ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dramatis personæ

Dramatis personae (pronounced dra-MAT-is per-SON-ay) is a fancy Latin phrase that means "characters in a play" or "people in a story."

When someone talks about the dramatis personae of a play or a book, they are talking about a list of all the important characters in that story. Imagine if you were playing pretend with your friends and you decided to write down a list of all the characters you were pretending to be. That list would be like the dramatis personae of your pretend game.

In a play, the dramatis personae list usually appears right at the beginning, before the story even starts. It's like a cheat sheet that tells you who everyone is and what they're like. Sometimes, the list will include a brief description of each character's personality or appearance, to help you get a better idea of who they are.

Overall, the dramatis personae is just a tool that helps readers or viewers keep track of who's who in a story. It can be really helpful, especially if the story has lots of different characters with complicated names or relationships.
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