what are the key words from all of my novels/novellas Flashcards
dramatic irony
when the audience knows something that the characters do not
hamartia
a personal error in a protagonists personality that brings about their tragic downfall in a tragedy. This defect in a hero’s personality is also known as their tragic flaw
tragic hero
a character who beings as a well respected person but has some flaw that leads to their downfall
hubris
the pride before the fall-the point at which the protagonist seems to be on top of the world
patriarchy
as system where the father is the head of the family and men have authority over women and children
soliloquy
when a character speaks to himself relating to thoughts and feelings thereby also sharing them with the audience. These re longer than asides and take the form of speeches in the play
regicide
the act of killing a king
downfall
this is a characters dramatic decent from power
nihilism
the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. it is often associated with extreme pessimism and radical scepticism that condemns existence
tyrant
a tyrant is a cruel and oppressive leader this can be to maintain power
cantharis
a purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotion especially pity and fear
damnaition
is the concept of divine punishment and torment in the afterlife for action committed on earth
equivocation
the use of ambiguous expressions in order to mislead
divine right
the idea that kings are chosen by god and are not accountable to their subjects rebellion against the king is also rebellion against god
the great chain of being
Elizabethans believed that god set out an order for everything in the universe. so god has chosen you social class so you should stay in that class and not try to get ahead
allegory
a story which can be interpreted to reveal the hidden meaning typically a moral or political one
anthropomorphism
the attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to an animal
autocratic
relating to a ruler who has absolute power
ideology
a system of ideas especially on which form the basis of economic or political theory and policy
proletariat
working class
bourgeoise
middle/upper class
propaganda
a form of biased communication aimed at promoting someone or something
martial
relating to fighting and the concept of war
dichotomy
a division or contrast between two things that are or aren’t represented as being opposed or entirely different
