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Irony
Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Act 5, Scene 5
Explanation and Analysis—More Sooty than the Styx:
The tragedy of 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore reaches its zenith in Act 5, Scene 5 as Giovanni grows increasingly desperate in the face of Annabella’s repentance and Soranzo’s discovery of their illicit affair. Finding himself presented with ever-dwindling options, he determines that killing Annabella will function as the best means of preserving her reputation. Just before he pulls out his dagger, Giovanni metaphorically describes the deed he is about to commit:
Be dark, bright sun,
And make this midday night, that thy gilt rays
May not behold a deed will turn their splendour
More sooty than the poets feign their Styx.
In this multi-layered metaphor, Giovanni compares his imminent act of murder to the poisonous pollution that characterizes the Styx, one of the five mythological rivers of the underworld described by the ancient poets. As he does so, Giovanni also personifies the sun, asking it to aid him in turning day to night so that his guilt may be alleviated in the shadowy comfort of darkness. Knowing that he is about to commit a grievous wrong against the one he loves most in this world, Giovanni seeks the sympathy and assistance of whatever higher power he can think to invoke, resorting to old myths as a substitute for his loss of faith in Christianity. Thus, with this plea Giovanni demonstrates the degree of his utter heartbreak and desperation.
Related Themes:
