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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
Act 3, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of Measure for Measure blends seriousness and comedy in accord with its status as a “problem play” or “tragicomedy.” At times, the tone of the play is tense and serious, befitting the high stakes of the plot and the weighty moral questions that it raises. When Claudio is sentenced to death for impregnating his beloved out of wedlock, for example, the language is tense and difficult as Claudio and his sister discuss their conflicting needs and values. In a speech that is often compared to the famous “to be or not to be” speech in Hamlet, a tragic play, the imprisoned Claudio dwells solemnly upon the topic of death:
Ay, but to die, and go we know not where,
To lie in cold obstruction and to rot,
This sensible warm motion to become
A kneaded clod
