OCR GCSE English Literature key terms

Addressing an absent person, an abstract idea or an object as though it could hear and respond.

A person who prepares and sells medicines; in Romeo and Juliet, the impoverished apothecary sells Romeo poison despite the law forbidding it.

A supernatural appearance or vision. In Act 4 of Macbeth, three apparitions deliver warnings and predictions.

A difference between what seems to be true and what is actually true, such as a friendly expression concealing a murderous intention.

A person learning a trade or business by working under an experienced employer. Young Scrooge is apprenticed to Fezziwig.

Training in a trade under a skilled employer. Pip is legally bound to Joe to learn blacksmithing.

A large merchant ship carrying goods for trade.

The highest hereditary social ranks, associated with noble titles and ancestry. Lady Catherine is the daughter of an earl.

A marriage organised or negotiated by families or guardians. An arranged marriage is not necessarily forced: the distinction depends on whether the people marrying can genuinely consent.

Words spoken for the audience to hear but understood not to be heard by some or all other characters on stage.

A public social gathering with dancing, offering opportunities for introductions and courtship.

The process of adapting to the dominant culture of a society, sometimes at the expense of existing cultural traditions.

The repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words.

The belief that stars and planets influence human lives and events.

A list which omits conjunctions such as ‘and’ between its items.

The mood created by a text, such as peacefulness, tension or unease.

Making amends for wrongdoing through actions that repair harm.

A halo or surrounding glow; in Love, the word makes the baby’s fine hair seem radiant and precious.

The ability to make choices and act for oneself rather than being controlled by others.

An examination of a dead body to investigate the cause of death.

An excessive desire for wealth or possessions.

The Somali word for grandmother.

A four-line, song-like stanza with a strong rhythm and a recurring rhyme pattern, commonly rhyming its second and fourth lines.

A punishment requiring someone to leave a place and remain outside it. Romeo must leave Verona or face death if found there.

Humour involving sexual references, often through words with double meanings.

An official responsible for maintaining order. In ‘Holy Thursday’, the beadles lead and supervise the children.

A story in which animal characters represent human behaviour and help communicate a moral or warning.