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Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Game of Life:
In The Castle of Otranto, there aren't many metaphors. One of the only instances in which a metaphor is directly used is by a servant, when Bianca in Chapter 2 tells the Princess Matilda that observers to the "game" of life see more than the people actually involved in its play:
“A by-stander often sees more of the game than those that play,” answered Bianca. “Does your highness think, madam, that his question about my Lady Isabella was the result of mere curiosity? No, no, madam; there is more in it than you great folks are aware of."
The dramatic events at the castle are so all-consuming and complex that no major character can see the entire situation for what it is. Bianca and the other servants, because they are not directly involved, are able to get a clearer picture of everything that's going on. Bianca is able to see and interpret more elements of the drama in the castle than Matilda can, as the servant is not one of "those at play." Life as a "game" is also a common theme in medieval and Romantic literature, where tricksy behavior, machinations, and social sleight of hand are common themes. This metaphor also complicates pre-established ideas of class, as it suggests that working-class characters might be more perceptive than their employers.
Related Themes:
