Drama Terms Notes document with definitions and examples for theatrical concepts.
A document titled "Drama Terms Notes" with a table listing drama terms and their definitions, including terms like "A play that ends happily," "Tragedy," and "Soliloquy," with illustrations of theatrical masks and a dancer at the top.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Drama Terms Notes Worksheet | Drama terms, Teaching drama, Drama ...
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Drama Terms Notes Worksheet | Drama terms, Teaching drama, Drama ...
Let’s go through each definition one by one and match it to the correct drama term. We’ll think about what each description means in simple terms, then pick the right word from common theater vocabulary.
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1. A play that ends happily
→ This is called a comedy. In drama, “comedy” doesn’t always mean funny — it just means the story ends well for the main characters.
2. A play that ends unhappily
→ That’s a tragedy. The hero usually suffers or dies, and things don’t turn out well.
3. A play based on historical events (often a blend of fiction and nonfiction, i.e. King Henry VIII by Shakespeare)
→ This is a history play. Shakespeare wrote several of these about English kings.
4. The final revelation or outcome of a tragedy; the complete downfall of the protagonist, either through death or some other devastating experience.
→ This is the catastrophe. It’s the big bad ending in a tragedy.
5. Someone of noble birth with great influence in his society who has one or more serious flaws which leads to his downfall
→ That’s the tragic hero. Think of Hamlet or Macbeth — powerful people brought down by their own mistakes.
6. Subdivision of a play
→ Plays are broken into acts. Like chapters in a book.
7. Further subdivision of a play
→ Acts are split into scenes. Smaller parts within an act.
8. Person whose function it is to communicate words and emotions to an audience; he/she assumes the personality of the character
→ That’s an actor (or actress). They pretend to be someone else on stage.
9. Those who view the play and should be responsive to the action and the feeling or mood portrayed as the actors lead them into the play
→ These are the audience. The people watching the show.
10. The hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes
→ That’s the protagonist. The main good guy (or at least, the person we root for).
11. The character who opposes or competes with the protagonist
→ That’s the antagonist. The villain or rival.
12. A character who qualifies contrast with those of another character. A writer might use a foil to emphasize or de-emphasize another character’s traits. (A silly person acts as a foil to a ‘normal person’, making the normal person appear serious)
→ This is a foil. A character used to highlight another’s traits by being different.
13. All of the stage furnishings and objects
→ That’s props. Short for “properties.” Things actors hold or use on stage.
14. A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character that others on the stage are not supposed to hear
→ That’s an aside. A secret comment only the audience hears.
15. A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.
→ That’s a soliloquy. When a character talks to themselves (and us) while alone on stage.
16. A speech that a character gives when he or she is alone on stage. Its purpose is to let the audience know what the character is thinking. It is a type of monologue.
→ Also a soliloquy. Same as #15 — sometimes definitions overlap slightly.
Wait — actually, #15 and #16 both describe soliloquy. But let’s check:
#15 says “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → still soliloquy.
#16 adds “purpose is to let audience know what character is thinking” → also soliloquy.
So maybe they’re duplicates? Or perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue? Let’s re-read:
Actually, a monologue is any long speech by one character — even if others are present.
A soliloquy is specifically when the character is alone (or thinks they are) and reveals inner thoughts.
So:
- #15: “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → could be ambiguous, but likely soliloquy
- #16: clearly describes soliloquy
Hmm — maybe there’s a mistake? Or perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue?
Looking again:
#15: “A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.”
If others are present but not listening, it’s still a soliloquy. If others are present and listening, it’s a monologue.
But the phrase “alone on stage” suggests no one else is there → so soliloquy.
But then #16 is also soliloquy. Maybe the worksheet has two entries for the same thing? Unlikely.
Wait — let’s look at #17:
17. A joke that comes from a play on words which sound the same (homophones). I.e. A bicyclist can’t stand on its own because it’s two-tired.
→ That’s a pun. Wordplay using similar sounds.
Back to #15 and #16 — perhaps #15 is monologue, and #16 is soliloquy? Let’s adjust:
Standard definitions:
- Monologue: Long speech by one character, whether alone or with others present.
- Soliloquy: Speech where character is alone (or believes they are), revealing inner thoughts.
So:
- #15: “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → if “alone on stage,” it’s soliloquy. But “with or without an audience” is confusing — audience is always there in theater. Probably means “whether other characters are present or not”? No — it says “alone on stage.”
I think #15 is soliloquy, and #16 is also soliloquy — but that can’t be. Maybe #15 is misworded? Perhaps it’s meant to be monologue?
Looking at common worksheets, often:
- Monologue = long speech, others may be present
- Soliloquy = alone, inner thoughts
So let’s assign:
- #15: monologue (if we interpret “alone on stage” loosely — but that’s not accurate)
Wait — better to stick to standard:
Actually, let’s check online or standard glossary:
Upon double-checking:
- Soliloquy: Character speaks thoughts aloud while alone on stage.
- Monologue: Extended speech by one character, regardless of whether others are present.
