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Irony
Definition of Logos
Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Logos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Logos is... read full definition
Logos, along with ethos and pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition
Act 3, Scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—Heavier for a Husband:
In her speech to Hero and Beatrice in her bedchamber in Act 3, Scene 4, Margaret uses logos to contest prevailing social norms that govern women's sexuality. Throughout this scene, Margaret teases Hero and Beatrice with sexual innuendo. When Margaret jokes that Hero's heart will be "heavier soon by the weight of a husband" and Hero asks, "Art not ashamed?", Margaret replies:
Of what, lady? Of speaking honorably? Is not marriage honorable in a beggar? Is not your lord honorable without marriage? I think you would have me say “Saving your reverence, a husband.” An bad thinking do not wrest true speaking, I’ll offend nobody. Is there any harm in “the heavier for a husband”? None, I think, an it be the right husband and the right wife.
Here, Margaret affirms that there is nothing wrong with openly acknowledging sexuality. She reasons that, since marriage is an honorable institution, talking about sex in the context of marriage should not be a source of shame. In this way, Margaret uses logos to appeal to simple logic and thus challenge the prudishness of Hero's aristocratic circle, ultimately opposing the prevailing perceptions of sexuality as shameful.
Related Themes:
