206
edits
Sandbox: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
A recurring element in a work of literature. It is usually a dominant idea or theme and can be an object, setting, or situation that has some symbolic significance. For example, in Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', hallucinations, violence, and prophecy all act as motifs. Also, in Charlotte Bronte's ''Jane Eyre'', fire and ice are both examples of motifs. | |||
==Etymology== | |||
The term is French in origin | |||
==Works Cited== | |||
[http://cgi.sparknotes.com/hlite.mpl?words=macbeth&pd=0&page=themes.html&nfs=0&guide=%2fshakespeare%2fmacbeth ''Macbeth''] | |||
[http://cgi.sparknotes.com/hlite.mpl?pd=0&page=themes.html&nfs=0&guide=%2flit%2fjaneeyre&words=jane,eyre ''Jane Eyre''] | |||
[http://www.reference.com/browse/columbia/motif1 Reference] | |||
[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motif Merriam-Webster] | |||
[http://contemporarylit.about.com/cs/literaryterms/g/motif.htm Literary Terms] | |||