What Are Some Literary Devices Used In The Merchant Of Venice?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Literary devices are frequently used throughout acts four and five of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Some of the most prominent devices used on TMOF are

dramatic irony, allusion and symbolism

. These devices help further develop theme ingrained in the story such as marriage, deceive, wealth, and religion.

What is the simile in the speech The Merchant of Venice?

Bassanio uses a simile

when he compares Portia’s hair to a golden fleece

. This is also a double-entendre, in that Portia’s gold refers to both the color of her hair and her wealth, both of which Bassanio desires.

What is a metaphor in The Merchant of Venice?

He

compares his breath to wind at sea which might cause a storm and destroy his boat

. … He compares the natural bobbing of ships in the sea to peasants “curtsying” to their lord to show reverence. In this metaphor, the poor merchants’s ships curtsy to Antonio’s ship because Antonio is a richer, higher class merchant.

What literary device is let freedom ring?

Literary devices and techniques used


Metonymy

– The phrase “The let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia… Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee… Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi“, King uses these well-known racist locations to enhance his point.

What literary device has been used in the story?


An allusion

is a popular literary device used to develop characters, frame storylines, and help create associations to well-known works. Allusions can reference anything from Victorian fairy tales and popular culture to the Bible and the Bard.

How many figures of speech are there?

The five major categories. In European languages, figures of speech are generally classified in five major categories: (1)

figures of resemblance or relationship

, (2) figures of emphasis or understatement, (3) figures of sound, (4) verbal games and gymnastics, and (5) errors.

Is like a villain with a smiling cheek analysis?

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, … In the specific lines you mention, Antonio describes Shylock as a man who looks

good on the

outside (“smiling cheek” and “goodly apple”) but who is evil on the inside (“villain” and “rotten at the heart”).

Why is mercy twice blessed?

Unlock

However, Portia says that the person who grants mercy is also blessed. This is because mercy is a characteristic of God, and the person who grants it is acting with the spirit and majesty of God. Thus mercy is twice blessed:

it blesses the one who gets the merciful treatment and the one who grants it

.

What do the rings symbolize in The Merchant of Venice?

Rings. In The Merchant of Venice rings represent

love and commitment between partners

. For example, when they agree to marry, Portia gives Bassanio a ring that she says represents their bond of love. She cautions him that if he loses the ring or gives it away, that will represent the destruction of their love.

What does it mean mercy is not strain D?

“Strained” is a Shakesperean-era term for “forced or constrained”; it means mercy must be freely given. You can grasp this by seeing the quote in context: The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the

gentle rain from heaven

.

Upon the place beneath

.

What are literary strategies?

Literary techniques are

specific, deliberate constructions of language which an author uses to convey meaning

. An author’s use of a literary technique usually occurs with a single word or phrase, or a particular group of words or phrases, at one single point in a text.

Is Let freedom ring an onomatopoeia?

In the given lines above, the type of sound device that is being used is onomatopoeia, this is because of the word “

ring

“. Onomatopoeia is the formation of words with the use of sounds. The sounds that are being repeated in the line is “ring”.

What are the 5 kinds of stylized language?

  • Metaphors and Similes. …
  • Alliteration. …
  • Antithesis. …
  • Parallel Structure and Language. …
  • Personalized Language.

What are the 20 poetic devices?

  • Allegory. An allegory is a story, poem, or other written work that can be interpreted to have a secondary meaning. …
  • Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of multiple words in a series. …
  • Apostrophe. …
  • Assonance. …
  • Blank Verse. …
  • Consonance. …
  • Enjambment. …
  • Meter.

Why do writers use literary elements and techniques?

Literary devices are techniques that writers use

to express their ideas and enhance their writing

. Literary devices highlight important concepts in a text, strengthen the narrative, and help readers connect to the characters and themes.

How do you identify a literary device in a story?

  1. Review the forms of figurative language, such as metaphors, similes and personification. …
  2. Identify the setting in literature. …
  3. Explore themes. …
  4. Recognize allegory. …
  5. Watch for alliteration.
Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.