Untitled Flashcards Set

Flashcards on English Techniques Used in Macbeth

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."