Pathetic Fallacy
Definition
The attribution of human-like characteristics given to an inanimate object or animal that is used to give the reader a different perception of the object, often pertaining to the themes and feelings presented in the story.
~http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng
Origin
· First coined by John Ruskin in Modern Painters Vol. III Part 4 in 1856.
· Pathetic – Pathos: A quality that evokes emotion (usually pity or sadness).
· Fallacy: A mistaken belief that is not supported by logical evidence.
~Taken from DictionaryReference.com
Application to Macbeth
Sleep: Sleep is often related to the idea of death. When Macbeth refuses to return the daggers to Duncan’s chamber, Lady Macbeth tells him to pretend the guards are sleeping. There are many occurrences where the characters use death and sleep interchangeably in their speech.
What is the relation between your definition and the application you had within Macbeth? You said that is an attribute to an animal or inanimate object that creates a different perception of it. How is sleep an inanimate object, and where is the new perception of the object if it is often related to death.
ReplyDelete-Thomas
Many thanks for your comment, dear Thomas. We will be sure to alter our definition to match it to our application to Macbeth. Then the correlation between our definition and our application will be evident. Thank you for your advice, oh Thomas.
ReplyDelete-Chris