or ‘as’

Question 24

monologue

Answer 24

a speech made by one character

Question 25

mood

Answer 25

the overall feeling, or atmosphere, or a text often created by author’s use imagery

Question 26

oxymoron

Answer 26

a phrase that combines two seemingly opposite elements by the author;s use of iagery and word choice

Question 27

paradox

Answer 27

when a statement apprears to be contradictory or impossible but turns out to express and often striking truth

Question 28

personification

Answer 28

giving human qualites to an inhuman object or thing

Question 29

plot

Answer 29

the selection and ordering of the events in a story

Question 30

protagonist

Answer 30

the main character in a work of literature

Question 31

pun

Answer 31

a play on words that sound the same but have different meanings

Question 32

rhetorical question

Answer 32

when a question is asked to prove a point, not get an answer

Question 33

setting

Answer 33

an environment or surrounding in which a story takes place; can include details such as geographical location, time period, social conditions, and weather

Question 34

simile

Answer 34

comparing two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’

Question 35

soliloquy

Answer 35

a monologue delivered by a character who is alone on state; soliloquies are reserved for main characters to disclose important revelations or feelings

Question 36

stage directions

Answer 36

instructions in the text of a play aboutthe lighting, sound effects, props, character movement, etc..

Question 37

symbol

Answer 37

a single object, action, event, or person that represents something beyond itself

Question 38

theme

Answer 38

the insight about a topic communicated ina work

Question 39

tone

Answer 39

the attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience conveyed through word choice and the style of the writing

Question 40

tragedy

Answer 40

drama with a serious, somber tone; the effect is to involve and strongly move the audience; and the outcome is disastrous for the protagonist and, often, those associated with them