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Motifs
Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Act 4, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Innocence:
In Act 4, Scene 2, while lamenting the Duchess’s death and trying to process his guilt, Bosola uses personification to describe what he is witnessing and feeling. His monologue is tempered by his grief and horror. He has just witnessed the violent strangling of the Duchess and then, as he was reckoning with the fact that he was partially responsible, she revealed that she was still alive. This provides Bosola with a moment of redemption, wherein he can tell her that her husband is still alive. After she really dies, he is left alone with his pain and guilt. He says:
Oh, she’s gone again! There the chords of life broke.
Oh, sacred innocence, that sweetly sleeps
On turtles’ feathers, whilst a guilty conscience
Is a black register
Bosola’s response to the Duchess’s death begins with these lines, and they are followed by a long monologue about his desire to make things right. But his contemplation of the Duchess’s body first leads him to personify innocence, saying that any sense of innocence lies sleeping alongside the Duchess. He personifies innocence in order to make sense of his newfound sense of guilt, and gives it features that something so intangible couldn’t literally have. The audience is able to understand the monologue that follows with a greater sense of Bosola’s loss. His use of imagery and descriptive language therefore serve to contextualize his behavior throughout the rest of the play. As Bosola’s internal conflict grows, the play can build towards its violent conclusion using him as a conduit for its rising emotion.
Explanation and Analysis—Murder Shrieks Out:
In Act 4, Scene 2, Bosola is forced to witness the Duchess’s brutal murder. As he tries to process what he’s seen, he uses personification to express his horror and guilt. He and the Duchess have become close companions, despite Bosola’s role as a double agent who consistently betrays her to her brothers. His internal conflict over his role in her downfall and murder comes to the forefront in this moment, as he tries to reckon with the violence of her death while Ferdinand is strangely unmoved. Finally, he bursts into speech. In an attempt to confront Ferdinand over his lack of emotion, Bosola says:
Do you not weep?
Other sins only speak; murder shrieks out.
Bosola uses personification to convey the seriousness of the moment. He gives murder a voice, and by doing so, he is able to address the effect that it has on its witnesses and participants. The noise that murder makes is more intense and louder than other sins. Bosola’s description and personification in this scene also allows him to reflect on the other sins he’s witnessed the brothers engage in. He understands that a line has been crossed, now that the Duchess has been killed. The seriousness of his actions is returning to him, "shriek[ing]" and making a loud noise, and it’s a sobering moment. Bosola’s use of personification in this moment is therefore a way to call out Ferdinand’s lack of emotional response to his sister’s death, but it also allows him to reflect on his own behavior.
