As You Like It : Literary devices
As You Like It is a notable literary work by William Shakespeare. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of As You Like It.
Literary devices
- Metaphor: Comparing life to a play in “All the world’s a stage…”
- Simile: Using “like” or “as” to compare things, like “Sell when you can, you are not for all markets.”
- Irony: Situational irony, like Rosalind disguising herself as a man.
- Pun: Wordplay for humor, such as Rosalind’s clever wordplay.
- Allusion: References to mythology and literature, like Ganymede.
- Soliloquy: Characters sharing thoughts with the audience, as in Jaques’ famous speech.
- Dramatic Irony: The audience knows something characters don’t, like Rosalind’s true identity.
- Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things, like time, as a “blooming thief.”
- Symbolism: The forest of Arden symbolizes transformation and self-discovery.
- Oxymoron: Contradictory terms used together, like “melancholy of mine own.”