Definition of Denouement

Denouement is derived from a French word called “denoue” that means “to untie”. The denouement is a literary device which can be defined as the resolution of the issue of a complicated plot in fiction. Majority of the examples of denouement show the resolution in the final part or chapter that is often an epilogue.

Denouement is usually driven by the climax. In mystery novels, however, the climax and denouement might occur simultaneously. In most of the other forms of literature, it is merely the end of the story.

Examples of Denouement in Literature

Denouement is a significant part of a literary piece of writing because it resolves the conflicts, as shown in the following denouement examples.

Example #1

Capulet:O brother Montague, give me thy hand. This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more Can I demand… Montague: But I can give thee more, For I will raise her statue in pure gold, That whiles Verona by that name is known,… As that of true and faithful Juliet… Capulet: As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie, Poor sacrifices of our enmity….. Prince: A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head….

(Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare)

The denouement occurs in the play when Capulets and Montagues see their beloved children committing suicide at the tomb. The heads of the family realized that their bitter rivalry must end. Lord Capulet and Lord Montague agreed to end their dispute to avoid further tragedy in the future. Example #2

“They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together…..”

(The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

The denouement in The Great Gatsby happens when Nick decides to go back to Minnesota to get away from the rich people who are engaged in all those things which Nick thinks are part of the moral worthlessness in Gatsby’s life. All the people in Gatsby’s circle were unfaithful.

Example #3

“…..That’s all I’m going to tell about. I could probably tell you what I did after I went home, and how I got sick and all, and what school I’m supposed to go to next fall, after I get out of here, but I don’t feel like it. I really don’t. That stuff doesn’t interest me too much right now….. I mean how do you know what you’re going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don’t. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it’s a stupid question…..”

(The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger)

The denouement in this novel occurs in the last part of the novel. Here, the character Holden is living in a rest house that provides the psychiatric facility where he is recounting the story. He gives details to readers that after the merry- go-round ride of Phoebe, he would go home to attend school and face his parents.

Example #4

Gentleman: One that gives out himself Prince Florizel/ Son of Polixenes, with his princess, she/ The fairest I have yet beheld, desires access… Leontes: What with him? he comes not/ Like to his father’s greatness: his approach,… Florizel: Most royal sir, from thence; from him, whose daughter His tears proclaim’d his, parting with her: thence/ A prosperous south-wind friendly, we have cross’d… Leontes: My lord, Is this the daughter of a king? … His tears proclaim’d his, parting with her: thence… Leontes: My lord, Is this the daughter of a king…” (The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare)

In this extract from The Winter’s Tale, the denouement occurs when Polixenes chases Florizel and Perdita to Sicily. After the true identity of Paulina is discovered, Polixenes and Leontes make up and both families become happy. Leontes also reunites with the family and finds Hermoin alive.

Function

The denouement is a final resolution or clarification in a literary work. It is used in different types of storytelling: novels, plays, movies etc. In fact, it wraps up the whole story, which comes after a huge climax. When a heart-racing climax has created anxiety and excitement, denouement provides the audience a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. It places everything in proper order and allows the central theme or sentiments of the movie or novel to resonate. Denouement is very important since it resolves the issues in the end. The whole story can be destroyed if the denouement is written poorly. Malapropism Definition

Malapropism, from French mal a propos (inappropriate), is a use of an incorrect word in place of a similar sounding word that results in a nonsensical and humorous expression.

The word malapropism comes from “Mrs. Malaprop”, a character in Sheridan’s comedy “The Rivals”, who has a habit of replacing words with incorrect and absurd utterances producing a humorous effect. A miss-speech is considered malapropism when it sounds similar to the word it replaces but has an entirely different meaning. For instance, replacing acute by obtuse is not a malapropism because both words have a contrasting meanings but do not sound similar. Using obtuse for abstruse, on the other hand, is a malapropism, as there is a difference in meanings and both words sound similar. These characteristics makes malapropism different from other errors in speech such as eggcorns and spoonerisms.

Common Malapropism Examples

Malapropism is a common phenomenon in our daily life. We find some hilarious Malapropism examples being quoted in the media. Example #1

New Scientist, a magazine, reports one of its employees calling his colleague “a suppository (i.e. repository) of knowledge”. The magazine further reports the worker apologized for his “Miss Marple-ism (i.e. Malapropism)”.

Example #2

Richard J. Daley, the former mayor of Chicago, is said to have called “tandem bicycle” as “tantrum bicycle” and also have incorrectly used “Alcoholics Unanimous” instead of “Alcoholics Anonymous”.

Example #3

Bertie Ahern, the former Irish Taoiseach, is said to have given a warning to his country against “upsetting the apple tart (i.e., apple cart) of his country’s economic success”.

Common Malapropism Examples:

• Cheer up; I predicate (predict) final victory. • His capacity for hard liquor is incredulous (incredible). • This does not portend (pretend) to be a great work of art. • Fortuitously (fortunately) for her, she won the sweepstakes.

Examples of Malapropism from Literature

In literature, malapropism is employed to create humorous effects.

Example #1

In the “Rivals”, Sheridan introduces a character “Mrs. Malaprop” who habitually uses words which mean quite the opposite to the words she intended to use but which have similar sounds to the words she replaces. It becomes a great source of humorous effect in the play. For example in Act III Scene 3, she tells Captain Absolute:

“Sure, if I reprehend anything in this world it is the use of my oracular tongue, and a nice derangement of epitaphs!” In the above passage, she comically replaces apprehend by reprehend, vernacular by oracular, arrangement by derangement and epithets by epitaph.

Some other funny examples of malapropism in the same play are “illiterate (i.e. obliterate) him quite from your memory” and “she’s as headstrong as an allegory (alligator).”

Example #2

William Shakespeare uses malapropism in his plays as well. Look at the following example of malapropism uttered by Constable Dogberry in Act III Scene 5 of “Much Ado About Nothing”:

“Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons.”

Notice the use of comprehended for apprehended and auspicious for suspicious.

Similarly, an instance of malapropism can be observed in Act I, Scene 3 of “Twelfth Night”. Sir Toby Belch says:

“By this hand, they are scoundrels and subtractors that say so of him. Who are they?”

The malapropism here is “subtractors,” which should have been “detractors.” Yet another example comes from the same character in Act I Scene 5 of the same play:

OLIVIA: Cousin, cousin, how have you come so early by this lethargy?

SIR TOBY BELCH: Lechery! I defy lechery.

Here, the use of “lechery” instead of “lethargy” is a malapropism.

Example #3

In chapter 33 of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Aunt Sally can be spotted using a malapropism. She says:

“I was most putrified with astonishment,” Here, the use of the word putrified is a malapropism and it seems she was thinking of petrified.

Function of Malapropism

Although it is considered an error in speech, malapropism is a great source of humor in both everyday life as well as literature. In daily life, malapropisms are often unintentional but writers introduce malapropism in their literary works intentionally to produce comic effects. It ensures the attention of the readers, as it inserts an extra element of interest in a literary piece. This is the reason why the characters using hilarious malapropisms are often well-known. What is an Apostrophe?

Apostrophe is one of the more elusive literary devices and presents students with difficulty in identifying its usage. Not to be confused with the punctuation mark of the same name, apostrophe is a rhetorical device used by playwrights and authors whenever their characters address a character that isn’t present in the scene. To make matters more confusing. An apostrophe is often used by characters who are addressing a personification or an idea. Once you learn the characteristics of an apostrophe, identifying the use of this literary device will be easy.

William Shakespeare is without a doubt the most famous English playwright. Shakespeare made use of many literary devices, including apostrophe. We’ve comprised a list of Shakespeare’s most memorable uses of apostrophe to illustrate how this literary device functions.

