Comparing Oedipus and Beowulf

Fiction Terms

(See Glossary of Literary Terms, Bedford page 1558-1582)

1. Acts- Major divisions in the action of a play

2. Antagonist- The character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story; an opponent of the protagonist

3. Aside- A speech directed only to the audience

4. Catharsis- “purgation;” describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy

5. Character- A person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, and characterization is the process by which a writer makes that character seem real to the reader.

6. Chorus- In Greek tragedies; a group of people who serve mainly as commentors on the characters and events, which add to the audience’s understanding of the play by expressing traditional moral, religious, and social attitudes. The chorus chanted lines and danced in the orchestra or “dancing place’

7. Climax- The second part of a story or play written in a pyramidal pattern, which contains the moment of greatest emotional tension in a narrative, usually marking a turning point in the plot at which the rising action reverses to become the falling action

8. Conflict- The struggle within the plot between opposing forces; protagonist vs. antagonist

9. Deus ex Machina- Any improbable means by which an author provides a too-easy resolution for a story; from the Latin- “god from the machine.”

10. Dramatic irony- A literary device which creates a discrepancy between what a character believes or says and what the reader or audience member knows to be true.

11. Exposition- A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.

12. Expressionism- A nonrealistic movement in drama; popular from the end of World War I until the mid-1920s which emphasizes the internal lives of their characters and deliberately distorted reality by creating an outward manifestation of an inner state of being.

13. Falling Action- The third part of stories written in a pyramidal pattern; also called resolution; characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s conflicts and complications.

14. First person narrator - The “I” presents the point of view of only one character’s consciousness.

15. Flashback- A narrated scene that marks a break in the narrative in order to inform the reader or audience member about events that took place before the opening scene of a work.

16. Foil- A character in a work whose behavior and values contrast with those of another character in order to highlight the distinctive temperament of that character (usually the protagonist).

17. Hamartia- A term coined by Aristotle to describe some error or frailty that brings about misfortune for a tragic hero; fatal flaw.

18. Hero/ Heroine- Often called the protagonist, is the central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy

19. Hubris- Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads a protagonist to disregard a divine warning or to violate an important moral law.

20. Irony- A literary device that uses contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true.

21. Literary present tense- The use of verbs in the present tense when discussing the language, characters, and events in a work of literature.

22. Narrator- The voice of the person telling a story, not necessarily the author’s voice

23. Naïve narrator - This person is young and innocent, almost always a child.

24. Objective point of view -- It employs a narrator who does not see into the mind of any character. The narrator reports action and dialogue without telling us directly what the character feels and thinks.

25. Omniscient narrator -- This person is all-knowing. He/she can move from place to place.

26. Orchestra-The portion of a Greek theater where the chorus chanted lines and danced.

27. Parodos- The second of the five divisions of a Greek tragedy (prologue, parodos, episodia, stasimon, and exodus) where the chorus makes its first entrance and gives its perspective on what the audience has learned in the prologue.

28. Plot- An author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story to shape the action and give the story a particular focus; not just what happens, but also how and why things happen the way they do.

29. Point of View- Refers to who tells us the story and how it is told.

30. Protagonist- The main character of a narrative; its central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy.

31. Realism- A literary technique that attempts to create the appearance of life as it is actually experienced.

32. Rising Action-The first part of stories written in a pyramidal pattern where a complication creates some sort of conflict for the protagonist.

33. Round Character- More complex than flat or stock characters, and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. They are more fully developed, and therefore are harder to summarize.

34. Sarcasm- A strong form of verbal irony that is calculated to hurt someone through, for example, false praise.

35. Satire- The literary art of ridiculing a folly or vice in order to expose or correct it; a vehicle for criticizing human affairs.

36. Scenes- In drama, a subdivision of acts.

37. Setting- The physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs; time, place, and social environment that frames the characters.

38. Skene- A stage building that served as dressing rooms in Greek theater; evolved to have the setting painted on their walls.

39. Soliloquy- A speech delivered while an actor is alone on the stage; one which reveals a character’s state of mind.

40. Theme- The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work; provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized.

41. Unreliable narrator - This person’s interpretation of events is different from the author’s. We cannot entirely accept it for whatever reason.

42. Verbal irony- A figure of speech that occurs when a person says one thing but means the opposite