The Changeling Terms

A theatrical aside is most often a monologue in which characters share their thoughts and feelings with the audience—without anyone else on stage hearing them. Sometimes, an aside can also be a short scene between… read analysis of Aside

A dumb show is a pantomime, almost like the theatrical equivalent of a wordless movie montage. In Jacobean theater, pantomimes were often used to fill audiences in on major plot events without dramatizing them in… read analysis of Dumb Show

A knave is a trickster or a rascal. In The Changeling, the word generally implies both dishonesty and cleverness. Lollio is particularly fond of this word, as he simultaneously sees himself as a knave and… read analysis of Knave

In the vernacular of early modern English, the word “maid” was frequently used to refer to a female virgin. The explicitly gendered nature of the word points to the double standards around male versus female… read analysis of Maid