English Techniques

Imagery

Vivid and descriptive language evoking sensory experiences; often dark and twisted to reflect ambition and guilt.

Symbolism

Objects or elements representing larger ideas; for example, blood symbolizes guilt and murder.

Metaphor

Comparisons made without "like" or "as"; for instance, Macbeth calls life a "brief candle" to signify its fleeting nature.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about future events; the witches’ prophecies foreshadow Macbeth's rise and fall.

Soliloquy

Speaking one’s thoughts aloud while alone on stage, revealing inner conflicts; notable examples include Macbeth's reflections on ambition.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; Macbeth's rise to power ultimately leads to his downfall.

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, creating rhythm and emphasis, seen in the witches' chants.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds, creating a musical quality; often emphasizes emotions and creates mood.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis, used to express extreme emotions or situations.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences, heightening emotional intensity.

Stichomythia

Rapid exchange of dialogue between characters enhancing tension in confrontational scenes.

Rhyming Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme, used to convey a conclusion or end of a scene.

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of consecutive sentences, creating emphasis or closure.

Hypophora

Posing a question and immediately answering it, engaging the audience and emphasizing key points.

Apostrophe

Direct address to an absent or imaginary person or object, allowing characters to express feelings or thoughts.

Visceral Imagery

Descriptive language provoking strong emotional responses, particularly in scenes of violence or turmoil.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase expressing the characteristic quality of a person or thing, enhancing characterization.

Chiasmus

Words written and repeated in reverse order, adding complexity to themes or characters.

Oxymoron

Contradictory terms appearing together, reflecting the internal conflict of characters, e.g., "fair is foul."