What is the difference between antithesis and paradox

These ideas may not be structurally opposite, but they act as functionally opposite when comparing two ideas for the purpose of emphasis.

Overall, emphasis helps the audience to understand more clearly the point the speaker or writer is trying to make. A paradox is a figure of speech that contains two seemingly contrasting ideas together in order to reveal some hidden or unexpected truth. Although a paradox may seem silly or even contradictory at first glance, it usually reveals a latent truth upon further reflection.

A paradox helps to make the audience think about something in an innovative way. We can also use a paradox to present an idea that is contrary to traditional concepts. Furthermore, there are two types of paradoxes in literature as situational and rhetoric. What is the definition of allusion? What is an example of allusion? What are some examples of hyperbole? What is an analogy?

Can someone give me an example of an analogy? Question 61f2a. See all questions in Literary Devices. Yet, by falling in love with Guinevere, he has made the King a cuckold. As such, Lancelot suffers the paradox of being a loyal lover to the Queen, but also a disloyal servant to the King.

In a series of neatly contrasted superlatives, the prolific Victorian novelist captures the zeitgeist of the French Revolution era —. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way — in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

In this short introduction alone, Dickens packs in nine pairs of antithetical ideas. In hindsight, the French Revolution is probably the single most defining event in Western political history, having ushered in the rise of republican and democratic government, a ruling model which continues to prevail in the Anglosphere today.

Like most historical watersheds, the French Revolution was a period of extraordinary anomalies, which came about as a result of extreme behaviour, tectonic changes and paradigm shifts in politics, society and culture. From the ashes of protracted war and mass sacrifice, however, emerged a better world order and the advancement of civilisation in the long run.

This, from a stylistic angle, makes antithesis an apt device for portraying the energies of the time. By framing his introduction with a string of antithesis, Dickens also hints at the model of character behaviour in the rest of his novel.

Perhaps the idea here, then, is that only in extremes can real greatness come about, and despite any losses incurred along the way, it is those periods and people that demonstrate maniacal intensity in the pursuit of a cause which will eventually prevail in memoriam. Like Like. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account.

Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Youtube Instagram. Search for: Close. What do they mean? How can we tell them apart? Paradox, oxymoron, antithesis and contrast — what do they mean? How do we tell these devices apart?