Edexcel GCSE English Literature key terms

A poem spoken by an imagined character whose speech reveals their situation, thoughts and feelings.

A sudden change in a character's situation or power. In the trial, Shylock changes from someone demanding a penalty to someone facing punishment.

A chance-based method of choosing or deciding something. In Lantern Yard, the congregation believes that drawing lots will reveal God’s judgement.

An identity shaped by two cultural or ancestral backgrounds.

The coexistence of two contrasting aspects within a person or thing, such as good and evil within human nature.

Performance poetry of Jamaican origin with rhythms associated with reggae, often addressing politics and social injustice.

A gold coin used in Venice. In The Merchant of Venice, ducats connect borrowing, wealth and the money Jessica takes from Shylock.

A combat between two people, often fought with swords to settle a perceived insult or defend reputation.

Deceit through presenting an appearance that conceals the truth, as Godfrey does when he denies knowing his own child.

A marriage that connects ruling families and helps secure their political power and succession.

A succession of rulers from the same family.

Expressing mourning or sorrow for something lost; an elegiac tone need not occur in a formally structured elegy.

A poem expressing mourning for someone who has died.

Relating to the reign of Elizabeth I; Much Ado About Nothing was written towards the end of this period.

Three dots indicating an unfinished thought, a trailing voice or a prolonged pause.

Running away secretly with a romantic partner, usually intending to marry.

A story told within another story. The creature's account is embedded within Victor's narrative, which Walton records in letters.

A woman who has left her country to settle elsewhere; the feminine form of a word borrowed from French.

The ability to understand or share another person’s feelings.

A pattern in which the first and fourth lines rhyme around a rhyming second and third line: ABBA.

A line of verse that finishes with a grammatical pause, often marked by punctuation.

The continuation of a sentence or phrase across a line break without a concluding punctuation mark.

The continuation of a sentence or phrase across a line break without a concluding pause.

A legal restriction governing how an estate is inherited. Longbourn’s entail makes Mr Collins the heir rather than any of the five Bennet daughters.

The feeling that someone has a right to particular benefits or treatment. Godfrey assumes that blood relationship and wealth give him a superior claim to Eppie.

A quotation placed before a literary work that helps frame its ideas.

An ending in which a performer addresses the audience after the main action, often reflecting on the play or asking for approval.