| Anaphora | the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses |
| Anadiplosis | repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause |
| Conduplicatio | repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses |
| Polysyndeton | the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural |
| Asyndeton | omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words |
| rhyme scheme | the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse. |
| Couplet | two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit. |
| metric pattern | the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry |
| Character Foil (Dramatic Foil) | a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— to highlight particular qualities of the other character |
| Foreshadowing | A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader. |
| Conflict | A struggle between opposing forces |
| comic relief | comic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset more serious sections. |
| lavishly | In a rich or plentiful way; abundantly |
| iambic pentameter | meter common in Shakespeare’s writing in which a line of poetry has 5 pairs of unstressed/stressed syllables |
| Pun | a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. |
| blank verse | unrhymed iambic pentameter |
| rhymed verse | Consists of a verse with end rhyme and regular meter |
| despondent | in low spirits from loss of hope or courage |
| coy | pretending to be shy |
| shrewish | continually complaining or faultfinding |
| amorous | Expressing love or the state of being in love |
| perjured | testified falsely under oath; falsified; untrue |
| futile | useless |
| fickle | changeable |
| archaic | ancient; old-fashioned |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream MC Terms/Words
August 2, 2019