Meaning of “All That Glitters is Not Gold” The proverb “all that glitters is not gold” means not to trust everything you see. Gold is a precious metal and is rare. Hence it is very expensive. However, there are other…
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Hamlet Act-I, Scene-I Study Guide
Plot Overview In the first scene of Hamlet, Barnardo, a guard, comes to relieve Francisco, who is his colleague. They are performing their duty as guards on the platform in the castle of Elsinore. Barnardo asks Francisco about his identity.…
Verbal Irony
Definition of Verbal Irony Verbal irony occurs when a speaker speaks something contradictory to what he intends to say. It is an intentional product of the speaker and is contradictory to his/her emotions and actions. To define it simply, it…
Run-On Sentence
Definition of Run-On Sentence A run-on sentence is a combination of two independent clauses, joined together without a conjunction or punctuation mark. Both of these independent clauses form a complete sense or thought; however, when they group together, they need…
Dramatic Irony
Definition of Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony is an important stylistic device that is commonly found in plays, movies, theaters, and sometimes in poetry. Storytellers use this irony as a useful plot device for creating situations in which the audience knows…
Caesura
Definition of Caesura Everyone speaks, and everyone breathes while speaking. For instance, when you say, “Maria has taken a break,” you take breath before further saying, “But Adam did not.” Then again you take a little breath and say, “He…
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
Origin of To Sleep, Perchance to Dream This phrase occurs in the most celebrated soliloquy of Prince Hamlet in the Shakespearean play of the same name, Hamlet. It starts with another famous phrase, “To be or not to be,” in…
Lady Doth Protest too Much
Origin of The Lady Doth Protest Too Much Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother says this popular phrase when watching the play, The Mousetrap, staged within William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Act -III, Scene-II of the play, Queen Gertrude says, when speaking to…
Once More unto the Breach
Origin of Once More Unto the Breach This phrase appears in Act-III, Scene-I of Shakespeare’s play, Henry V. The scene begins in the middle of the blockade of Harfleur, as King Henry’s army has blown up some French fortifications. He…
My Kingdom for a Horse
Origin of My Kingdom for a Horse This famous phrase originally occurred in Act-V, Scene-IV of William Shakespeare’s play, Richard III. Here, King Richard III yells out loudly this famous phrase, “A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!”…
Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be
Origin of Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be This is a famous phrase said by Polonius in Act-I, Scene-III of William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. The character Polonius counsels his son Laertes before he embarks on his visit to Paris.…
To Be Great is to Be Misunderstood
Origin of To Be Great is to Be Misunderstood Ralph Waldo Emerson coined this phrase in his essay, Self Reliance. This phrase holds very powerful meaning, as the author continues saying: “Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther,…
12 Thought Provoking Examples of Irony in History
Irony doesn’t just exist in literature, it also exists in real life! We have a ton of really funny examples of irony lurking right in our history books. Take a look at funny examples of irony in history: 1. The…
Huge List of Oxymorons
Huge List of Oxymorons An oxymoron is a consecutive set of words that have contradictory meanings. In many cases they are obvious. However, as there are so many, you might not catch them all. Take a look at which ones…
Huge list of Homophones
Huge List of Homophones This list includes homophones in both English and British spellings. Please note that in some accents, the words may not be homophones. These are arranged in alphabetical order for convenience. Homophones in the English Language accessary,…
All the World’s a Stage
Origin of All the World’s a Stage Like several other phrases, this phrase was coined by William Shakespeare. Jacques has spoken this famous phrase in Act-II, Scene-VII of the play As You Like It. He says, “All the world’s a…
Miles to Go Before I Sleep
Origin of Miles to Go Before I Sleep This phrase appears in the two last lines of Robert Frost’s simple poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. The speaker in the poem repeatedly utters it in the fourth stanza…
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night
Origin of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night This phrase appears four times in Thomas Dylan’s best-known villanelle poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. The speaker opens the poem with this phrase, saying, “Do not…
Alas, Poor Yorick!
Origin of Alas, Poor Yorick! This phrase occurs in Hamlet, a popular play by William Shakespeare. The main character Hamlet says this phrase when he is with Horatio, speaking to the gravedigger. He looks around the dead bodies and finds…
A Rose by any Other Name
Origin of A Rose by Any Other Name The real origin of this phrase is unknown, but it is said that it was coined by William Shakespeare. In Act-II, Scene-II of Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet says this phrase…