Antagonist
The main character who opposes the protagonist or hero (Stanley)
Aristotelian
The definition of tragedy given by Aristotle, concepts of hamartia, peripeteia, catharsis, catastrophe, etc.
Peripeteia (Aristotelian)
A catastrophic event usually a reversal of fortune (Blanche’s rape)
Hubris
Excessive pride (usually the characters tragic flaw -
Blanche’s inability to adapt to more modest surroundings)
Hamartia (Aristotelian)
The error that causes the protagonists downfall (Blanche’s lies)
Catharsis (Aristotelian)
Purification of mind and body (Blanche being taken away at the end, and her constant bathing)
Dénounment (Aristotelian)
The resolution of the play following the climax (Blanche gets sent away following the rape)
Tragic hero/heroine
A literary character who makes a judgement error that leads to his/her own destruction (Blanche is a tragic hero/victim)
Pathos
A quality that evokes pity or sadness (Blanche’s inability to escape reality/rape, etc.)
Dramatic Irony
A literary technique by which the actions/intentions of the character are clear to the audience but not to the other characters
Plastic Theatre
A dramatic technique which uses props, music, sound, stage directions, lighting, and costumes to present a poetic truth through symbolism. (Blanche’s ‘incongruous’ costuming, etc.)
Proxemics
The spacing of characters on the stage
Allegory
A literary technique that creates a character as a symbol for a wider event (Blanche/Stanley are allegories for the New/Old South)
Dramatic motif
A repeated element of the play which symbolises a wider idea (Bathing, Alcohol, etc.)
Monologue
A long speech made by one character (Blanche throughout the play has many monologues)
Length of turns
The amount a character says in one turn (Blanche says a lot more than Stella in scene 1)
Dialect/Dialogue
A form of language in which the character can be heard (Blanche has a different dialect to Stanley as she is more educated)
Protagonist
The leading character (Blanche)
Southern Gothic
A style of writing by writers of the American South (Williams was from New Orleans) which are characterised by grotesque, macabre incidents
