The concepts below are often used in plays. Understanding these terms will help you write your own play.
Unit 3: Play Concepts
Concept | Part of Speech | Definition | Example |
| scene | noun | a set of related events in a play set in one place; a part of an act1 | In Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Romeo sees Juliet on a balcony, and they speak to each other until Juliet is called away by her nurse. The whole conversation happens in one set place and has continuous action. The next scene, Act 2 Scene 3, changes location and characters. |
| act | noun | a part of a play; a major way of dividing a play2 | Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller has two acts. Hamlet by Shakespeare has five acts. |
| comedy | noun | a funny play; a play that makes the audience laugh | A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare is a comedy. A few characters are enchanted by a fairy, Puck, to fall in love with the wrong person, leading to funny situations. In the end, the magic is removed from the characters and all the couples fall in love with the right person, so there is a happy ending. |
| tragedy | noun | a sad play; a play with an unhappy ending where the main character loses power, wealth, or status | Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is a tragedy. They fall in love, but through a series of circumstances and decisions, they have an unhappy ending where both Romeo and Juliet die. |
| catharsis | noun | the process of providing relief from emotion often found toward the end of tragedic plays | In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, die which creates strong emotions in the audience. After Romeo and Juliet die, their fighting families decide to make peace with each other which provides the audience with some relief from their emotions. This provides catharsis. |
Exercise 2.12
Unscramble the concept terms.
1. cta _____________
2. mecody _____________
3. dytarge _____________
4. enecs _____________
5. starcahsi _____________
Exercise 2.13
Match the concept term to its definition. Rewrite the term next to its definition.
Word Bank: scene, act, comedy, tragedy, catharsis |
1. the process of providing relief from emotion often found toward the end of tragedic plays __________
2. a sad play; a play with an unhappy ending where the main character loses power, wealth, or status __________
3. a part of a play; a major way of dividing a play __________
4. a funny play; a play that makes the audience laugh __________
5. a set of related events in a play set in one place; a part of an act __________
Exercise 2.14
Fill in the blank with the missing concept term to complete the sentence. You may need to change the form of the word to fit the sentence.
Word Bank: scene, act, comedy, tragedy, catharsis |
1. There are five __________ in Romeo and Juliet.
2. My favorite __________ from the movie was when the hero fought the villain and won.
3. The end of the tragic play had __________ .
4. The hero's own pride caused him to lose his kingdom, so the play was a __________ .
5. I couldn't stop laughing during the __________ .