Drama and Comedy Terms

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stereotype

Back

The audience recognizes the character type and brings their prior knowledge to create a humorous effect.

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farce

Back

Use of buffoonery and horseplay, typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

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double entendre

Back

A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

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verbal irony

Back

The opposite of what is meant is said.

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situational irony

Back

The opposite of what is expected happens.

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flawed plan

Back

A character is discussing a course of action, but it is obvious to the audience that one glaring aspect of it will cause it to fail.

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slapstick

Back

Comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events.

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pun

Back

A joke in which the words have a literal meaning but a humorous, comedic implied meaning.

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parody

Back

One work deliberately mimics the style of another for comic effect.

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dramatic irony

Back

The audience knows something that one or more characters doesn't know.