Key Terms

• What is the definition of 'allegory'?

  A story conveying a hidden moral meaning
• How does Duncan’s death serve as an allegory?

  It symbolizes the risks of killing a king
• What is the definition of 'allusion'?

  An indirect reference to another event
• What is the definition of 'archetype'?

  The first real example or prototype of something
• What does 'bathos' refer to in literature?

  An abrupt anti-climax often used for humor
• What does 'biblical' mean?

  Relating to the Bible or religious connotations
• What is the definition of 'blazon'?

  A poem describing a woman's physique
• What is the definition of 'caricature'?

  An imitation with exaggerated characteristics
• What is the definition of 'colloquialism'?

  An informal phrase common at its time
• What is 'comic relief' in literature?

  Relief from tension through comedic elements
• What is the definition of 'connotation'?

  Implied meaning without explicit reference
• What is the definition of 'dichotomy'?

  A division or contrast between two opposed things
• What is the definition of 'double entendre'?

  Words with double meanings, often risqué
• What is the definition of 'dysphemism'?

  A substitution of a more offensive term
• What is the definition of 'epithet'?

  A word or phrase describing a quality of a person
• What is the definition of 'epitome'?

  A perfect example or embodiment of a concept
• What is the definition of 'epizeuxis'?

  The repetition of words in succession
• What is the definition of 'euphemism'?

  A harmless term for an offensive one
• What is the definition of 'extended metaphor'?

  A metaphor that continues over many sentences
• What does 'foreshadowing' indicate in a narrative?

  An event that will occur later in the story
• What is the definition of 'grotesque'?

  Ugly and distorted in a comic way
• What is the definition of 'hyperbole'?

  Use of exaggerated statements
• What is the definition of 'imagery'?

  Visually descriptive or symbolic language
• What does 'irony' imply in writing?

  Language implying the opposite of intended meaning
• What is the definition of 'juxtaposition'?

  Comparing two concepts for contrast
• What is the definition of 'manifestation'?

  A physical expression of an abstract idea
• What is the definition of 'motif'?

  An element that recurs throughout the play
• What is the definition of 'oxymoron'?

  Two opposing terms placed next to each other
• What is the definition of 'parable'?

  A story teaching a moral or spiritual lesson
• What is the definition of 'pathetic fallacy'?

  Attributing human qualities to nonhuman things
• What is the definition of 'personification'?

  Giving non-human things human traits
• What is the definition of 'pun'?

  A play on words suggesting multiple meanings
• What is 'satire' in literature?

  Criticizing people through humor or irony
• What is the definition of 'semantic field'?

  Words linked by a theme throughout a text
• What is the definition of 'sibilance'?

  The repetition of an "s" sound in text
• What is the definition of 'simile'?

  Comparing something in a nonliteral way
• What is the definition of 'satire'?

  Criticizing people through humor or irony
• What is a 'semantic field'?

  A writer uses words linked by a theme
• What does 'sibilance' refer to?

  The repetition of an "s" sound
• What is a 'simile'?

  Comparing something in a nonliteral way