Climax (rhetoric)
Inrhetoric,aclimax(Greek:κλῖμαξ,klîmax,lit."staircase" or "ladder" ) is afigure of speechin whichwords,phrases,orclausesare arranged in order of increasing importance.[1][2]In its use with clauses, it is also sometimes known asauxesis(lit."growth" ).[3]
Usage[edit]
Climax is frequently used inpersuasion(particularlyadvertising) to createfalse dilemmasand to focus attention on the positive aspects of the subject at hand. The initial inferior options make the final term seem still better by comparison than it would appear in isolation: "X is good, Y is better, Z is best" is a standard format. It can also be used in reverse to make the initial term seem better by comparison: "A isn't perfect but B is worse and C is worst."[4][5]
Examples[edit]
- From theFirst Letter to the Corinthians:"There are three things that will endure: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."[6]
- George WaldfromA Generation in Search of a Future:"I think we've reached a point of great decision, not just for our nation, not only for all humanity, but for life upon the earth."[7]
- William ShakespearefromThe Passionate Pilgrim:"...Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour."[8]
- William Shakespeare fromRichard II:"...O'erthrows thy joys, friends, fortune and thy state"[9]
Anticlimax[edit]
Ananticlimaxoranti-climaxis an abrupt descent (either deliberate or unintended) on the part of a speaker or writer from the dignity of idea which he appeared to be aiming at,[10]as in:
- "The English poet Herrick expressed the same sentiment when he suggested that we should gather rosebuds while we may. Your elbow is in the butter, sir."[11]
As a relative term, anticlimax requires a greater or lesser climax to precede it in order to have proper effect. An anticlimax can be intentionally employed only for a jocular or satiric purpose. It frequently partakes of the nature ofantithesis,[10]as in:
- "Die and endow acollegeor acat."
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^Corbett and Connors, 1999. p. 57
Baldick, 2008. p. 59 - ^Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920).Greek Grammar.Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. p. 677.ISBN0-674-36250-0.
- ^Baldick, 2008. p. 31
- ^1.
- ^2.
- ^1 Corinthians 13:13
- ^Wald, George(4 March 1969),A Generation in Search of a Future
- ^Shakespeare, William,The Passionate Pilgrim,XIII
- ^Shakespeare, William (1595)."SCENE II. The coast of Wales. A castle in view".shakespeare.mit.edu.Retrieved2022-04-20.
- ^abChisholm 1911,p. 123.
- ^Wodehouse, P.G.,Much Obliged, Jeeves
Sources[edit]
- Baldrick, Chris.2008.Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms.Oxford University Press. New York.ISBN978-0-19-920827-2
- Corbett, Edward P. J.and Connors, Robert J. 1999.Style and Statement.Oxford University Press. New York, Oxford.ISBN0-19-511543-0
- Kennedy, X.J.et al. 2006.The Longman Dictionary of Literary Terms: Vocabulary for the Informed Reader.Pearson, Longman. New York.ISBN0-321-33194-X
- Forsyth, Mark.2014.The Elements of Eloquence.Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Publishing. New York.ISBN978-0-425-27618-1
- Quinn, Edward. 1999.A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms.Checkmark Books. New York.ISBN0-8160-4394-9
- "Silva Rhetorica".rhetoric.byu.edu.
- Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911),,Encyclopædia Britannica,vol. 2 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 123
External links[edit]
- ,Encyclopædia Britannica,vol. 2 (9th ed.), 1878, p. 127— 11th edition reprinted this article
- Video about the use of climax and anticlimax
- More figures of speech in video examples