So #15: “speaks alone on stage” → soliloquy
#16: “when he or she is alone on stage... let audience know what character is thinking” → also soliloquy
This is redundant. Perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue? Maybe the “alone” is a trick? Or typo?
Another possibility: #15 is aside? No, aside is short comment.
Perhaps #15 is monologue, and the “alone” is misleading. Let’s see the exact wording:
“A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.”
The “with or without an audience” is odd — in theater, audience is always there. Probably means “whether other characters are on stage or not”? But it says “alone on stage.”
I think there might be an error in the worksheet, but for standard matching:
Let’s assume:
- #15: monologue (as a general long speech)
- #16: soliloquy (specifically alone, revealing thoughts)
That makes sense for teaching purposes.
Similarly, #14 is aside — short comment not heard by others.
Okay, proceeding:
17. A joke that comes from a play on words which sound the same (homophones)... → pun
18. Left of the stage from the actors’ point of view → stage left
(In theater, directions are from actor’s perspective facing audience)
19. Right of the stage from the actors’ point of view → stage right
20. Area of stage closest to the audience and footlights → downstage
(Closer to audience = downstage; farther = upstage)
21. Area of stage farthest away from the audience and footlights → upstage
Now, let’s list all answers in order:
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History play
4. Catastrophe
5. Tragic hero
6. Act
7. Scene
8. Actor
9. Audience
10. Protagonist
11. Antagonist
12. Foil
13. Props
14. Aside
15. Monologue *(assuming this is intended, though wording is tricky)*
16. Soliloquy
17. Pun
18. Stage left
19. Stage right
20. Downstage
21. Upstage
Wait — #15 and #16: if #15 is “speaks alone on stage”, it should be soliloquy, but then #16 is also soliloquy. To avoid duplication, and since #16 specifies “purpose is to let audience know what character is thinking”, which is classic soliloquy, perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue — even though it says “alone”. Maybe it’s a common simplification.
In many school contexts, they teach:
- Monologue: long speech
- Soliloquy: alone, inner thoughts
So I’ll go with:
- #15: Monologue
- #16: Soliloquy
Yes, that works.
Final list:
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History play
4. Catastrophe
5. Tragic hero
6. Act
7. Scene
8. Actor
9. Audience
10. Protagonist
11. Antagonist
12. Foil
13. Props
14. Aside
15. Monologue
16. Soliloquy
17. Pun
18. Stage left
19. Stage right
20. Downstage
21. Upstage
All matched correctly based on standard drama terminology.
Final Answer:
Comedy
Tragedy
History play
Catastrophe
Tragic hero
Act
Scene
Actor
Audience
Protagonist
Antagonist
Foil
Props
Aside
Monologue
Soliloquy
Pun
Stage left
Stage right
Downstage
Upstage
---
1. A play that ends happily
→ This is called a comedy. In drama, “comedy” doesn’t always mean funny — it just means the story ends well for the main characters.
2. A play that ends unhappily
→ That’s a tragedy. The hero usually suffers or dies, and things don’t turn out well.
3. A play based on historical events (often a blend of fiction and nonfiction, i.e. King Henry VIII by Shakespeare)
→ This is a history play. Shakespeare wrote several of these about English kings.
4. The final revelation or outcome of a tragedy; the complete downfall of the protagonist, either through death or some other devastating experience.
→ This is the catastrophe. It’s the big bad ending in a tragedy.
5. Someone of noble birth with great influence in his society who has one or more serious flaws which leads to his downfall
→ That’s the tragic hero. Think of Hamlet or Macbeth — powerful people brought down by their own mistakes.
6. Subdivision of a play
→ Plays are broken into acts. Like chapters in a book.
7. Further subdivision of a play
→ Acts are split into scenes. Smaller parts within an act.
8. Person whose function it is to communicate words and emotions to an audience; he/she assumes the personality of the character
→ That’s an actor (or actress). They pretend to be someone else on stage.
9. Those who view the play and should be responsive to the action and the feeling or mood portrayed as the actors lead them into the play
→ These are the audience. The people watching the show.
10. The hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes
→ That’s the protagonist. The main good guy (or at least, the person we root for).
11. The character who opposes or competes with the protagonist
→ That’s the antagonist. The villain or rival.
12. A character who qualifies contrast with those of another character. A writer might use a foil to emphasize or de-emphasize another character’s traits. (A silly person acts as a foil to a ‘normal person’, making the normal person appear serious)
→ This is a foil. A character used to highlight another’s traits by being different.
13. All of the stage furnishings and objects
→ That’s props. Short for “properties.” Things actors hold or use on stage.
14. A character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character that others on the stage are not supposed to hear
→ That’s an aside. A secret comment only the audience hears.
15. A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.
→ That’s a soliloquy. When a character talks to themselves (and us) while alone on stage.
16. A speech that a character gives when he or she is alone on stage. Its purpose is to let the audience know what the character is thinking. It is a type of monologue.
→ Also a soliloquy. Same as #15 — sometimes definitions overlap slightly.
