Drama and Comedy Terms

Words spoken by an actor directly to the audience or to a specific character, which are not "heard" by the other characters on stage during a play.

A type of dialogue that is meant to be heard by all characters on stage.

A monologue delivered by a character in a play.

A stage direction indicating a pause in the action.

Comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events.

A genre of drama that focuses on serious themes and moral lessons.

A type of music characterized by its complex rhythms and harmonies.

A form of visual art that emphasizes realism and detail.

A major division in a play; all of Shakespeare's plays have five of these.

A type of performance art that involves singing and dancing.

A written work that is intended to be performed by actors.

A scene in a play that focuses on a specific event.

A speech by a single character without another character's response, though others are on stage.

A dialogue between two characters exchanging ideas.

A narrative told by a narrator without any character involvement.

A performance involving multiple characters speaking simultaneously.

A type of wordplay that exploits multiple meanings of a term for humorous effect.

A serious statement that conveys a deep meaning.

A form of poetry that uses rhyme and meter.

A narrative that tells a story with a moral lesson.

A character is discussing a course of action, but it is obvious to the audience that one glaring aspect of it will cause it to fail.

A character has a well-thought-out strategy that is likely to succeed.

A character is unsure about their plan and seeks advice from others.

A character's plan is perfect and has no foreseeable issues.

A traditional segment in a play that usually denotes a change in setting, time, or characters.

A type of character that provides comic relief in a drama.

A narrative technique used to create suspense in a story.

A visual representation of a play's setting.

The use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

A form of exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.

A type of humor that relies on the absurdity of a situation.

A type of drama in which the characters experience reversals of fortune, usually for the better.

A serious narrative that often ends in tragedy.

A form of entertainment that involves exaggerated characters and situations.

A type of performance that focuses on romantic relationships.

The expected outcome occurs as planned.

The opposite of what is expected happens.

A character's thoughts are revealed to the audience but not to other characters.

A situation where the outcome is more favorable than anticipated.