Group 3 Literary Terms

by: Mosana Tafere, Alex Martinez, Malak Kallel and Cepehr Alizadeh

Dialogue, Verisimilitude, Stage

Direction, Speech Headings, Direct and Indirect discourse, Repartee, Aside,

Soliloquy

Soliloquy-a monologue delivered by a character who is alone on stage.

- ex. in Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is left alone and turns to the audience and speaks.

Aside-a speech, usually brief, that is heard only by the audience, or, sometimes is addressed privately to another character on stage.

-ex. in Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is in an argument with his wife. In the middle of it, he turns to another character on the stage and tells them something about it as if his wife can’t hear it.

DialogueVerisimilitude

Definition: conversation between two or more characters in a literary work

Primary means of revealing a character’s feelings and motives

Example: “Hello Wilson, old man,” said Tom, slapping him jovially on the shoulder. “How’s business?”

“I can’t complain,” answered Wilson unconvincingly. “When are you going to sell me that car?”

“Next week; I’ve got my man working on it now.”

“Works pretty slow, don’t he?”

“No, he doesn’t,” said Tom coldly. “And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.”

Definition: appearing to be real, “similar to the truth”

Example: Concept of treasure in Song of Solomon

Speech Headings Stage Direction

● Description of character’s vocal tones or gestures as they speak a line.○ example;

“slapping him jovially”

● Available to readers of the text but needing to be suggested in performance.○ a written instruction in

a play telling an actor what to do

■ example;limited to entrances, exits,and sound effect

ReparteeDefinition: A rapid fire exchange of witty remarks in which each speaker tries to score against an opponent in a verbal fencing match

Example:“No sight so sad as that of a naughty

child,” he began, “especially a naughty little girl. Do you know where the wicked go after death?”“They go to hell,” was my ready and orthodox answer.“And what is hell? Can you tell me that?”“A pit full of fire.”“And should you like to fall into that pit, and to be burning there for ever?”“No, sir.”“What must you do to avoid it?”I deliberated a moment; my answer, when it did come, was objectionable: “I must keep in good health and not die.”

Direct and Indirect Discourse

DirectThe speech of a character or what a character says themselves, similar to

dialogue.

Example: “You get off early or what?” “I took off early.”

“Anything the matter?”“In a way of speaking,” he said and

wiped his lips.“Not cut back?”

“No, no. They got plenty work. I just--”“Hm?”

“Sethe, you won’t like what I’m about to say.”

-Toni Morrison, Beloved

IndirectReporting what the speaker says but not said directly by the speaker and

put into a sentence.

Example: “He said ‘I am a fool’ would be modified to ‘he said he is a fool’”