Literary Examples of Similes and Metaphors from Famous Plays

📚 Quick Study Guide

🔍 Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'. 💡 Metaphor: A direct comparison stating one thing *is* another. 🎭 Purpose: To create vivid imagery and deeper meaning. 📜 Common Plays: Shakespeare's works (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet), Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. ✍️ Effectiveness: Enhances emotional impact and character development.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is an example of a simile from Romeo and Juliet?
   1. A. "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?"
   2. B. "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief."
   3. C. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea."
   4. D. "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"
2. In Hamlet, when Hamlet says, "The world is an unweeded garden," what literary device is he using?
   1. A. Simile
   2. B. Metaphor
   3. C. Personification
   4. D. Hyperbole
3. Which quote from Death of a Salesman contains a metaphor?
   1. A. "I’m vital in New England."
   2. B. "Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person."
   3. C. "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine."
   4. D. "The woods are burning, boys."
4. Which of the following best describes the function of similes and metaphors in plays?
   1. A. To confuse the audience.
   2. B. To make the language more complex.
   3. C. To create vivid imagery and deeper meaning.
   4. D. To shorten the length of the play.
5. In A Streetcar Named Desire, if Blanche says, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," is there a simile or metaphor present?
   1. A. Yes, it's a simile.
   2. B. Yes, it's a metaphor.
   3. C. No, there isn't one.
   4. D. It's an example of personification.
6. Which of these lines includes a simile?
   1. A. "All the world’s a stage."
   2. B. "Life’s but a walking shadow."
   3. C. "And one man in his time plays many parts."
   4. D. "Creeping like snail."
7. Which of the following is a metaphor?
   1. A. "Her lips are like cherries."
   2. B. "The world is my oyster."
   3. C. "He is as brave as a lion."
   4. D. "She sings like an angel."