Ch.7 Dramatic Structure Dramatic Characters

The technical term for revelation of background material in a play is

Exposition

________ was at the heart of most plot complications in the commedia dell'arte.

Harlequin

The main representative character in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House who to this day serves as a symbol of the modern woman is

Nora Helmer

A __________________ reinforces or runs parallel to the major plot in an episodic play.

Subplot

An intellectual or artistic movement that breaks with tradition and therefore seems ahead of its time is called ________; literally, it means "advance guard in a military formation."

avant-garde

Which is not a characteristic of extraordinary characters?

pivotal but a minor role

A repetition or reenactment of a proceeding or a transaction which has acquired special meaning is called a

ritual

As seen in some of Chekhov's plays it is possible to combine the climactic and the episodic forms.

true

In a climactic drama, the plot begins early in the story.

true

Narrators in the most traditional sense remain outside the action of the play and typically comment on the action communicating directly with the audience.

true

Patterns as structure exist not only in dance but also in some plays, where the characters' movement and circumstances can be repetitive, as in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

true

We know that playwrights frequently write plays about a single family in classic climactic structure and they will also occasionally create two contrasting characters that are siblings or husband and wife in order to allow character traits to stand out more dramatically in the action.

true