| Play | A piece of literature meant to be preformed on a stage with actors and sets |
| Tragedy | A play in which the hero id destroyed by some character flaw or by forces beyond his/ her control |
| Comedy | A light and funny play with a happy ending |
| Act | A large division in a play- Shakespeare always has five |
| Scene | A smaller division in an act- the number varies within the act |
| Aside | Words spoken by a character in a play, usually in an undertone; Not intended to be heard by other characters on stage |
| Monologue | A long uninterrupted speech that is spoken in the presence of other characters |
| Soliloquy | A speech delivered by a character when he or she is alone on stage |
| Sonnet | A poem consisting of fourteen lines, ten syllables per line |
| Rhyming Couplet | A pair of lines that rhyme |
| Foil | Someone who serves as a contrast or challenge to another character; therefor reveals much about the other character |
| Soliloquy | A speech delivered by a character when he/ she is alone on stage, as if he/ she were thinking out loud |
| Figurative Language | Language that is not taken literally, but has another meaning beneath the surface |
| Pun | The humorous use of a word that uses both of it’s meanings |
| Hyperbole | A phrase that uses extreme exaggeration |
| Hero | Leonato’s daughter; Marries Claudio; Doesn’t talk much; Fakes her own death; Loves her cousin Beatrice; “Cheats” on Claudio with Borachio; Foil to Beatrice |
| Claudio | Very emotional; Solider; Marries Hero; Gullible; Don Pedro is his best friend; Good friends with Benedick; Foil to Benedick |
| Beatrice | Talks a lot; At first hates love and Benedick; Marries Benedick; Loves cousin Hero; Foil to Hero |
| Benedick | Talks a lot; At first hates love; Marries Beatrice; Friends with Claudio and Don John; Soldier; Foil to Claudio |
| Don Pedro | Very nice; Only wants love for other people not himself; Woos Hero for Claudio; Step-brother to Don John; Foil to Don John |
| Leonato | Old and wise; Hero’s father; Beatrice’s uncle; Brother to Antonio; Cares about his and Hero’s reputation |
| Don John | Evil; Doesn’t want anyone to be happy because he’s not happy; Tricks Claudio and Don Pedro to thinking Hero cheated on Claudio; Captured in the end; Foil to Don Pedro |
| Borachio | In love with Margret; Involved in Don John’s plan; Makes people think he is having an affair with Hero; Feels guilty and confesses in the end |
| Conrade | Involved in Don John’s plan |
| Friar | Very smart; Marries Hero and Claudio as well as Beatrice and Benedick; Tells Hero to “die;” Calms Leanato down when he tries to kill Hero; Foil to Dogberry/ Verges |
| Margret | Loves Borachio; Hero’s maid and friend |
| Dogberry | Stupid; Watchman; Mixes up meanings of words; Foil to friar |
| Verges | Stupid; Watchman; Dogberry’s sidekick; Mixes up meanings of words; Foil to friar |
| Shakespeare | Lived in the 1500s (Sixteenth century); Lived in Stratford-upon-Avon; Lived during the Elizabethan age; Wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets; Preformed in the Globe Theater |
Much Ado About Nothing
July 6, 2019