Literary Devices & Elements 2 Flashcards
Twelfth Night U.T (16 cards)
Antithesis
Person / thing that is direct opposite of someone / something else
ex: peace & war
- put together to create contrast
Connotation
Idea that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning
ex: Childlike; youthful (neutral), childish (negative)
Cacophony
Harsh mixture of sounds
ex: construction noise
-used to create noisy / chaotic effect
Parallelism
Corresponding in some way
Understatement
presentation of something being smaller/less important than it actually is
ex: “It’s a bit chilly” during a severe snowstorm
Rhetorical Question
Question asked in order to make a statement that doesn’t expect an answer
ex: why do these things happen to me?
Satire
Use of humor, irony, exaggeration / ridicule to expose & criticize ppl’s stupidity
Symbolism
Use of symbols to represent ideas / qualities
ex: heart symbolizes love
Dramatic Irony
When audience knows more abt a situation than the characters do
Alliteration
Occurrence of same letter or sound at the beginning of words in close proximity to e/o
ex: busy bee
Plot Exposition
Introduction / beginning of story that reveals important background info
-can include setting & details abt characters
Metaphor
Directly comparing 2 different things w/o using “like” or “as”
(ex: time is a thief)
Verbal Irony
Using words to convey a meaning that is opposite to / diff from literal interpretation
-to emphasize a point, express humor
Soliliquy
Act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself – regardless of any hearers
-especially by a character in a play
(dramatic speech delivered aloud to audience)
Character Foil
Someone who contrasts w another character
-usually the mc; to highlight the protagonist’s personality & qualities
Subplot
Secondary story in a novel/film that coexists w the main plot.
-mini-story that can add depth, complexity & tension to overall narrative
