Pathos, Rhetoric, and Greater Truths about Life and Death in King John In William Shakespeare’s King John, the main character’s deathbed speech utilizes rhetorical devices and pathos to invoke pity for the dying king. Shakespeare utilizes these devices to strengthen his 3-part metaphor in order to mirror the evolution and dilapidation of King John’s life all within the cusp of six lines. Through this clever use of rhetoric, the playwright reveals greater meaning about the tragedy of death and what it means not just for the body, but for the spirit as well. King John’s final speech demonstrates not only the anguish of dying as a terrible ruler, but also how language can cleverly mirror the cycle of life and death via literary devices. Through
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In the first line, which says, “O cousin, thou art come to set (close) mine eye”, the King is implying that only the presence of Richard the Bastard can bring him the peace he so desperately craves. On a pathological level, this implication asserts that the King was waiting for one person in particular to “close” his eyes or to finally put his mind to rest. On a linguistic level, this inference is realized in the sixth line of the speech – “Which holds but till thy news be uttered” – wherein “which” is referencing the noun “heart” in the previous line. In a sense, King John’s ability to feel, and in this case, feel desperation, is bonded to his will to live. Clearly, the King’s “heart” – that pumping organ which is about to fail him – is the only thing keeping him alive as he waits for Richard the Bastard to speak. Curiously, the first, fifth, and sixth lines could stand alone without the three part metaphor in the middle, and one would still be able to get the gist of what Shakespeare is trying to declare about death, the heart, and the power of pathos. In fact, the playwright’s overall theme is of how pathos affects death, and indeed, it is because of King John’s “heart” that the man was able to hang on until Richard the Bastard arrived. In this way, King John’s death takes on a …show more content…
The playwright utilizes the King’s pathos in conjunction with language to showcase how the spirit is stronger than the body. Moreover, Shakespeare is affirming that the performance of the King’s speech was really the beginning of the end, and that truly it is only when the spirit dies that the ultimate death is reached. In this way, though the first, fifth, and sixth lines could stand alone, the three-part metaphor is still essential in demonstrating how language can mirror the cycle of life and death, as the body grows and deteriorates.
As a result of rhetorical devices and pathos as seen in the first six lines of King John’s last speech, Shakespeare illustrates not just how language can mirror the cycle of life and death. The playwright is also arguing for greater truths about the relationship between the body and the heart. To close, Shakespeare argues for the strength of the heart, or the spirit, over that of the body, for it was King John’s raw emotional fortitude which kept him alive so that he could perform his final
In the first line, which says, “O cousin, thou art come to set (close) mine eye”, the King is implying that only the presence of Richard the Bastard can bring him the peace he so desperately craves. On a pathological level, this implication asserts that the King was waiting for one person in particular to “close” his eyes or to finally put his mind to rest. On a linguistic level, this inference is realized in the sixth line of the speech – “Which holds but till thy news be uttered” – wherein “which” is referencing the noun “heart” in the previous line. In a sense, King John’s ability to feel, and in this case, feel desperation, is bonded to his will to live. Clearly, the King’s “heart” – that pumping organ which is about to fail him – is the only thing keeping him alive as he waits for Richard the Bastard to speak. Curiously, the first, fifth, and sixth lines could stand alone without the three part metaphor in the middle, and one would still be able to get the gist of what Shakespeare is trying to declare about death, the heart, and the power of pathos. In fact, the playwright’s overall theme is of how pathos affects death, and indeed, it is because of King John’s “heart” that the man was able to hang on until Richard the Bastard arrived. In this way, King John’s death takes on a …show more content…
The playwright utilizes the King’s pathos in conjunction with language to showcase how the spirit is stronger than the body. Moreover, Shakespeare is affirming that the performance of the King’s speech was really the beginning of the end, and that truly it is only when the spirit dies that the ultimate death is reached. In this way, though the first, fifth, and sixth lines could stand alone, the three-part metaphor is still essential in demonstrating how language can mirror the cycle of life and death, as the body grows and deteriorates.
As a result of rhetorical devices and pathos as seen in the first six lines of King John’s last speech, Shakespeare illustrates not just how language can mirror the cycle of life and death. The playwright is also arguing for greater truths about the relationship between the body and the heart. To close, Shakespeare argues for the strength of the heart, or the spirit, over that of the body, for it was King John’s raw emotional fortitude which kept him alive so that he could perform his final