List of Apostrophe Examples

• Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 30-31

“Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here”

Our first use of apostrophe in Shakespeare is in the tragedy of Macbeth. In this example, Lady Macbeth during a soliloquy calls out to spirits. This is but one type of apostrophe that Shakespeare employs. Lady Macbeth is calling out to spirits not present in the scene. This type of apostrophe is very common in Shakespeare, as you will see. • Hamlet Act 1 Scene 2 Line 132-134

“O God, God! / How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!”

Just like in Macbeth, Shakespeare uses apostrophe so his characters can address spiritual beings. The most common usage of apostrophe in many works of literature beyond Shakespeare are evocations of deities, like God. Just like in Macbeth, the example of apostrophe in Hamlet takes place within another soliloquy. Hamlet cries out to God. And just like in Macbeth, the character using apostrophe is calling out to an absent spiritual being.

• The Taming of the Shrew Introduction Scene 1 Line 30

“Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image!”

In The Taming of the Shrew, we see another example of apostrophe. However, in this example, a character is not just addressing a deity or spirit, but a personification of an idea. Personification is when non-human things are given human-like qualities. In this instance, a wealthy nobleman addresses death personified. In this apostrophe, the idea of death is personified and called out to by the character. Personification is another way Shakespeare utilizes apostrophe.

• Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 48-52

“Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, / That my keen knife see not the wound it makes.”

Another example of an apostrophe aimed at a personified element occurs in the first act of Macbeth. In the same soliloquy as number 1 on the list, Lady Macbeth calls out to night personified. In this example, Lady Macbeth is calling upon the night itself to come and conceal her actions. This apostrophe is slightly different than the previous example from Macbeth. In this example, night itself is personified and addressed directly by Lady Macbeth.

• Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Line 5

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon. “ In Romeo and Juliet, in one of the most famous and often quoted scenes from which Romeo speaks to Juliet on a balcony above him, Shakespeare uses another apostrophe in the form of a personification. Unlike the previous example, where Lady Macbeth personifies and calls out the night to assist her, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun, and as such, commands the sun to arise and release him of his longing.

• Julius Caesar Act 3 Scene 1 Line 269

“O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth.”

Our last example of personification-based apostrophe comes from the tragedy Julius Caesar. In the first scene of the third act, Caesar has been murdered and Antony, Caesar’s loyal friend is left alone on stage. This is a somewhat unique case of apostrophe. Antony is addressing a lifeless Caesar, who is now a corpse, asking Caesar for forgiveness. Like most of the previous examples, this apostrophe occurs during a soliloquy.

• Romeo and Juliet Act 5 Scene 3 Lines 182-183

“O happy dagger, /This is thy sheath. / There rust and let me die.”

The next example illustrates a different kind of apostrophe that Shakespeare makes use of in his plays. Our previous examples had characters addressing spiritual beings or personifications, but sometimes a character can address an inanimate object. In the pivotal scene of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet, immediately before stabbing herself and ending her life, she speaks to the dagger itself. This type of apostrophe is very common in Shakespeare’s plays.

• Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 33-35

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch / thee.”

Daggers as dramatic props are present in many of Shakespeare’s plays. And just like in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the dagger as another opportunity to utilize the apostrophe. And just like Juliet in the last example, here Macbeth is speaking directly to a dagger. • Othello Act 4 Scene 1 Lines 35-36

“Work on, my medicine, work! Thus credulous fools / are caught.”

Another memorable usage of apostrophe comes in the tragedy Othello. Cunning Iago is attempting to poison the mind of unsuspecting Othello, in order to evoke the Moor’s rage. He refers to his deceit as a medicine. In this instance, Shakespeare has elected to use metaphor along with apostrophe.

• Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Line 33

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”

To finish our list, we have one of the most quoted lines in all of Shakespeare. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo stands underneath Juliet’s balcony. Unaware that he is near she calls out to him. While many of our examples have utilized other literary devices such as personification and metaphor, this time our character is simply calling out someone who is believed to be somewhere else. It is a way for Shakespeare to make clear the inner workings of his characters.

