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Literary Devices
Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Hamlet:
Infinite Jest can be read as a loose allegory of Shakespeare's Hamlet, sometimes veering into parody. Hamlet, like Infinite Jest, is a high-stakes family tragedy. The play revolves around Prince Hamlet of Denmark, who begins seeing his father's ghost. Hamlet's uncle Claudius, who has married Hamlet's newly-widowed mother, Gertrude, callously insists that Hamlet needs to get over his father's death. Hamlet becomes convinced that Claudius murdered his father. He spends the play trying to prove Claudius guilty and get revenge. Along the way, many people are hurt or killed. Among the dead is Hamlet's beloved Ophelia, who dies by suicide after Hamlet kills her own father.
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Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Infinite Jest:
Infinite Jest is a self-referential allegory of the fictional film it is named after. The novel centers around a multipart film called Infinite Jest but more often referred to as The Entertainment or samizdat, a Soviet word for media that has been banned by the state.
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