Antanaclasis: Playing with Words and Meanings

Antanaclasis is a rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase within a sentence or passage, with each repetition having a different meaning. It creates an intriguing contrast by using the same word in multiple senses or with varying interpretations. Difference Between Epizeuxis and Antanaclasis While both epizeuxis and antanaclasis involve word repetition, they differ in their usage. Epizeuxis repeats words or phrases successively within the same sentence or line, while antanaclasis repeats a word with different meanings in a sentence or passage. Examples of Antanaclasis in Literature Example #1: Twelfth Night (By William Shakespeare) Viola: “Save thee, friend, and thy music! Dost thou live by thy tabour?” Clown: “No, sir, I live by the church.” Viola: “Art thou a churchman?” Clown: “No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.” In this witty exchange from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," the …