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Shakespearean Figures of Speec - Coggle Diagram
Shakespearean Figures of Speec
Simile
“My love is like a fever…”
He compares love to a sickness that makes someone lose control.
“Like a rich jewel…”
Juliet’s beauty stands out clearly in the darkness.
“Like a swan…”
A graceful, peaceful image of leaving life.
Metaphor
“All the world’s a stage.”
Life is compared to a play where everyone has roles.
“Juliet is the sun.”
Juliet is described as bright, important, life-giving.
“More sinned against than sinning.”
He means he suffers more harm than he causes.
Personification
“Night like a loving mother…”
Night is described as caring and protective.
“Grief fills the room…”
Sadness is treated like a person taking up space.
“Death… hath sucked the honey of thy breath.”
Death is imagined as someone who steals life.
Alliteration
“Full fathom five…”
The repeated f sound creates rhythm.
“Fair breeze blew…”
Repetition of b gives a smooth, windy sound.
“Shuffled off this mortal coil…”
Soft sh sound makes the line flow quietly.
Assonance
“Dagger… before me”
Repeated vowel sounds add tension.
“Moan of doves…”
Long vowel sounds create a soft, sad feeling.
“Cruel steel”
Matching vowels make the phrase sound sharp.
Hyperbole
“All Neptune’s ocean…”
Exaggeration about guilt being impossible to wash away.
“Thy beauty hath made me effeminate.”
Overstating how love changed him.
“I could eat you…”
Obviously impossible — used for strong emotion.
Oxymoron
“Loving hate”
Shows the confusing feelings in love.
“Sweet sorrow”
Leaving someone you love hurts but feels special.
“Damned saint / honourable villain”
Someone who seems good and bad at the same time.
Pun
“Grave man”
“Grave” means serious and a burial place.
“Sole / soul of lead”
Shoe sole and heavy soul.
“Virginity too high”
Wordplay about “high” meaning value and physical position.
Allusion
“Niobe, all tears”
Refers to a woman in myth who cried endlessly.
“Eros”
Comparing someone to the god of love.
“Demi-god”
Calling someone half-divine to praise them.
Irony
“Not to praise him.”
He actually is praising him.
“Brutus is an honourable man.”
He means the opposite — Brutus acted dishonorably.
“Less than kind.”
→ A polite phrase actually meaning unfriendly.
Anaphora
“I’ll fight… I’ll fight…”
Repetition shows determination.
“O Romeo…”
Repetition shows strong emotion and longing.
“This was…”
Repeating the phrase gives dramatic emphasis.
Onomatopoeia
“Whizzing arrows”
The word imitates the sound of arrows flying.
“Clap of thunder”
“Clap” mimics the sound of thunder.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
Words repeat the real knocking sound.