| Alliteration | More matter for a May morning. |
| Allusion | There, like Arion in the Greek myth, who escaped from murder on the back of a dolphin, I saw him ride the waves as long as I could keep him in sight. |
| Dramatic irony | Cesario, I swear by the spring roses, by virginity, honor, truth, and everything, I swear I love you. |
| Hyperbole | O: How does he love me?V: Adoringly; with copious tears; with groans that thunder out their love; with passionate sighs… |
| Imagery | If it’s true that music makes people more in love, keep playing. Give me too much of it, so I’ll get sick of it and stop loving. Play that part again! It sounded sad. |
| Metaphor | Do you think you’ve got a couple of fools on your hands here? (Sir Andrew to Maria) |
| Oxymoron | “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”, “Parting is such sweet sorrow” |
| Personification | They’re good enough to drink in, and so are these boots. If they aren’t, they can go hang themselves by their own laces! |
| Pun | O: Get that fool out of here.F: Didn’t you hear her, guys? Get the lady out of here. |
| Repetition | Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em. |
| Pun | Only it’s my heart that’s being hunted. Oh, when I first saw Olivia, it seemed like she made the air around her sweeter and purer. In that instant I was transformed into a hart… |
| Simile | Women are like roses: the moment their beauty is in full bloom, it’s about to decay |
| Soliloquy | I didn’t give her any ring. What’s she trying to say? I hope she doesn’t have a crush on me! It’s true she looked at me a lot, in fact, she looked at me so much that she seemed distracted, and couldn’t really finish her sentences very well. Oh, I really think she loves me! |
LITERARY DEVICES IN TWELFTH NIGHT
July 3, 2019