Conclusion

These ten memorable uses of apostrophe are great examples that illustrate the various uses of this literary device. As a device frequently used by Shakespeare, there are many other apostrophes in his various plays. And no matter a tragedy or comedy, the dramatic effect created by this use of apostrophe is intentional and important to be able to recognize.

Didacticism

Didacticism Definition

Didacticism is a term that refers to a particular philosophy in art and literature that emphasizes the idea that different forms of art and literature ought to convey information and instructions along with pleasure and entertainment.

The word didactic is frequently used for those literary texts which are overloaded with informative or realistic matter and are marked by the omission of graceful and pleasing details. Didactic, therefore, becomes a derogatory term referring to the forms of literature that are ostentatiously dull and erudite. However, some literary texts are entertaining as well as didactic.

Didacticism in Morality Plays

Morality plays of medieval Europe were perhaps the best exemplars of didactic literature. These plays were a type of theatrical performance which made use of allegorical characters to teach the audience a moral lesson. The most common themes that that were presented in morality plays were what are commonly known as the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, greed, envy, wrath, sloth and gluttony. Another theme that such plays exploited was that repentance and redemption was possible for a person even when that person intentionally gives in to temptation. Historically, morality plays were a transitional step that lay between Christian mystery plays and the secular plays of the Renaissance theatre.

Didacticism Examples in Literature

Let us analyze a few examples of didacticism in literature:

Example # 1

John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” is one of the best didacticism examples in the form of spiritual allegory. The poem describes a religious and spiritual journey of a man on the way to deliverance.

The poem describes an ordinary sinner “Christian” who leaves the City of Destruction and travels towards Celestial City, where God resides, for salvation. On his way, he finds a companion “Faithful” who helps him on his way to the City.

On many occasions, many characters “Hypocrisy”, “Apollyon”, “Mr. Worldy Wiseman” and “Obstinate and Pliable” try to discourage or stop him from achieving his aim. Finally, he reaches the Celestial City carried by Hopeful’s faith.

The moral or didactic lesson that this allegorical poem intends to instruct is that the road to Heaven is not easy and it is full of obstacles. Moreover, a Christian has to be willing to pay any cost to achieve his salvation. Besides, a man is full of sin, but this does not stop him from achieving glory. Example # 2

Alexander Pope’s “Essay on Man” is a moral treatise. It is a satirical verse that intends to instruct individuals in an indirect way by ridiculing vices of a society. For example:

“Know then thyself, presume not God to scan The proper study of Mankind is Man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A Being darkly wise, and rudely great: With too much knowledge for the Sceptic side, With too much weakness for the Stoic’s pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and reas’ning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little, or too much;”

The above excerpt is taken from the first verse paragraph of the second book of the poem. It clearly sums up the humanistic and religious principles of the poem.

Example # 3

George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” is an allegory or a moral and didactic tale that uses animals on a farm to describe the overthrow of the last of the Russian Tsars, Nicholas-II and exposes the evil of the Communist Revolution of Russia before WWII. Clearly, the actions of the various animals on the farm are used to expose the greed and corruption of the Revolution. It also contains the depiction of how powerful people can alter the ideology of a society. One of the cardinal rules on the farm for the animals is:

“All animals are equal but a few are more equal than others.”

The animals on the farm stand for different sections of the then Russian society occupying Russia after the revolution. For example, “pigs” represents those who became the authority after the revolution, “Mr. Jones” the owner of the farm represents the overthrown Tsar Nicholas II, “Boxer” the horse, represents the laborer class etc. Didacticism in the novel permits Orwell to make his position apparent about the Russian Revolution in order to expose its evils. Function of Didacticism

Didacticism in literature aims at offering something additional to its readers than merely intending to offer pleasure and entertainment. Some critics may argue that didacticism may reduce literature to a tool for boring instructions but nevertheless it definitely gives readers a chance to improve their conduct and comprehend evils which may lead him astray.