Bristol Free School

dramatic irony	Shakespeare uses dramatic irony in this play, which is when the audience knows something which characters in the play do not. Dramatic irony is often used to make the audience more involved - we know what is happening but feel powerless to do anything.
conflict	Conflict is the essence of dramatic story telling and is at the centre of all dramas. Without conflict, there can be no drama. Like most of the conflict in Shakespearean comedies, in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', conflict is mostly silly and petty.
resolution	After the tension created in a play has reached its climax, the resolution is where the conflict is all resolved. In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', love prevails and resolves all the issues, ensuring that all the characters are content with the result.
Machiavellian	Machiavellianism is the political theory of Niccolò Machiavelli, especially the view that any means can be used if it is necessary to maintain political power. Refers to someone cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.
Tragedy	A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character. Also an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
Racial Prejudice	The discrimination against people on the basis of their ethnic origins.

Literary criticism	Literary criticism is the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or evaluation of works of literature. Literary criticism is essentially an opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context.
Eponymous	Giving their name to something. "The eponymous hero of the play"
Literary allusion	Ideas, characters, imagery etc. referencing another famous book, poem, play etc.
Symbolism	The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities; using objects, colours, characters etc. to stand for something else.
Context	The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. Consider here the relationship 'Othello' holds with Cinthio's play and also the year it was written of 1603.

Mutability	Liability or tendency to change
Intertextuality	The relationship between literary texts
Gentilesse	Nobility of spirit
Maistrie	Sovereignty, supreme power or authority.
Chivalry	The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code.
Patristic	Study of the early Christian writers.
Pathos	A quality that evokes pity or sadness.
Caricature	Exaggeration of striking features to create comic or gruesome effect.