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Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... read full definition
Act 3, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Serpent:
In Act 3, Scene 2, Lysander uses a simile in a tirade against his former lover. He has been bewitched by a love potion and has thus abandoned Hermia for her friend. His change of affection is shocking, as it is magically induced, and when he and Hermia are reunited, he uses figurative language to communicate the extent of his disinterest. He is trying to discourage Hermia; he wants to get rid of her in order to return to his single-minded pursuit of Helena. His speech is in response to Hermia touching him. When she takes his arm, he says:
Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose,
Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent.
Related Themes:
Act 4, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis:
In Act 4, Scene 1, the lovers have resolved their differences and fallen happily into their proper couplings. When they are discovered by Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus, they are tasked with explaining the situation and their feelings. As he attempts to clarify his change of heart, Demetrius uses a simile to describe his feelings and therefore clear his name. Because he is speaking to Egeus and has the task of telling the unhappy father that he no longer wishes to marry his daughter, he uses a simile to make the nature of his feelings seem beyond his control. He says:
Unlock with LitCharts A+But, my good lord, I wot not by what power
(But by some power it is) my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Related Themes:
