Key terms & definitions

Inheritance of the throne through the royal family rather than selection of the monarch by Parliament.

The passing of genetic information from parents to offspring.

A religious belief judged contrary to the Church’s accepted doctrine.

A belief that contradicts accepted religious teaching; the word can also describe a challenge to an established intellectual belief.

A teaching judged by the Church to contradict its established faith.

A person judged by a Church to hold beliefs contrary to its teachings.

Able to be passed genetically from parents to offspring.

A characteristic that can be passed from parents to offspring through genetic material.

The cultural traditions, memories and connections passed down through generations.

The Spanish expedition leader who entered Tenochtitlan in 1519 and dealt directly with Moctezuma.

A distinguished figure whose courage, skill and actions establish their standing. Homeric heroism also involves reputation, leadership and relations with others.

In Propp’s theory, the character who pursues a quest and attempts to solve the narrative’s problems.

A supporter of the ruling Herodian dynasty. In Mark 3:6, the Herodians join the Pharisees in plotting against Jesus.

An ancient Greek historian who wrote the Histories in the fifth century BC, investigating the conflict between Greeks and Persians and the events leading to it.

A pair of rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter.

Lasting honour or fame gained through outstanding deeds, especially success and courage in battle.

The central female character in a work, whose experiences receive particular attention; she need not be flawless or conventionally heroic.

A narrative pattern in which a central character faces challenges and develops through a journey, often with guidance from others.

Admiration so intense that someone overlooks another person’s faults and treats their approval as especially valuable.

The unit of frequency; one hertz means one complete oscillation per second.

The unit of frequency; 1 Hz means one complete cycle per second.

The hiding of God's face: the idea that God may be present without visibly intervening in human affairs.

A female companion or courtesan in ancient Greece; plural hetairai. Such women could offer intellectual conversation and artistic accomplishments as well as sexual companionship.

A courtesan or paid female companion in ancient Greece, associated with sexual services, entertainment and sometimes educated conversation. The plural is hetairai; the label did not establish whether a woman was free or enslaved.

The assumption that heterosexuality is the normal or expected sexual orientation.

An approach that treats heterosexual relationships as the normal or default form of relationships.

The assumption that heterosexual relationships are the normal or expected form of partnership.

Sexual attraction towards people of the opposite sex.

A relationship between people of opposite sexes, such as a man and a woman.

Having two different alleles of a gene.