Shakespearean Literary Terms

Poetry

1

What do we call two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme?

A couplet

1

What do we call a stanza with six lines?

A sestet

1

How many quatrains are in one Shakespearean Sonnet?

Three

1

What is the rhyme scheme of the octave in a Petrarchan Sonnet?

ABBAABBA

1

How many syllables are in one iamb?

Two

General Literature

1

What is a story that depicts serious events in which the main character comes to an unhappy end?

A tragedy

1

What do we call an unadorned form of language?

Prose

1

What do we call a story that is written specifically in order to be acted for an audience?

A drama

1

What do we call the short introduction at the beginning of a play that offers a brief overview of the plot?

The prologue

1

What we call an event or detail that is inappropriate for the time period.

An anachronism

Techniques Used by the Author

1

What do we call a combination of contradictory terms?

An oxymoron

1

What is a speech given by a character that is intended to be heard by others on stage?

A monologue

1

The following is an example of what? "You have dancing shoes / With nimble soles; I have a soul of lead" (I.iv.14-15).

A pun

1

This often signals the exit of a character or end of a scene.

A couplet

1

What is it called when one character, alone on stage, expresses his or her thoughts aloud?

A soliloquy.

Elements of a Play

1

Why do authors use comic relief?

To lessen the seriousness of the plot.

1

Sampson asks Gregory "Is the law of our side if I say ay?" (I.i.41), which is not intended to be heard by surrounding characters. This is what we call a(n)

 _________________.

Aside

1

The prince's speech in the first act is called what?

A monologue.

1

What is the point of having foils?

They intensify the qualities of the other character(s).

1

What is a chorus?

A group of people that all speak at the same time.

Miscellaneous

1

What do we call a stanza with 8 lines?

An octave

1

Offer one reason Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter.

1. It follows the rhythm of a heartbeat OR

2. It makes line memorization easier for actors OR

3. It sounds pleasant to the ear

1

How many iambs are in one line of iambic pentameter?

Five.

1

What is one of the two most common rhyme schemes in the second stanza of a Petrarchan Sonnet?

CDCDCD or 

CDECDE

1

What is Blank Verse?

A poem that is not rhymed but follows a set meter such as iambic pentameter.