Mythological Allusion | Definition: A reference to a person place or thing that is outside of the literary work. Specifically a mythological allusion references a Greek god, goddess, or other legend from the greek age of mythology.Beatrice Act I Scene I: “He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle’s fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.”Mackenzie |
Elision | Definition: The removal of a syllable in order to maintain the desired flow of a line in a literary work. A syllable taken out is replaced with an apostrophe. This is commonly found within Shakespeare’s works because he employs iambic pentameter.Beatrice Act I Scene I: “But keep your way, i’ God’s name; I have done.” |
Oxymoron | Definition: Paired words with opposite meanings place side by side that contradict one another and provide a dramatic truth.Beatrice Act I Scene I: “No, not till a hot January.”Mackenzie |
Polyptoton | Definition: When words derived from the same root are syntactically repeated within a line in different forms.Messenger Act I Scene I: “…He hath indeed betterbettered expectation than you must expect of me totell you how.”Mackenzie |
Antanaclasis | Definition: A phrase or word repeated in a line, but the meaning of the word changes in each employment.Leonato Act I Scene I : “How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!”Mackenzie |
Mythological Allusion | Definition: A reference to a person place or thing that is outside of the literary work. Specifically a mythological allusion references a Greek god, goddess, or other legend from the greek age of mythology.Benedick Act II Scene I: “She would have made Hercules turned spit” |
Personification | Definition: The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.Beatrice Act II Scene I: “The count is neither sad, nor sick, nor merry, nor well; but civil count, civil as an orange, and something of that jealous complexion. |
Paradox | Definition: A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth.Verges Act III Scene III: “Yea, or else it were pity but they should suffer salvation, body and soul” |
Elision | Definition: The removal of a syllable in order to maintain the desired flow of a line in a literary work. A syllable taken out is replaced with an apostrophe.Dogberry Act III Scene III: “Five shillings to one on’t, with any man that knows the statues, he may stay him” |
Diacope | Definition: A rhetorical term meaning repetition of a word or phrase with one or two intervening words.Conrade Act III Scene III: “Yes, the fashion is the fashion” |
Inversion | Definition: Reverse order of word structureLeonato “Chid I for that at frugal nature’s frame.” |
Chiasmus | Definition: Chiasmus is a figure of speech containing two phrases that are parallel but inverted to each other.Claudio “Thou pure impiety and impious purity” |
Diacope | Definition: A rhetorical term meaning repetition of a word or phrase with one or two intervening words.Beatrice “Hero! Why hero” |
Apostrophe | Definition: a rhetorical device in which the character speaks to an inanimate object Leonato “Oh Fate!” |
Metaphor | Definition: a meaning ascribed to one subject by way of anotherLeonato “The story that is printed in her blood” |
Much Ado About Noting MC Literary Devices
July 29, 2019