top of page

Glossary

The definitions in this glossary were compiled by Robyn Quick, production dramaturg for The Revolutionists at Everyman Theatre.

 

Allons-y

A French phrase meaning “let’s go.”

 

Bastille

A medieval fortress in Paris used as a prison in the 18th and 19th centuries. Considered a symbol of the old, monarchial order, the Bastille was famously stormed by angry Parisians on July 14th, 1789 and was later demolished.

 

Brava

The feminine expression of “bravo”, an expression of applause or approval.

 

Cathartic

Describes an event or story that releases strong, especially pent-up, emotions in its audience.

 

Comédie-Française

The national theatre of France and the world’s longest-established state theatre.

 

Consummate

Extremely skilled or accomplished; of the highest degree.

 

Egalitarian

Adhering to beliefs in the equality of all human beings in social, economic, and political affairs.

 

Égalité

French for “equality.” Part of the motto of France: “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité,” or, “Freedom, Equality, and Brotherhood.”

 

Exposé

A public piece of writing disclosing damaging or discrediting information.

 

Exposition

The introduction of background information in a narrative, usually near the beginning of the story.

 

Fleur-de-lis

A stylized image of a lily flower with three petals, commonly associated with the French royalty.

 

Frivolity

Lightheartedness, a lack of seriousness. Something unnecessary or silly.

 

Fugue

A rhetorical or musical composition structure in which one or two themes are repeated and interwoven with variations by successive voices.

 

Hyperbolic

Exaggerating or overstating the truth.

 

Jacobins

A powerful political group during the French Revolution in power between 1793-94 known for their extreme egalitarianism and violence.

​

Loquacious

Talkative, tending to talk overly much.

 

Maim

To permanently wound or injure someone.

 

Manifesto

A public declaration of aims, particularly of a political candidate or group.

 

Martyr

A person who willingly suffers death at the hands of someone wanting them to renounce a belief. Martyrs are often celebrated by those who share their beliefs after their deaths.

 

National Assembly

The revolutionary, parliamentary body formed by the common people during the French Revolution. The National Assembly opposed and eventually deposed King Louis XVI.

 

Oui, c’est vrai

French phrase meaning, “yes, it is true.”

 

Place de la Revolution

A public square in Paris where many executions by guillotine were held during the Reign of Terror. Now called the Place de la Concorde.

 

Plutarch, Parallel Lives

A series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans arranged in pairs to highlight their moral virtues and failings written by the Greek philosopher and essayist Plutarch during the first century.

 

Prologue

The introduction of a literary or dramatic work, usually setting the scene, introducing characters, and beginning themes.

 

Pundit

A person who delivers their opinions with (often overestimated) authority, usually through mass media such as writing, radio, or television.

 

Reign of Terror

The period of the French Revolution between 1793-94 when the Revolutionary government persecuted and executed more than 1,000 actual and perceived “enemies of the revolution.”

 

The Republic

The First French Republic, the revolutionary government established by members of the Third Estate, or common people, between 1792 and 1804. The French government is now ruled by the Fifth French Republic.

 

Revisionism

A political, social, or historical philosophy favoring changing or evolving the status quo rather than completely throwing it out as in a revolution.

 

Sardonic

Disdainfully or skeptically humorous; derisively mocking; sarcastic.

 

Satirize

Deride and criticize using humor, irony, and exaggeration to expose the ridiculousness and the stupidity of others, particularly in regard to politics.

 

Slander

The crime of making a false statement damaging to a person’s reputation.

 

Sociopolitical

The combination of social and political factors in sociological analysis of individuals and groups.

 

Sororité

French for “sisterhood.”

 

Sovereignty

The authority of a state to govern itself; supreme power or authority.

 

Thomas Paine’s Declaration

Thomas Paine, a Scottish immigrant to the United States, wrote his pamphlet The Rights of Man in 1791 after a visit to revolutionary France. Its central proposition is that revolution is permissible when government is not serving the needs of its people.

 

Torrid

Full of difficulty or tribulation; ardent, passionate.

 

Touché

“Touch” in French; said to acknowledge the validity of an opponent’s point in debate or an opponent’s hit in fencing.

 

Tribunal

A court of justice; board, panel.

 

Vigilante

A self-appointed doer of justice, sometimes a member of a group formed to undertake law enforcement when the government forces are perceived to be inadequate.

 

Vilify

To speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.

 

Vindication

Clearing someone of blame or suspicion.

 

Vive la Republic! Vive la France!

French patriotic expression, literally meaning “long live the Republic, long live France.”

 

The Widow Capet

Referring to Marie Antoinette after the execution of her husband, King Louis XVI. The royal family was known by their surname Capet after September 21st, 1792, when the monarchy was officially deposed and the National Convention became the governing body of France.

 

Zealot

A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

bottom of page