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Definition of Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations intended to emphasize a point... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements are usually quite obvious exaggerations... read full definition
Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker exaggerates for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbolic statements... read full definition
Volume 2, Chapter 10
Explanation and Analysis—Pearly Teeth:
In the tower at Torquilstone, Scott employs simile and hyperbole to convey Bois-Guilbert's attempt to seduce Rebecca, emphasizing the extent to which he sees her as a potential possession rather than a person:
‘Fair flower of Palestine,’ replied the outlaw, ‘these pearls are orient, but they yield in whiteness to your teeth; the diamonds are brilliant, but they cannot match your eyes; and ever since I have taken up this wild trade, I have made a vow to prefer beauty to wealth.’
The simile comparing Rebecca's teeth to pearls and her eyes to diamonds objectifies her by reducing her to a series of valuable objects. She is not a person to Bois-Guilbert, but a collection of prized possessions. This simile reflects Bois-Guilbert's materialistic values, but also his desire to own and control. By equating Rebecca's physical features with jewels, Scott underscores the commodification of her beauty. Rebecca is a wise and educated character. However, the author implies here that to men like Bois-Guilbert, her physical appearance is her most valuable asset.
The hyperbole in describing Rebecca's teeth as “surpassing the whiteness” of pearls and her eyes outshining “diamonds” is part of the Knight Templar’s flattery. This exaggeration is not meant to be taken literally: instead, it amplifies his admiration of her and his fixation on possessing her beauty. The hyperbolic comparison elevates Rebecca's features to an impossible degree. This rhetorical strategy reveals even more of Bois-Guilbert’s shallow appreciation for Rebecca. He claims to value “beauty” more than “wealth,” but treats Rebecca like just another piece of valuable material.
Related Themes:
Volume 2, Chapter 14
Explanation and Analysis—Proper Knowledge:
As he introduces Rebecca to the reader, Scott employs hyperbole to craft a vivid, totalizing description of her as being a polymath and all-around exceptional woman:
The beautiful Rebecca had been heedfully brought up in all the knowledge proper to her nation, which her apt and powerful mind had retained, arranged, and enlarged, in the course of a progress beyond her years, her sex, and even the age in which she lived. [...] Rebecca, thus endowed with knowledge as with beauty, was universally revered and admired by her own tribe, who almost regarded her as one of those gifted women mentioned in the sacred history.
The use of hyperbole in describing Rebecca's knowledge and abilities almost makes her seem like a Jewish superhero here, a “gifted woman mentioned in the sacred history.” By stating that her progress in learning and wisdom is “beyond her years, her sex, and even the age in which she lived,” Scott elevates Rebecca to a status that borders on the mythical. This exaggeration works not only to highlight her intelligence and capability but also to set her apart from the typical expectations of her time. The description is clearly hyperbole, but its exaggerated praise makes the reader very aware of how exceptional she is. Scott is here suggesting that her influence and skill extends far beyond the personal, perhaps even to the magical.
The suggestion that Rebecca is revered by her “tribe” places Rebecca in a lineage of extraordinary figures, implying that her wisdom and virtues are not only beneficial to those around her, but are also of historical and spiritual significance. It also suggests that there have been other women with the same exceptional qualities previously. Rebecca isn’t the only extraordinary woman in the world; she comes from a line of them, extending back into “the sacred history.”
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Volume 3, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Bloody Plumes:
In this dramatic moment, the author employs visual imagery and hyperbole to underscore the intensity of Bois-Guilbert’s attempt to "save" Rebecca amidst the chaos of the burning castle Torquilstone (while neglecting the wounded Ivanhoe, who lies stricken in the background):
At this moment the door of the apartment flew open, and the Templar presented himself, – a ghastly figure, for his gilded armour was both broken and bloody, and the plume was partly shorn away, partly burned from his casque. ‘I have found thee,’ said he to Rebecca; ‘thou shalt prove I will keep my word to share weal and woe with thee – There is but one path to safety, I have cut my way through fifty dangers to point it to thee – up, and instantly follow me.’
As Bois-Guilbert bursts onto the scene, Scott uses intense visual imagery to make the reader “see” his dramatic entrance. His "gilded armour," which had previously been burnished and sparkling, is now "broken and bloody." Even the decorations on his head haven’t survived: the “plume” that decorates his helmet has been partially burned and shorn away. This depiction dramatizes the physical toll of the battle and the fire on Bois-Guilbert. He enters the room with Rebecca in the full froth of battle, having abandoned his position on the wall, a “ghastly figure” dripping blood and visibly damaged.
The combination of this imagery and Bois-Guilbert’s hyperbolic declaration to Rebecca amplifies the urgency of the situation. By claiming he has "cut [his] way through fifty dangers" to find her, he not only exaggerates his efforts and the peril he faced but also presents Rebecca with an ultimatum: to follow him immediately or face certain death. He’s manipulating her, using hyperbole and his embattled appearance to make himself seem like her sole savior in a moment of crisis. He’s trying to leverage the situation to bind Rebecca to him in any way he can.
Related Themes:
