In
rhetoric, a climax ( grc-gre, κλῖμαξ, ''klîmax'',
"staircase" or "ladder") is a
figure of speech in which
word
A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no conse ...
s,
phrase
In syntax and grammar, a phrase is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consi ...
s, or
clauses are arranged in order of increasing importance. In its use with clauses, it is also sometimes known as
auxesis (
"growth").
Usage
Climax is frequently used in
persuasion (particularly
advertising
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
) to create
false dilemmas and to focus attention on the positive aspects of the subject at hand. The initial inferior options make the final term seem still better by comparison than it would appear in isolation: "X is good, Y is better, Z is best" is a standard format. It can also be used in reverse to make the initial term seem better by comparison: "A isn't perfect but B is worse and C is worst."
Examples
* From the ''
First Letter to the Corinthians
The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
'': "There are three things that will endure: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
*
George Wald from ''A Generation in Search of a Future'': "I think we've reached a point of great decision, not just for our nation, not only for all humanity, but for life upon the earth."
*
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
from ''
The Passionate Pilgrim
''The Passionate Pilgrim'' (1599) is an anthology of 20 poems collected and published by William Jaggard that were attributed to " W. Shakespeare" on the title page, only five of which are considered authentically Shakespearean. These are two ...
:'' "...Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour."
* William Shakespeare from ''
Richard II:'' "...O'erthrows thy joys, friends, fortune and thy state"
Anticlimax
An anticlimax or anti-climax is an abrupt descent (either deliberate or unintended) on the part of a speaker or writer from the dignity of idea which he appeared to be aiming at, as in:
:"The English poet Herrick expressed the same sentiment when he suggested that we should gather rosebuds while we may. Your elbow is in the butter, sir."
As a relative term, anticlimax requires a greater or lesser climax to precede it in order to have proper effect. An anticlimax can be intentionally employed only for a jocular or satiric purpose. It frequently partakes of the nature of
antithesis, as in:
:"Die and endow a ''college'' or a ''cat''."
See also
*
Figure of speech
*
Bathos
Bathos ( ;''Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st ed. "bathos, ''n.'' Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1885. grc-gre, , "depth") is a literary term, first used in this sense in Alexander Pope's 1727 essay " Peri Bathous", to describe an ...
*
Climax as a narrative element
References
Citations
Sources
*
Baldrick, Chris. 2008. ''Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms''. Oxford University Press. New York.
*
Corbett, Edward P. J. and Connors, Robert J. 1999. ''Style and Statement''. Oxford University Press. New York, Oxford.
*
Kennedy, X.J. et al. 2006. ''The Longman Dictionary of Literary Terms: Vocabulary for the Informed Reader''. Pearson, Longman. New York.
*
Forsyth, Mark. 2014. ''The Elements of Eloquence''. Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Publishing. New York.
* Quinn, Edward. 1999. ''A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms''. Checkmark Books. New York.
*
*
External links
* — 11th edition reprinted this article
Video about the use of climax and anticlimax
{{DEFAULTSORT:Climax (Figure Of Speech)
Rhetoric
Figures of speech