Allegory - Any writing that can be interpreted to have more than one meaning. Often allegories uses extended symbols placed on many characters, places, or events to depict a completely different meaning other than the literal one described. This can also be tied in with the theme, as many of the 'second' meaning in allegories are the true message that authors are trying to portray to their audience.
Example - The play as a whole is an allegory for the original Greek myth of Pygmalion the painter. Many of the characters in Shaw's play can be tied to either literal characters in the myth, or figurative shades of their personality, such as Pickering's figurative symbol as Pygmalion's (or Higgins') reason or kindness.
Allusion - A literary reference to things that happened in real life, be it people, places, things, or even other literary works. Often these references occur without specific attention being called to it, and can originate in several typed of mythology or historical events. Allusion is most often used to "establish a tone, create an implied association, contrast two objects or people, make an unusual juxtaposition of references, or bring the reader into a world of experience outside the limitations of the story itself" (Wheeler, Kip), and it is usually the author's assumption that these allusions will be recognized and related to without direct context.
Example - "... that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible;..." (1.125). Here, Higgins degrades Eliza for butchering the English language, something he holds dear.
Antagonist - The character, occurrence, or abstract idea that prevents the protagonist from achieving their goal.
Example - Eliza Doolittle presents the most clear antagonist in Shaw's interpretation of Pygmalion, as she is the obstacle Higgins must overcome in order to succeed in his goal, which, set from the beginning of the play, is his bet with Pickering to pass her off as a duchess.
Burlesque - An event or occurrence that either treats something trivial with reverence or something exalted with triviality.
Example - Alfred Doolittle's moral standing with the rest of society is shown as a cynical view on the world. He expresses extremely aggressive and cynical attacks on society with triviality, and the reaction Higgins and Pickering give surprises the audience with how much they agree with his point of view.
Cacophony - The repeated use of words that utilize sharp or otherwise unpleasant sounds.
Example - Eliza's harsh stuttering of 'Ah's and 'Ow's and 'Ooh's when she is distressed express a great deal how much the situation is affecting her, whether it is emotionally or physically.
Characterization - The use of description, dialects, and character actions an author uses in order to inspire a larger sense of emotion from the audience towards one or more characters, which is also used to make characters more well-rounded and believable.
Example - Higgins' interactions with his mother as opposed to everybody else in the play shows the audience a side of him they could not have perceived such a standoffish man to be equipped with. It makes his character more rounded in that we see more of his personality than his flat, brash tone, and this sense of a dynamic character makes him more realistic and believable.
Example - The play as a whole is an allegory for the original Greek myth of Pygmalion the painter. Many of the characters in Shaw's play can be tied to either literal characters in the myth, or figurative shades of their personality, such as Pickering's figurative symbol as Pygmalion's (or Higgins') reason or kindness.
Allusion - A literary reference to things that happened in real life, be it people, places, things, or even other literary works. Often these references occur without specific attention being called to it, and can originate in several typed of mythology or historical events. Allusion is most often used to "establish a tone, create an implied association, contrast two objects or people, make an unusual juxtaposition of references, or bring the reader into a world of experience outside the limitations of the story itself" (Wheeler, Kip), and it is usually the author's assumption that these allusions will be recognized and related to without direct context.
Example - "... that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible;..." (1.125). Here, Higgins degrades Eliza for butchering the English language, something he holds dear.
Antagonist - The character, occurrence, or abstract idea that prevents the protagonist from achieving their goal.
Example - Eliza Doolittle presents the most clear antagonist in Shaw's interpretation of Pygmalion, as she is the obstacle Higgins must overcome in order to succeed in his goal, which, set from the beginning of the play, is his bet with Pickering to pass her off as a duchess.
Burlesque - An event or occurrence that either treats something trivial with reverence or something exalted with triviality.
Example - Alfred Doolittle's moral standing with the rest of society is shown as a cynical view on the world. He expresses extremely aggressive and cynical attacks on society with triviality, and the reaction Higgins and Pickering give surprises the audience with how much they agree with his point of view.
Cacophony - The repeated use of words that utilize sharp or otherwise unpleasant sounds.
Example - Eliza's harsh stuttering of 'Ah's and 'Ow's and 'Ooh's when she is distressed express a great deal how much the situation is affecting her, whether it is emotionally or physically.
Characterization - The use of description, dialects, and character actions an author uses in order to inspire a larger sense of emotion from the audience towards one or more characters, which is also used to make characters more well-rounded and believable.
Example - Higgins' interactions with his mother as opposed to everybody else in the play shows the audience a side of him they could not have perceived such a standoffish man to be equipped with. It makes his character more rounded in that we see more of his personality than his flat, brash tone, and this sense of a dynamic character makes him more realistic and believable.
Climax - The exact moment of the play where the audience's question of whether or not the protagonist will achieve their goals is answered. This is the point in the work where emotion and challenges are at their peak, and where the story begins to come to a close.
Example - The moment that Higgins wins his bet and the rest of the play is decided. Everything else in the play is just a conglomeration of pieces that inevitably fall into place--or out of place as some would argue.
Crisis - The turning point in the literary work that comes as a result of the work's initial and build up conflict. This is usually what leads up to the direct climax of the story, but the crisis is distinct from the climax in that the climax is a moment, while the crisis is a section of the work as a whole.
Example - The crisis in the play is the entire scene of the party; that is to say, Eliza's performance to decide whether or not Higgins will win his bet. The climax comes as the moment of peak excitement in this scene: when the scene is brought nearly to a close and Eliza is finally decided not to be a low-class girl from the slums.
Example - The moment that Higgins wins his bet and the rest of the play is decided. Everything else in the play is just a conglomeration of pieces that inevitably fall into place--or out of place as some would argue.
Crisis - The turning point in the literary work that comes as a result of the work's initial and build up conflict. This is usually what leads up to the direct climax of the story, but the crisis is distinct from the climax in that the climax is a moment, while the crisis is a section of the work as a whole.
Example - The crisis in the play is the entire scene of the party; that is to say, Eliza's performance to decide whether or not Higgins will win his bet. The climax comes as the moment of peak excitement in this scene: when the scene is brought nearly to a close and Eliza is finally decided not to be a low-class girl from the slums.