Shakespeares Style Literary Devices Oxymoron A figure of

Shakespeare’s Style Literary Devices

Oxymoron A figure of speech in which two or more contrasting ideas are placed beside each other, often in parallel grammatical form The purpose is to emphasize the idea being contrasted Example: Viola says to Olivia, “Farewell, fair cruelty” (1. 5. 278)

Pun A figure of speech designed to create humour by playing on words with several meanings Example: (1. 1. 16 -24) Curio: Will you go hunt, my lord? Duke: What, Curio? Curio: The hart. Duke: Why, so I do, the noblest that I have. [Olivia’s heart]…

Allusion A reference to a historical, literary, religious, mythologyical figure, event or object The reader immediately makes the connection Example: The Captain says to Viola, “Like Arion on the dolphin’s back, / I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves/ So long as I could see” (1. 2. 15 -16) Example: Feste says to Maria, “Thou wert as witty a piece of Eve’s flesh as any in Illyria” (1. 5. 36 -37)

Figurative Comparison Metaphor: A short comparison between two unlike things Example: Viola says she would “call upon my soul within the house” “my soul” is a metaphor for Olivia Simile: a comparison made between two things, using “like” or “as” Malvolio says to Olivia [about Cesario], “he’ll stand at your door like a sheriff’s post” (1. 5. 142 -3) Personification: inanimate objects are given human qualities Duke says “And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E’er since pursue me” (1. 1. 22 -23)

Irony Verbal Irony: saying one thing but meaning another Dramatic Irony: the audience is aware of the meaning of a character’s lines or actions, but other characters onstage are “blind” to such knowledge (the audience is in on a secret that characters onstage are not) Example: Duke Orsino says to Viola, “Diana’s lip/ Is not more smooth and rubious; thy small pipe/ Is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound; / All is semblative a woman’s part” (1. 4. 31 -34)