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Figures of Speech in Shakespearean Language - Coggle Diagram
Figures of Speech in Shakespearean Language
Alliteration
“Full fathom five thy father lies.” — The Tempest, I.ii
they are repeating the sound of 'f' as in full fathom five father , which all starts with an f
“The bounding billows boisterously beat.” — Henry V, III.chorus
they are repeating the b sound as in bounding billows boisterously beat which all starts with the letter b
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes.” — Romeo and Juliet, Prologue
they are repeating the sound of 'f' and 't' for the 'f' it is from forth the fatal and for the 't' it is the fatal lion of these two
Metaphor
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — As You Like It, II.vii
Life is just like a show, people are like actors playing different roles.
“Life’s but a walking shadow.” — Macbeth, V.v
You will never be the best, you will always be someone behind others like a shadow no one notices
“Juliet is the sun.” — Romeo and Juliet, II.ii
Juliet is as important to him as the sun giving light for his path to continue.
Oxymoron
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” — Romeo and Juliet, II.ii
Saying goodbye is something a person can feel happy towards or very sad that they have to depart from each other
“O brawling love! O loving hate!” — Romeo and Juliet, I.i
Both love and hate are compared in this sentence which shakespear is trying to say that it is a hateful love
“A damned saint, an honourable villain!” — Romeo and Juliet, III.ii
Juliet has many emotions after Romeo kills a character in the story such as Romeo being a villain they can honor.
Hyperbole
“I’ll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall.”
He is exaggerating his beauty or emotion in attracting sailors more than a mermaid(which is a creature known to attract others)
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood…?”
It doesn't actually takes the entire ocean to wash that amount of blood, they are over-exaggerating the amount of water used to clean up the blood.
“I am constant as the northern star.”
Cesar exaggerates that he will never change which isin't true because later in the story he changes
Pun
“Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.” — Romeo and Juliet, III.i
Romeo is saying that if she doesn't find him today, he will be as a dead man to her tomorrow.
“Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York.” — Richard III, I.i
“Sun” sounds like “son,” which is a reference to duke of york's son bringing hope
“Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.” — Twelfth Night, I.v
A joke which is being hanged or note complete is better than a bad marriage
Assonance
“Is this a dagger which I see before me” — Macbeth, II.i
The sound from the words see and me has the sound of 'ee' repeating
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth” — Julius Caesar, III.i
The word me and bleeding repeats the sound of 'e'
“Hear me speak with patience.” — Julius Caesar, I.ii (long “ea” sound)
The sound hear and speak has the sound of ea in it both making the sound ea repetitive
Simile
“I’ll make my heaven in a lady’s lap, / And deck my body in gay garments, / Like a bridegroom…” — Henry V, III.i
He compares himself like a man getting ready to marry meaning he feels proud and happy
“My love is like to ice, and I to fire.” — Sonnet 30
He is passionate like a fire to his lover but his lover is as cold to him as ice.
“Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night / Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear.” — Romeo and Juliet, I.v
Juliet's beauty shines like a jewel through the dark night
personification
“The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night.” — Romeo and Juliet, II.iii
“Duty is cold as winter.” — Henry V, II.ii
Duty is treated like a person with emotions like cold or being distant.
“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.” — Romeo and Juliet, II.ii
It is describing the person who is the sun is a better new person that is killing the person who is bad which is known as the moon in the quote. This is also a personification because the sun isin't a physical object which can kill the moon which the sun who isint alive gets a human trait which is killing.
Allusion
“Like Niobe, all tears.” — Hamlet, I.ii (Greek myth)
Comparing a person to Niobe, someone who is known for crying all the time expresses that the person cries alot like Niobe
“Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” — Twelfth Night, II.iii (biblical & festival references)
Cake and ale refers to the traditional celebration and shouldn't lose its fun in the celebration that has been celebrated for many centuries.
“You are a lover; borrow Cupid’s wings.” — Romeo and Juliet, I.iv
Its like Romeo is just like Cupid and just needs to borrow his wings to be identical to him
Anaphora
“Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition!” — King John, II.i
The word mad is being repeated in a way that makes the reader feel the sensation of madness of the king.
“And neigh’d, and shook his mane, and stamped the ground.” — Venus and Adonis
The repetition of things horses can do shows how powerful the horses are and how they would be much stronger than the gods.
“By heaven, I love thee well; / By heaven, I think my love as rare…” — Othello, V.ii
The repetition of heaven shows how much he cares about heaven and how much it is like him.
Irony
“I am a very foolish fond old man.” — King Lear, IV.vii (Lear doesn’t realize everything yet)
The king calls himself foolish and an old man who cant keep up with the current time without even knowing the situation.
“Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.” — Othello, IV.ii
“A little more than kin, and less than kind.” — Hamlet, I.ii
It is in the middle of kin and kind, kin has the meaning of being family and kind being nice to someone, in between would be a family member who isn't the kindest to you but have some affection to them.
Onomatopoeia
“The buzz of lawyers.” — Henry VI Part 2, III.i
Buzz is just like many people talking at the same time similar to lawyers arguing.
“The crack of doom.” — Macbeth, IV.i
"Crack" imitates a loud and strong sound suddenly happening
“When swords are out, they roar for blood.” — Othello, II.iii
The word roar shows that the sword will do whatever it takes to kill and will want blood or known as wanting to kill