Identification of language devices
Which language device compares two things using 'like' or 'as'?
Simile
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” is an example of which device?
Alliteration
What effect does imagery usually have on the reader?
It creates a vivid mental picture and appeals to the senses.
Match the quote to the device: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
Simile
What does the metaphor “Life’s but a walking shadow” suggest about Macbeth’s view of life?
Life is meaningless and fleeting.
Which device gives human characteristics to non-human things?
Personification
Which device is used in the line “Life’s but a walking shadow” from Macbeth?
Metaphor
Why does Shakespeare use personification in “Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care”?
To emphasise sleep’s healing and restorative power.
“I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry.”
Auditory imagery (Creates an eerie, ominous atmosphere through sound)
How does Shakespeare’s use of simile in “Pity, like a naked newborn babe” affect the audience’s perception of Macbeth?
It reveals his vulnerability and internal moral struggle.
Which language device involves the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words?
Alliteration
Identify the device: “The multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.”
Imagery
What is the purpose of a rhetorical question in a soliloquy?
To reveal a character’s inner conflict or thought process and to invite the audience to consider it further.
Which device is used in “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it”?
Symbolism (Flower = Innocence, Serpent = Deception)
Why does Macbeth see a dagger before him in “Is this a dagger which I see before me”?
It symbolizes his ambition and guilt, reflecting his psychological conflict about murdering Duncan.
In Macbeth, which device is used in the line “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”
Hyperbole
What language feature is being used in “Out, out brief candle!”?
Symbolism (Candle = Life’s brevity)
How does alliteration contribute to the mood in “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
It creates a chant-like, eerie atmosphere, enhancing the supernatural tone.
Identify the device: “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!”
Symbolism (Spot = Guilt)
What theme is emphasized through the use of oxymoron in “joyful trouble”?
The conflict between duty and personal desire.
Which device involves contradictory terms appearing in conjunction, as in “joyful trouble”?
Oxymoron
Which device is used in the line “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
Rhetorical Question
Why does Shakespeare use oxymoron in “Parting is such sweet sorrow”?
To convey the complex, bittersweet emotions associated with love and separation.
Which device is used in “I am in blood stepped in so far”?
Metaphor (Blood = Guilt/Crime)
How does the imagery in “The multitudinous seas incarnadine” enhance the theme of guilt?
It illustrates the overwhelming and inescapable nature of Macbeth’s guilt, suggesting that nothing can wash away his sins.