context

• regicide

  killing of a king
• Gunpowder Plot

  a conspiracy in 1605 in England to blow up James I and the Houses of Parliament to avenge the persecution of Catholics in England
• Divine Right of Kings

  the belief that the authority of kings comes directly from God
• Jacobean Era

  1603-1625
• Great Chain of Being


  a system in which species were positioned in a system of hierarchy of complexity or "perfection"
• fatal flaw

  An imperfection, shortcoming or weakness in a character which leads to certain fatal choices.
• tragedy play

  a play where the main character is destroyed in some way, through a personal flaw or inability to deal with disaster, misfortune, or heartbreak
• gender roles

  sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female
• Hamartia


  a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine
• supernatural

  beyond what is natural or observable; not explainable by the laws of nature
• Climax

  Most exciting moment of the story; turning point