W;t (Technique, Effect)
“And death shall be no more, Death thou shalt die.”
“Busy old fool, unruly Sun”
The Sunne Rising
Personification
Challenges cosmic authority, asserting the supremacy of love.
How do W;t and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning portray love as transcending physical presence?
Both texts align in presenting love as spiritual and enduring—Donne uses metaphysical conceit (“Like gold to airy thinness beat”), while Vivian realises emotional connection matters more than intellect.
This technique is used when Antonio says, “I know not why I am so sad,” to open the play.
Tone
Act 1, Scene 1
“The quality of mercy is not strained.”
Portia
Act 4, Scene 1
Metaphor, personification, biblical allusion
Paradox – Portia speaks of mercy while manipulating the law to punish Shylock.
“I’m a scholar. I use my wit to defend myself.”
“Like gold to airy thinness beat”
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
Simile; conceit
Illustrates enduring love through delicate imagery.
How does W;t align with Hymne to God, My God, in My Sicknesse in their treatment of suffering and faith?
Both texts present suffering as a path to spiritual insight—Donne’s paradox (“the Lord throws down”) mirrors Vivian’s acceptance of vulnerability and grace.
The three caskets represent this technique, symbolising deeper moral lessons.
symbolism, metaphor
Act 2, Scene 7
“So do I too, if it be not too much.”
Gratiano
Act 2, Scene 2
Irony, wit
Inconsistency – Gratiano mocks seriousness but later becomes deeply involved in serious matters.
“I made a profession of being hard.”
“My pilgrimage’s last mile”
This is my Playes Last Scene
Metaphor
Frames death as a spiritual journey’s end.
What technique do both Donne and Edson use to explore faith and mortality?
Paradox—Donne’s “Death, thou shalt die” and Vivian’s “I’m learning to suffer” both reflect complex emotional and spiritual transitions.
This technique is used when Shylock says, “Cursed be my tribe / If I forgive him!”
Foreshadowing
Act 1, Scene 3
“I am never merry when I hear sweet music.”
Jessica
Act 5, Scene 1
Irony, juxtaposition
Inconsistency – Jessica’s sadness contrasts with the romantic setting, suggesting inner conflict
“Now is a time for simplicity. Now is a time for, dare I say it, kindness.”
“Teach me how to repent”
At the round earth’s imagined corners
Imperative; religious tone
Expresses urgency for spiritual preparation
How does Holy Sonnet X align with W;t in its portrayal of death?
Both texts diminish death’s power—Donne personifies and mocks death, while Vivian finds peace in simplicity and kindness at life’s end.
Jessica’s line “I am never merry when I hear sweet music” uses this technique to contrast mood and setting.
Juxtaposition
Act 5, Scene 1
“Let me have judgment and the law.”
Shylock
Act 4, Scene 1
Legal diction, imperative tone
Paradox – Shylock demands justice but is denied it through a technicality.
“The insistent bell, the harsh light.”
“Why are we not forgiven?”
Holy Sonnet IX – If Poysonous Mineralls
Rhetorical question
Expresses frustration with divine judgement.
How does Holy Sonnet IX collide with W;t in its questioning of divine justice?
Donne’s speaker challenges God’s fairness (“Why are we not forgiven?”), while W;t subtly critiques institutional coldness rather than divine judgement.
This technique is used when Portia says, “A Daniel come to judgment!” in the courtroom.
Biblical allusion
Act 4, Scene 1
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
Antonio
Act 1, Scene 3
Allusion, irony
Paradox – Antonio condemns hypocrisy while being hypocritical himself.
“Nothing but a breath—a comma—separates life from life everlasting.”
“One short sleep past, we wake eternally”
Holy Sonnet X – Death be not proud
Euphemism; religious imagery
Suggests death as a transition to eternal life.
How does At the round earth’s imagined corners collide with W;t in its tone?
Donne’s poem is urgent and dramatic in its call for repentance, while W;t is more introspective and subdued in its approach to mortality.
This technique is used when the audience knows Portia is disguised as a man, but the characters do not.
Dramatic irony
Act 4, Scene 1
“I am a tainted wether of the flock.”
Antonio
Act 4, Scene 1
Biblical allusion, metaphor
Anomaly – Antonio sees himself as a sacrificial figure, evoking sympathy despite his flaws.
“She’s research.
She’s a patient.”
“Therefore that he may raise, the Lord throws down”
Hymne to God, My God, in My Sicknesse
Paradox; religious imagery
Suggests suffering as a path to salvation.
How does This is my Playes Last Scene mirror Vivian’s final moments in W;t?
Both texts use theatrical metaphors to frame death—Donne’s “playes last scene” and Vivian’s metatheatrical comment “I think I die at the end” reflect awareness of life’s performance.
This technique is used when Lorenzo says, “How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!”
Personification
Act 5, Scene 1
“My little body is aweary of this great world.”
Portia
Act 1, Scene 2
Juxtaposition, hyperbole
Paradox – Portia is wealthy and powerful, yet feels powerless and burdened.