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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Act 2, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Fortune:
In the beginning of Act 2, Arcite and Palamon, cousins and close friends, are imprisoned in Athens after the defeat of their native Thebes by Athens in war. Lamenting their plight, Arcite alludes to Fortune, a common allegorical figure in early modern theater and poetry:
The fair-eyed maids shall weep our banishments
And in their songs curse ever-blinded Fortune
Till she for shame see what a wrong she has done
To youth and nature. This is all our world.
We shall know nothing here but one another,
Hear nothing but the clock that tells our woes.
The vine shall grow, but we shall never see it.
The two “noble kinsmen” of the play’s title fought bravely in battle and were spared execution, but have nevertheless been imprisoned by the Athenian authorities. Arcite notes that their imprisonment will be mourned by many in Thebes, most notably those “fair-eyed maidens” who “shall weep” in pity. Further, Arcite imagines the young women of Thebes singing songs and cursing “ever-blinded Fortune” in order to shame Fortune for her crimes against “youth and nature.” Here, Arcite alludes to the goddess Fortune, a common allegorical figure in early modern literature who allegorically symbolizes the unpredictable twists and turns of fate. Arcite’s allusion to Fortune suggests that it is cruel and unnatural for two young men to be locked up away from the company of young women.
Related Themes:
