Genre
A short story
Setting and Context
The events of the story take place in Antwerp in the end of the 17th century.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told from the third-person point of view by an observer-narrator.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the story is slightly humorous. The mood of the story is disturbing.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Miranda is both a protagonist and an antagonist.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is person vs. self. For instance, Miranda fails to tame her desires that lead to terrible consequences.
Climax
Tarquin’s execution is the climax of the story.
Foreshadowing
I don’t pretend here to entertain you with a feign’d story, or anything piec’d together with romantic accidents.
The narrator hints that the story that she is going to tell is a true one.
Understatement
She loved one for his wit, another for his face.
This quote shows that Miranda underestimates love and confuses it with simple infatuation.
Allusions
The story alludes to the Holy Roman Empire.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
How many fools eloquent!
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
She gave him gold. (Gold is synecdoche that denotes money).
My tongue will be eternally reproaching you. (A tongue is metonymy that denotes accusations).
Personification
laid upon his panting heart
