Question

What figurative language / literary devices are in the following quote? What is the meaning? (Part 2)

“But scrw your courage to the sticking place And we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep (Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey Soundly invite him), his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason a limbeck only. When in swinish sleep Their drenchèd natures lies as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon Th’ unguarded Duncan? What not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?” (I.vii.70-82).

Answer 1

The answer will be multiple-part.

Step-by-step explanation:

"Your courage to the sticking place" is a well-known statement - from Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The idiom screw... to the sticking place - if you do some research - is defined as "being firm and resolute in... (in this case, courage)." This echoes Shakespeare's ambitious nature - as is shown in a poetic style.

The rest of this paragraph reflects that aspect of him as well. Such words as:

Wassail

Warder

Limbeck

Swinish

Spongy

Quell

Though seemingly just part of the nature of poetry, these words may spark images in your mind that typical, everyday words otherwise don't.

I hope you can gather a lot of info from all of that! Tell me if you need any further assistance...

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