William Shakespeare is a renowned writer for his effectiveness in writing, which is hailed from crafting his pieces with various types of literary devices. Cardinal Wolsey's soliloquy after being fired in Shakespeare's Henry VIII is no different. Shakespeare uses allusion, figurative language, and a shifting tone to hone in the complex and passionate set of emotions Wolsey felt. Just like Lucifer fell from the graces of heaven, Wolsey fell from the grace of the king's court. Shakespeare establishes this allusion to elicit vivid imagery of the current situation. This is because Wolsey was with the court, just like Lucifer was in heaven, for a long time as a devout follower. This is shown with Wolsey's use of "he falls like Lucifer" (23). Now Wolsey is "weary." This word provides the sense that Wolsey achingly served the king with all of his might; consequently, he is beyond being revived with a simple break. In fact, Wolsey doesn't have the energy to do anything like hoping. His downfall stunned him into the fiery pits of despair. …show more content…
A lot of metaphors relating to the simplicities of nature allowed to implement a clear understanding of Wolsey's complex set of emotions between anger and despair. Wolsey exclaims his vague tale how, "To-day he [Wolsey] puts forth The tender leaves of hopes, to-morrow blossoms. . .The third day comes a frost, a killing frost. . ." (4-6). This is meaning that Wolsey planted hope into the king's administration, sowed the benefits that come from it, and became dead to everything he knew; hence, the "killing frost" (6). Killing provides the sense that he died inside and frost explains how stuck he feels; what does he do
...eth to sustain great wrong.” In his first defense, Cavendish claims Wolsey was the victim of ill will. In this second defense, Wolsey’s faith is supposed to be his saving grace, and explains away his dealings with the Pope by claiming a conflict of faith. He couldn’t please everyone, and if he supported the King against Katharine, he would potentially be angering the Pope and God. On the other hand, going against the King would in fact prove to be fatal. In failing to secure the divorce Henry wanted, Wolsey was left open to attack by those Cavendish previously blamed for his downfall. While there was not much more Wolsey could have done in regards to securing the divorce, he is still not to be pitied in this situation. Had he not taken advantage of his position for years prior to this situation, he wouldn’t have had so far to fall or had so much to lose when he did.
When something bad happens, it’s easy to get angry, to point fingers; however, it eventually gets difficult to silence the sneaky voice in our heads whispering that it was all our own fault, that we deserved it. In this soliloquy, Wolsey is coming to terms with his own downfall, and he flies through this myriad of emotions. Shakespeare evokes the elements of allusion, figurative language, and tone to depict the full scope of Wolsey’s complicated, divided reaction to being removed from his job.
While watching a horror film, it is expected that the audience would scream rather than laughing hysterically, right? This is because a scream is the expected response that someone may have in that specific scenario. However, in literature, demonstrating the responses that characters have is mostly done through speaking their mind and declaring their thoughts in order to get the point across. A perfect example of this kind of response exists in William Shakespeare's Henry VIII when Cardinal Wolsey responds to his dismissal from court. What makes his response even more impecable is that Wolsey is trying to express more than one feeling, thus making his response a complex one. Through the use of allusion, metaphors, similes, and a bitter tone, Shakespeare conveys Wolsey's bitterness toward no longer having to perform his duties and that he also desires the demise of the prince.
In a similar way, the Bible contains a story about Lucifer, the most beautiful and powerful angel in heaven. Lucifer envies the power of God and craves to be worshiped even more than Him. That desire for divine power results in Lucifer’s inescapable banishment to Hell. Having held the prominent position of advisor to the king, Wolsey realizes the magnitude of pain and embarrassment associated with falling from power – something quite arcane to those who may never achieve such an honor. Therefore, through allusion, Wolsey compares his situation to the fall of Lucifer, one of the worst expulsions ever. Both Wolsey and Lucifer, are doomed never return to their previous powerful
In Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey’s demise reveals the ubiquity within loss, and the levels emotional response that is inevitably natural, as well as the unavoidable intrinsic questions regarding identity. As the king’s former advisor, Wolsey associated his sense of self with his title, which fueled his pride and dignity. His removal of power leaves Wolsey at odds with himself, where his voice of authority can no longer provide comfort. Shakespeare captures the necessity of internal confrontation by means of metaphorical comparisons and repeatedly shifts to a poetic tongue to emphasize intrinsic considerations that Wolsey faces. Inevitably, Wolsey questions the existential and reaches an ephemeral clarity through a shift in perspective.
