Edexcel GCSE English Literature key terms

A derogatory label for an outspoken or argumentative woman, reflecting the expectation that women should be agreeable and obedient.

A covering for a body, especially a cloth used to wrap a dead person before burial; the word also suggests concealment.

The repetition of hissing sounds, particularly “s”, in nearby words.

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to connect the qualities of two things.

A contrast between what a character intends to happen and what actually happens.

False speech that damages another person's reputation.

Comedy based on physical action and exaggerated situations, such as the confusion caused by Caliban and Trinculo sheltering under one cloak.

Judging people as inferior because of their social position, education, manners or wealth.

The desire to gain greater social standing, wealth or respectability.

A division within society associated with factors such as occupation, wealth, education and family background.

A political outlook favouring greater economic equality and collective provision or control; in An Inspector Calls, it is associated with responsibility for other people.

Movement from one social position to another, for example through acquiring wealth or education.

A person’s position in society, shaped by factors such as birth, title, wealth and occupation.

The duty to consider other people’s welfare and act to help them.

The position someone holds within a society’s hierarchy, often connected to wealth, occupation and family background.

Language associated with a particular social group.

A speech in which a character alone on stage expresses thoughts aloud for the audience.

Being alone, which may be chosen and temporarily comforting rather than painful.

A fourteen-line poetic form, usually with a patterned rhyme scheme and a development or turn in its argument.

The voice speaking in a poem; it should not automatically be identified with the poet.

A ghost or supernatural apparition.

A supernatural being without an ordinary human body. In The Tempest, Ariel can become invisible, change shape and manipulate sounds and appearances.

A country gentleman and landowner with a prominent position in the local community; the title does not necessarily mean he is a nobleman.

The use of theatrical elements, including lighting, sound, props, movement, entrances and exits, to create meaning in performance.

Instructions in a play describing setting, movement, expression or delivery, shaping what an audience sees and hears.

The policies and methods associated with Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union, including concentrated political power, repression and state-directed economic change.

A character whose fundamental attitudes remain largely unchanged as the story develops.