Literary Devices Definitions
Words that have the same meaning
synonyms
simile
True or false: Borders is about a mother who puts a lot of pressure on her daughter to play chess.
False (that was Two Kinds)
Finish the sentence: "Hello, my name is ____________________________. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Inigo Montoya
William Shakespeare
Words that have opposite meanings
antonyms
You are my sunshine.
metaphor
Does the narrator in "Borders" really understand the stance his mother is making?
No.
What phrase in the movie means "I love you"? (Westley says it to Buttercup.)
"As you wish."
What is this an example of?
William Shakespeare uses symbolism to develop the central idea that one bad deed leads to more bad deeds.
Central idea statement
A humorous use of words.
Example: Why was the teddy bear never hungry?
They are always stuffed.
pun
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter but, she said, this butter's bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter.
Alliteration
Is this a theme for "Borders," "Two Kinds," or both?
Family relationships that are complicated can still be loving.
Both!
Who is the Sicilian who at first leads Inigo and Fezzik?
Vizzini
What is this an example of?
Macbeth is most responsible for his own death because he interprets the witches' first prophecy to mean that he must kill Duncan, he succumbs to his wife's persuasion, and he continually chooses to murder to satisfy his vaulting ambition.
Claim statement
A word that imitates the sound it represents
onomatopoeia
My backpack weighs a thousand pounds.
hyperbole
Why won't the mother in "Borders" just say that she lives on the Canadian side of the border?
She is proud of her Blackfoot (Native American) identity.
Westley is only "mostly dead" which Miracle Max tells him means that he is still "_____ _______."
"slightly alive"
What is this an example of?
Although some argue that the witches are primarily responsible for Macbeth's death, they are wrong because Macbeth consciously chooses to trust their words.
counterclaim.
An expression that doesn't exactly mean what the words say.
It's raining cats and dogs.
idiom
David got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and popped the question.
idiom
figurative language
Waverly
She is named after the street they live on.
The Princess Bride is an example of a _______, something that pokes fun of fairy tales and adventure stories.
(satire)
King James I of England was a descendant of which character in Macbeth?
Banquo
Fleance