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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Key Examples in Henry IV Part 1
Act 3, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Like a Comet:
For the first two acts of the play, King Henry IV and his son, Prince Hal, do not share the stage. Their first meeting takes place in Act 3, as the King summons Prince Hal to court and berates him for behavior that he considers unbefitting of a future monarch. In his speech, King Henry uses a series of similes to describe his own carefully calculated approach to presenting himself publicly as King:
By being seldom seen, I could not stir
But like a comet I was wondered at,
That men would tell their children “This is he.”
Others would say “Where? Which is Bolingbroke?”
And then I stole all courtesy from heaven,
And dressed myself in such humility
That I did pluck allegiance from men’s hearts [...]
Thus did I keep my person fresh and new,
My presence, like a robe pontifical,
Ne’er seen but wondered at, and so my state,
Seldom but sumptuous, showed like a feast
And won by rareness such solemnity.
Related Themes:
