Mason's English Journal

How do Shakespeare and the studied poets use literary techniques to communicate their ideas about fate?

Introduction: Shakespeare and the studied poets use a number of literary techniques to communicate their ideas on fate. A technique that can be found in all three pieces of work is the use of metaphors.

Shakespeare uses metaphors throughout the play Romeo and Juliet, a metaphor can be described a word or phrase that is used to describe an action that may not have its usual meaning. An example where Shakespeare has promoted fate using a metaphor can be found in Act 1, scene 4 when Romeo is talking to Benvolio before the Capulet party, saying “But he that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen”. This quote suggests that God is in control of Romeo’s destiny and to lead him in the direction of “untimely death”. I feel that Shakespeare uses metaphors in the play to send an underlying message to the audience, which links to the theme of the play which is fate.

Rudyard Kipling author of the poem, A Song in a Storm has the same direct underlying message as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which is fate. Kipling also allocates metaphors in order to show how the fate of the ship was out of their control, which can be linked to Romeo and Juliet when Romeo talks to the “stars” saying how God is in control of his fate. In a song in a storm, Kipling says “Almost these mindless waters work as though they had a soul”, this suggests that someone else, maybe God, was in control of the storm and that it was their path that led them there. A quote that can linked closer to Romeo and Juliet is “we can make good of all loss, except the loss of turning back”, Kipling is trying to say the only real loss is giving in, and that the crew should make the best out of the situation they are in, and not to turn back or leave the path that has been set for them. Metaphors are used by the author because it strengthens the point and sets the scenery of the situation, making the reader more curious and more engaged in the poem. The use of metaphors in this poem communicate the idea of fate, suggesting that everybody has one, and that there is no way of changing it; it’s like your life is a set out for you already.

In the poem Ozymandias, Bysshe Shelley does not use metaphors to communicate the idea of fate like Shakespeare and Kipling, although they do share some literary techniques like the use of iambic pentameter.

Iambic pentameter is a consistent beat that can be found in a poem, it’s made up from 10 syllables and it rhythm does not change throughout. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter during the play to intrigue the audience in different ways, he does this by using the iambic pentameter method, this is an easy way to describe the pattern during the scene, it’s the path of the beat through the play which measures the time and beat from one scene to the other. When mentioning about fate it’s easy to describe it through the iambic meter, like when Friar Lawrence didn’t get to Romeo in time to tell him to tell him that Juliet isn’t dead. 

In the poem, A Song in a Storm, Rudyard Kipling has a variety of techniques that he uses, and one of them is iambic meter. He uses this technique so can measure the beat of the poem, and it’s also a good way to study the sequence of fate in the poem. The quote “By force of weather, not of war, in jeopardy we steer” he’s talking about how the weather is much greater than the sailors and how it the waves reflects on a constant beat which puts the sailors at risk. After he says “Then welcome fate’s discourtesy whereby it shall appear” this suggests that they’re welcoming fate’s disrespectful behavior and how they’re playing with their potential death. This links to Romeo and Juliet underlying message of fate when they’re risking their lives to be together and how they have no boundaries on not being together.

Persy Byshee Shelley the author of Ozymandias has a substantial amount of underlying messages which regards to the topic of fate. In the poem Persy talked about how there was a traveler who stumbled across a statue in the desert. On the statue writing was craft d into it saying “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” but then it says “Nothing beside remains”, this is an act of fate and irony reason for this it that he’s talking about how he’s all powerful and almighty but for then for him to remain into nothing suggests that not even Ozymandias can out run fate.

Shakespeare interprets the use of fate in Romeo and Juliet during the prologue. He does this by talking about how the two pair of star crossed lovers take their life in a act of cause from regret and disappointment within their out breaking adventures. Even though we know how the play is going to end Romeo and Juliet both try to control their own fate.

The poem a Song in the Storm, Kipling repeats the idea of fate by using the technique that is repetition. The last two lines in each stanza Kipling talks about how the sea is greater than the crew on the ship, also mentioning how they’re welcoming fate and putting their lives at risk. In the poem the ending word on every 7th line is the word discourtesy he repeats this word so he can get his main point through as an underlying message.

Ozymandias is structured with different techniques in the poem. Bysshe introduced the Volta, a Volta in poetry is used at the end of an octave (first eight lines) to change a scene from one to the other. Bysshe uses Volta’s because it can easily separate from where the poem leads on to the point of fate.

Every day there’s an aspect of life that finds its way to annoy me. That topic is people’s personality.

The personality of a human being defines the quality’s that make up for that character. The average humans personality comes with a variety set of behaviors, Happy, sad, arrogant, sarcasm, anger, confusion, guilt, etc. The three that get at me the most is Sarcasm, anger and arrogance, and I can tell you why.

Sarcasm – In the English language people indicate the act of sarcasm by one speaking slower and in a more high pitched voice, it can be used in a certain manor where you’re trying to taunt someone or in the sense of irony. It can also be quite bitter and sharp. An example of the use of sarcasm would be, “I’m really good at 100 meter races” then someone reply’s saying “sure you are” that is an act of sarcasm. It can make the victim  feel stupid and is a quick way to shut down someone when they’re talking, as I’ve experienced before. After finally finishing a piece of art work I had done in lesson, the teacher came over and said “my work is very good”, to which i was very proud of. My friends who had seen the teacher congratulate me had then started to mock me, saying how “really really good it was”, with a sarcastic tone. After that it made me feel like the work I done was worthless and that’s why I truly don’t like the act of sarcasm because when you’re trying to state a fact or trying to have a serious conversation or hard work then sarcasm can get in the way of your points and confidence, and make you feel like your in-control of what you’re saying and doing, which can then move on to anger, which is the next topic that tends to annoy me as well.

Anger – It’s the emotion that humans feel strongly about and occurs when someone feels annoyed to the extent, displeasure or hostility. An example of when people tend to get angry would be when if someone was to be hitting you for no reason then you’ll become angry, but if they continue to the point where your on the brink of getting more angry you’ll become to rage, and that’s when your in violent uncontrollable anger. This irritates me because people that are angry won’t listen or want to communicate properly with you so there’s not much way to help them, and if they’re furious then they’ll be making insensible decisions which can lead on to bigger things from what was once just a little thing and not major. The last of the three major factors that annoy me in modern life is people that are arrogant towards things.

Arrogance – People with arrogant attitudes are the type of people that are over confident, they feel like they’re the best of the best. If you’re surrounded by people that are like this then you’ll know how annoying it can become. They can make you feel like your not as good as them as if you are below there standards and you’ll never be able to reach their level. It frustrates me when people act like this because most people that are cocky towards something are regularly not good at it themselves, it just makes me think why are they talking? honestly why are they? sometimes I think they’re talking for no point, only just so they can get on your nerves and to make people feel down on themselves.