Literary Devices

Dramatic Irony-noun- irony that is grasped by the audince but not the character

• Act One-Scene Four- pg. 39-44- Tevye believes that Lazar wants to buy his new milk cow. Lazar wants to marry Tevye oldest daughter Tzietel.
• Act One- Scene Seven-pg. 71-82- Tevye has made up a dream to convince his wife to let Tzietel marry Motel, the tailor instead of Laar, the butcher. 

Symbolism- [sim-buh-liz-uhm]- noun-when an object is used to represent something greater than itself

• Act Two- Scene Eight-pg.146-Golde is worried about packing her goblets. To her they may represent her and Tevye's marriage. The long way they have come and how they cannot simply leave everything behind.
• Act One- Scene Ten- pg.92- Golde and Tevye give the newlyweds(Motel and Tzietel) goose pillows. By giving them fancy and expensive pillows they are wishing that they be well and wealthy long into their old age.

Metaphor-[met-uh-fawr, -fer]-noun-a literary application used to suggest a resemblance between objects.

• Act One- Prolouge- pg.2- Tevye compares the villagers in Anatevka's challenges to the challenges that a fiddler on the roof faces.
• Act One- Scene Six- pg. 70- Motel is singing about his good fourtune of "landing" Tzietle. he compares himself to a lump of clay

Allegory-[al-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee]- noun, plural- a spiritual representation through concret forms.

• Act One- Scene Seven- Tevye has a "dream" that spirits have come from beyhond the grave to give him the message that his daughter must marry the tailor not the butcher.

Allusion-[uh-loo-zhuhn]-noun- the act of alluding.To pass a casual refrence to literature or history.

• Act One-Scene Two- pg.28-Tevye quotes what Moses says in the good book.
• Act One- Scene Six- pg. 56- Perchik makesa refrence to the bible saying, "Let there be light."

Simile-[sim-uh-lee]- noun- when two things are compared using the words like or as.Personification-[per-son-uh-fi-key-shuhn]-noun- when inanimate objects are given human qualities.

• Act One- Scene Six- pg. 57- Perchik compares Hodel's lack of curisosity to a rusty tool.

Personification-[per-son-uh-fi-key-shuhn]-noun given a non human, human characterists.

• Act One- Scene Nine- pg. 90- the villagers are singing about the groom and bride growing old. they say that the years swiftly flew by impling that they passed all too quick.

Foreshadowing-[fawr-shad-oh, fohr-]- verb- to suggest that something may happen.

• Act One- Scene Two- pg. 25- Avram explains that the Jews have been evicted in a nearby village called Rajanka. There was no warning or indicator either all of a sudden they where just forced to leave.
• Act One- Scene One- pg. 15&16- Hodel and Chava suggest that Tzietle may wissh to make her own match with Mote, the tailor.

Imagery-[im-ij-ree, im-i-juh-ree]- noun, plural- to creat a picture for the audince.

• Act One- Scene Two-pg.222- Tevye is describing the house he would live in if he were a rich man. He tells us about it's stairs, roof and floor.