When the princess and her ladies go for a hunt in the plains with Boyet and the forester, the princess and the forester fall into a playful dialogue about hunting. The princess says that though she doesn’t necessarily think it’s right to kill a deer, she is going to do so “for fame” (her reputation). She reflects aloud on this choice, and her speech is full of alliteration:
And out of question so it is sometimes:
Glory grows guilty of detested crimes,
When, for fame’s sake, for praise, an outward part,
We bend to that the working of the heart[.]
The princess says that we sometimes commit awful acts (“detested crimes”) for ego, especially when we commit ourselves to this end emotionally (“We bend to that the working of the heart”). While it is evident that she doesn’t really want to kill the deer so much as she wants to show off (“for praise alone”), it’s clear that the princess is exaggerating a bit here for comedic effect.
The use of alliteration in phrases like “Glory grows guilty,” “for fame’s sake, for praise,” and “so it is sometimes” gives this piece of dialogue a playful, sing-song quality. This underscores the playful nature of the back and forth between the princess and the forester.
The princess expresses a strong view of the world in these lines, namely that fame is a bad reason to undertake something, even something as minor as a hunt. This sets the princess up in opposition to King Ferdinand, who tries to eschew love and embrace study for the fame of his kingdom. Alliteration draws the listener’s attention to a key part of the princess’s character and thus helps set up the distinct binary of male and female perspectives in the play.
