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Personification
Definition of Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians... read full definition
Act 4, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Church and State:
The Earl of Westmoreland, an ally of King Henry V, satirizes the interference of the church in state matters when speaking to Richard Scrope, the Archbishop of York. Westmoreland has agreed to meet with the rebel leaders, including the Archbishop, Sir Ralph Hastings, and Lord Mowbray. Addressing the Archbishop in particular, he states:
You, Lord Archbishop,
Whose see is by a civil peace maintained,
Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touched,
Whose learning and good letters peace hath tutored,
Whose white investments figure innocence,
The dove and very blessèd spirit of peace,
Wherefore do you so ill translate yourself
Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace,
Into the harsh and boist’rous tongue of war,
Turning your books to graves
Here, he speaks harshly with the Archbishop, who occupies an important role in the church hierarchy of medieval England. He uses a repetitive, parallel structure in these sentences, beginning four successive lines with “Whose” and listing the various ways in which the privileged Archbishop has benefited from peace. In these lines, he emphasizes the importance of peace, but also satirizes the hypocrisy of the Archbishop, who uses his reputation for piety and his position as a religious leader to clamor for war.
Related Themes:
