| “She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.” | – said by benedick- metaphor- being stabbed is what it feels like when talking to beatrice |
| “…I stood like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at me.” | – said by benedick- simile- compares Beatrice’s gunfire from an army and emotional damage from the injury from the bullets |
| “If so it prove so, then loving goes by haps; some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” | – said by hero- allusion- compares Cupid’s love arrows and match-making to traps of how friends have been devised |
| “An oak but with one green leaf on it would have answered her…” | – said by benedick- personification – Beatrice’s words were so cruel that they would evoke a response from anyone |
| “Farewell, thou pure impiety and impious purity!” | – said by Claudio- oxymoron- communicates the mixture of love and hate Claudio has for hero |
| “…with Beatrice, and then the two Bears and will not Bite one another when they meet.” | – said by Claudio- alliteration- Beatrice and Benedick will not fight or argue when they meet again |
| “Will your Grace command me any service to the world’s end?” | – said by benedick- hyperbole- expresses aversion to Beatrice in a colorful way in hopes to escape her presence |
| “Leonato, stand I here? Is this the prince? Is this the prince’s brother? | – said by Claudio- rhetorical question- Claudio had been so deceived that he questions everything, including his own perception |
| “The most peaceful way for you, if you take a thief, is to let him show himself what he is, and steal out of your company.” | – said by dogberry- pun- use of this is to mean both “rob” and “sneak” for humorous effect |
| “O God of Love! I know he doth deserve as much as may be yielded to a man…” | – said by hero- apostrophe- says that benedick deserves all things |
| “We have here recovered the most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known.” | – said by dogberry – malapropism- misuse of words: recovered should be “discovered” and lechery should be “treachery” |
| “I pray thee, peace. I will be flesh and blood.” | – said by leonato- metonymy- he is imperfect human |
| “One woman is far, yet I am well; another wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well.” | – said by benedick- epistrophy – discoursing his immunity to love |
Much ado about nothing figurative language
July 6, 2019