By using just the right combination of words, or by coming up with just the right image, Shakespeare wrote many passages and entire plays that were so powerful, moving, tragic, comedic, and romantic that many are still being memorized and performed today, almost four centuries later. But the greatness of Shakespeare’s ability lies not so much in the basic themes of his works but in the creativity he used to write these stories of love, power, greed, discrimination, hatred, and tragedy.
Henry’s remorse for the loss of life does not stand in the way of his
Shakespeare uses metaphors, allusions to the bible, and a bitter tone to convey Cardinal Wolsey’s response to his dismissal from the court and the loss of his pride.
This allusion is very strong because Satan was casted away forever when he was stripped of his title; this dark thought continues to haunt Cardinal Wolsey. It is an ironic allusion because a Cardinal is comparing himself to Lucifer, an "enemy" in the Bible. He realizes though that people of high nobility all share the same fear: losing their power and status. He even said that they have "more pangs and fears than wars or women have." This is a strong wording because it demonstrates that nothing can scare them more, leaving them very selfish. And the fact that they will "never to hope again" ends his soliloquy in a very depressing way. Cardinal Wolsey can never reach the success, friendship, or status again and he sees no purpose in his life anymore. Everything that was once good is not his to claim and life is moving on without
Everyone feels burdened by life at some point. Everyone wishes they could just close their eyes and make all the problems and struggles of life disappear. Some see death as a release from the chains and ropes with which the trials and tribulations of life bind the human race. Death is a powerful theme in literature, symbolized in a plethora of ways. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve" Robert Frost uses subtle imagery, symbolism, rhythm and rhyme to invoke the yearning for death that the weary traveler of life feels.
In Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice”, it presents an all out debate about the end of the world. It is clear that, through the title, the poem demonstrates the distinctions in which the world will either be engulfed in flames or covered in ice but the idea of the “lost paradise” is interpreted in a different manner. Frost’s poem is described as humorous or sardonic but there is a bit of irony in the speaker’s tone (230). Frost’s use of “natural lyrics provide a comparison with the outer scene and the psyche” (230). This meaning that the poem describes some of the general idea of hell through either fire or ice, but also presents it with the ironic undertones associated with them such as desire, hatred, passion and the idea of death. Though the poem is simple and short it presents the metaphorical downfall of the speaker in which he contrasts it to the end of the world.
So, I went to the next question, which asks what 밼ire?and 밿ce?symbolize and what the two meanings for 뱓he world?are. Line three of the poem led me to believe that there must be a connection between fire and desire. Desire makes sense because it can consume one's thoughts, goals, senses, and self-control like fire. I also decided that perhaps, ice represents hate. This is sensible because the phrase 밹old-hearted?is often associated with hate, which has the ability to freeze all other emotions. In addition, Frost, as most people would, takes preference with desire rather than hate. Therefore, through his life experiences, Frost must have determined that these two emotions, desire and hate, are just as destructive as their counterparts, fire and ice. Regarding Perrine뭩 other question, I believe that 뱓he world?means not only the Earth, but also the human race. This shows how the poem functions on two levels, with desire and hate destroying the human race, and fire and ice destroying the actual (physical) earth.
Shakespeare uses a variety of metaphors and descriptive words to describe Hamlet’s emotional state. Hamlet is saying here that he wishes that his flesh would melt away and dissolve. He goes on to say that he wishes that God had not made suicide wrong. Terms like weary, stale, and fl...
“Fire and Ice” is a poem that paints a bleak picture of the future in which there are two paths, fire and ice, that both lead to the end of the world. Frost uses language throughout the poem that appears to be simple, but is actually very effective at communicating deeper, insightful meanings. He connects fire and ice to desire and hate and creates multiple levels of complexity. For example, the simple passage “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.” (“Fire and Ice” 1-2) introduces the two main symbols in the poem, but, at the same time, pulls the reader in because desire and hate are so personal and such a significant part of human nature. After the symbols are presented, the narrator involves himself or herself in the poem by saying “From what I’ve tasted of desire / I hold with those who favor fire.” (“Fire and Ice” 3-4). A clear decision is made here in favor of fire, implying that the narrator favors desire. Frost believes that the world will eventually be destroyed by destructive and negative human traits: desire, greed, and jealousy. Yet in Frost’s mind, these traits are still preferable to hate. This opinion is demonstrated by the narrator’s choice of fire. Frost prefers the heat of passion and fire to the ...
Frost mentions sleep six different times during the poem “After Apple-Picking”, but he is not always speaking strictly of sleep. Winter has long been a season symbolically associated with the end of a person’s life. With the line “Essence of winter sleep is on the night” Frost uses the combination of winter and sleep t...