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Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Key Examples in Antony and Cleopatra
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
At first glance, Shakespeare may appear to take on a moralizing or didactic tone throughout Antony and Cleopatra. Antony shares many characteristics with other tragic male figures in literature meant to embody the risks of overindulgence: he, like so many other men in his position, is drawn away from calls of duty and honor by a woman, who encourages his hedonism. Often, when this misogynistic narrative choice is made, the writer goes to great lengths to condemn the overindulgence of both parties involved, leveraging a moralizing tone in an attempt to teach the reader something. In these types of narratives, the woman is often presented as the primary perpetrator or tempter, while the man becomes her tragic victim: take, for example, the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden in Genesis. Eve is the first one to give in to temptation; she then tempts Adam into sin and drags him along with her.