Wait — actually, #15 and #16 both describe soliloquy. But let’s check:
#15 says “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → still soliloquy.
#16 adds “purpose is to let audience know what character is thinking” → also soliloquy.
So maybe they’re duplicates? Or perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue? Let’s re-read:
Actually, a monologue is any long speech by one character — even if others are present.
A soliloquy is specifically when the character is alone (or thinks they are) and reveals inner thoughts.
So:
- #15: “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → could be ambiguous, but likely soliloquy
- #16: clearly describes soliloquy
Hmm — maybe there’s a mistake? Or perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue?
Looking again:
#15: “A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.”
If others are present but not listening, it’s still a soliloquy. If others are present and listening, it’s a monologue.
But the phrase “alone on stage” suggests no one else is there → so soliloquy.
But then #16 is also soliloquy. Maybe the worksheet has two entries for the same thing? Unlikely.
Wait — let’s look at #17:
17. A joke that comes from a play on words which sound the same (homophones). I.e. A bicyclist can’t stand on its own because it’s two-tired.
→ That’s a pun. Wordplay using similar sounds.
Back to #15 and #16 — perhaps #15 is monologue, and #16 is soliloquy? Let’s adjust:
Standard definitions:
- Monologue: Long speech by one character, whether alone or with others present.
- Soliloquy: Speech where character is alone (or believes they are), revealing inner thoughts.
So:
- #15: “speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience” → if “alone on stage,” it’s soliloquy. But “with or without an audience” is confusing — audience is always there in theater. Probably means “whether other characters are present or not”? No — it says “alone on stage.”
I think #15 is soliloquy, and #16 is also soliloquy — but that can’t be. Maybe #15 is misworded? Perhaps it’s meant to be monologue?
Looking at common worksheets, often:
- Monologue = long speech, others may be present
- Soliloquy = alone, inner thoughts
So let’s assign:
- #15: monologue (if we interpret “alone on stage” loosely — but that’s not accurate)
Wait — better to stick to standard:
Actually, let’s check online or standard glossary:
Upon double-checking:
- Soliloquy: Character speaks thoughts aloud while alone on stage.
- Monologue: Extended speech by one character, regardless of whether others are present.
So #15: “speaks alone on stage” → soliloquy
#16: “when he or she is alone on stage... let audience know what character is thinking” → also soliloquy
This is redundant. Perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue? Maybe the “alone” is a trick? Or typo?
Another possibility: #15 is aside? No, aside is short comment.
Perhaps #15 is monologue, and the “alone” is misleading. Let’s see the exact wording:
“A speech whereby a person speaks alone on stage—with or without an audience.”
The “with or without an audience” is odd — in theater, audience is always there. Probably means “whether other characters are on stage or not”? But it says “alone on stage.”
I think there might be an error in the worksheet, but for standard matching:
Let’s assume:
- #15: monologue (as a general long speech)
- #16: soliloquy (specifically alone, revealing thoughts)
That makes sense for teaching purposes.
Similarly, #14 is aside — short comment not heard by others.
Okay, proceeding:
17. A joke that comes from a play on words which sound the same (homophones)... → pun
18. Left of the stage from the actors’ point of view → stage left
(In theater, directions are from actor’s perspective facing audience)
19. Right of the stage from the actors’ point of view → stage right
20. Area of stage closest to the audience and footlights → downstage
(Closer to audience = downstage; farther = upstage)
21. Area of stage farthest away from the audience and footlights → upstage
Now, let’s list all answers in order:
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History play
4. Catastrophe
5. Tragic hero
6. Act
7. Scene
8. Actor
9. Audience
10. Protagonist
11. Antagonist
12. Foil
13. Props
14. Aside
15. Monologue *(assuming this is intended, though wording is tricky)*
16. Soliloquy
17. Pun
18. Stage left
19. Stage right
20. Downstage
21. Upstage
Wait — #15 and #16: if #15 is “speaks alone on stage”, it should be soliloquy, but then #16 is also soliloquy. To avoid duplication, and since #16 specifies “purpose is to let audience know what character is thinking”, which is classic soliloquy, perhaps #15 is meant to be monologue — even though it says “alone”. Maybe it’s a common simplification.
In many school contexts, they teach:
- Monologue: long speech
- Soliloquy: alone, inner thoughts
So I’ll go with:
- #15: Monologue
- #16: Soliloquy
Yes, that works.
Final list:
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History play
4. Catastrophe
5. Tragic hero
6. Act
7. Scene
8. Actor
9. Audience
10. Protagonist
11. Antagonist
12. Foil
13. Props
14. Aside
15. Monologue
16. Soliloquy
17. Pun
18. Stage left
19. Stage right
20. Downstage
21. Upstage
All matched correctly based on standard drama terminology.
Final Answer:
Comedy
Tragedy
History play
Catastrophe
Tragic hero
Act
Scene
Actor
Audience
Protagonist
Antagonist
Foil
Props
Aside
Monologue
Soliloquy
Pun
Stage left
Stage right
Downstage
Upstage
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of drama terms worksheet.
