#8

Tone and mood are essentially the culmination of all the aformentioned literary devices. Tone and mood are in themselves a literary device that sums up the attitudes toward the subjects involved in the piece. Tone can drastically alter the meaning of a literary work as a viable tone can be sarcasm. Tone in Hamlet is very solemn and pensive and that is reflected very much through Hamlets delibrative actions.

#7

Diction refers to the writer or speaker's distinctive word choices and writing style in either a piece of literature. Diction can also refer to the ennunciation created by a certain pattern of words, i.e. alliteration. Diction, simply stated, is why an author or speaker chooses one word when there are direct synonyms to choose from. Diction has great affect over meaning and as few as one word can drastically change the meaning of an entire line or even a poem. In Pride & Prejudice, the more uneducated characters were made to speak in a less sophisticated or pleasing manner; Mr. Collins is a prime example of this.

#6

Imagery is the usage of details and descriptions in order to create a sensory experience for the reader. Imagery can come in the form of a physical description but also emotions. Imagery does not only refer to visual images but all the senses. Smells, sounds, tastes, and touches are all conveyed through poetic imagery. Imagery is not limited in scope and can refer to any form of sense or emotion. Imagery is central to most poetry and in some pieces is even the focus of the work.

#5

The way a poem reads has profound impact on its perceived meaning. Alliteration is the most common sound device and can really be used for almost any purpose depending on the repeated syllable. Sibilance is a form of alliteration and is a prime example of the influence a sound device can have over the meaning of a poem. The repeated s sound of sibilance can be meant to soothe or seem sinister. Inversion can place inflection on a different part of the sentence, completely changing the meaning. Caesura also can impact the feel of a poem. The full stop can lead to intentionally clunky stanzas but also just slow down the speed at which the poem can be read. Sound devices are a great way to add to the depth of a poem without making a piece too wordy and inorganic.

#4

Symbol is something, usually a picture, written word, or sound, that reprsents something entirely different through association or resemblence. The most common example of a symbol could be a blank red octagon which, of course, stands for STOP, regardless of whether or not the word is actually written. An example of a symbol in Hamlet is Yorick's skull which represents death and the inevitability of man's demise. In Pride & Prejudice, Pemberly is a symbol of Darcy and all which he stands for. Symbolism is sparce in both pieces of literature.

#3

Setting is where the play takes place; but it's more than just a house or a street. Setting refers to everything that has an influence on the actors or the mood they portray. The setting can be as simple as lighting or as complicated as the political struggle between 2 nations during a certain time period. Setting can be the family a character comes from. In P&P, Elizabeth is influenced almost entirely by her setting and there in fact would not be a novel at all were it not for the setting Elizabeth finds herself in. Hamlet as well is influenced and driven by the setting. Setting is also used to convey the mood the author or director wants.

Plot

All plots have five main points: The exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the denouement. The exposition serves to set context to the coming action and to also provide any background detail necessary for understanding. The exposition ends when the inciting incident causes rising action. Rising action tends to be the longest part any narrative and involves conflict for the main character or characters. The climax serves as the turning point in any narrative and is the point where the conflicts brought upon the main characters during the rising action are solved in some way or another. The falling action follows the turning point and serves to finish off any unresolved conflicts. The final resolution then spurs the denouement which tends to be very short and can even come in the form of a single sentence like: 'they lived happily ever after'.

In Austen, the exposition comes in the form of the first sentence: 'It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of wealth, must be in want of a wife'. The inciting incident is the news that Bingly and Darcy are coming to town. The rising action comes in the form of everything after the ball. The Climax is when Lizzy confronts Darcy. The falling action is everything that takes place when the two are apart. The resolution is the accepted marraige proposal and the denouement is everything after the wedding.

In Shakespeare, the expositon comes in the form of the first act. The inciting incident is the first encounter Hamlet has with the ghost of his father. The rising action is all of Hamlet's plotting to avenge his father's death. The Climax is the play when Claudius rises to leave right after being stricken with guilt as well as Hamlet's murder of Polonius. The falling action is when Hamlet is sent off to England. The resolution is when Hamlet finally stabs Claudius and they all die. The denouement is the conversation between Horatio and Fortenbras.