Arts & Humanities Flashcards

Which dramatic technique has a character speak their private thoughts aloud directly to the audience, unheard by other characters?

Answer: Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a speech where a character alone on stage reveals inner thoughts to the audience; Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' is the most famous example.

The philosophical school of Existentialism, associated with Sartre and Camus, holds that existence precedes what?

Answer: Essence

Sartre's core existentialist claim—'existence precedes essence'—means humans first exist, then define themselves through choices, with no predetermined nature.

In art, what is 'chiaroscuro'?

Answer: The contrast between light and dark in a painting

Chiaroscuro (Italian for 'light-dark') is a technique using strong contrasts between light and shadow to give the illusion of three-dimensionality.

What is the name for a recurring image, symbol, or concept that develops a work's themes across a literary text?

Answer: Motif

A motif is a recurring element—an image, phrase, or idea—that appears throughout a work and contributes to the development of its central themes.

Which 19th-century American movement in painting celebrated the landscapes of the Hudson River Valley and the sublime beauty of nature?

Answer: Hudson River School

The Hudson River School (1825–1875) was America's first true art movement, featuring romantic, detailed landscapes that celebrated the grandeur of untouched nature.

In classical rhetoric, what is the term for organizing an argument from the weakest point to the strongest?

Answer: Climax order

Climax order (or increasing order of importance) arranges arguments from least to most compelling, building momentum and leaving the strongest point last.

Which composer wrote 'The Four Seasons,' a set of violin concertos depicting the seasons of the year?

Answer: Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi composed 'The Four Seasons' (c. 1720), a collection of four violin concertos that vividly portray spring, summer, autumn, and winter.