However, with further thought, understanding, or reflection, the conflict is resolved due to the discovery of an underlying level of reason or logic. Observer's paradox: The outcome of an event or experiment is influenced by the presence of the observer. A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself or a situation which seems to defy logic. So when a character combines disparate elements, it seems very lifelike and three-dimensional. Whereas oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, paradox is made up of contradictory phrases or sentences. This page was last edited on 7 October 2020, at 00:36. Definition, Examples of Literary Paradox Paradox is the expression of an idea that is contrary to expectations or existing beliefs. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn’t want to he was sane and had to. In this case, Hamlet is speaking about how he plans to slay Claudius in order to avenge his father's death. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. In a broad sense, irony itself is a literary device in which what appears to be said, expected, or taking place on the surface of a literary work is very different from what is actually the case. (This logical paradox is resolved, however, because it turns out that Enos was not actually Fry’s grandfather to begin with.). The more expensive some commodity is, the less it is used after acquiring. The concept is that something less complicated is often more appreciated. Here's the difference between the two: A paradox is a statement or group of sentences that contradict what we know while delivering an inherent truth. This statement uses two opposites to contradict one another. However, excessive use of paradoxes can make writing murky and confusing. Literary paradox is easily confused with two other figures of speech, antithesis and oxymoron. So, whatever you’re doing, you needn’t worry, because you’re also doing the opposite. It shows how a statement can seem truthful, yet fail to meet the basic standards of our common sense. However, he does not want his mother to be the lover of his father's murderer (unbeknownst to her) any longer. In this passage, Shakespeare’s title character reveals the reasoning behind his plan to kill his stepfather/uncle Claudius. Paradox Examples. I often find myself more at home in these ancient volumes than I do in the hustle-bustle of the modern world. Poet John Donne wrote, "Death, thou shalt die," in "Holy Sonnet 11." As a result, the very group who would benefit from youth due to their perspective are the ones who, by definition, aren’t youthful. Did You Know? -Pearl Bailey. The character Hamlet, however, combines disparate attributes of kindness and cruelty, so his personality is loosely paradoxical. "There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Paradoxes create deep and significant value for certain ideas which are not always immediately apparent but once revealed, provides great … Therefore, though it appears contradictory that Hamlet’s murder of a murderer requires cruelty for kindness, there is a level of logic to his reasoning. A paradox is a statement that appears at first to be contradictory, but upon reflection then makes sense. This type of statement can be described as paradoxical. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. Although considered paradoxes, some of these are simply based on fallacious reasoning (falsidical), or an unintuitive solution (veridical). Paradox is a way for writers to create verbal or situational irony. For instance, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, when Hamlet tells his mother "I must be cruel, only to be kind," he's using a paradox to express that his behavior, while it may appear to be cruel, is actually a form of kindness—but that's only if you interpret kindness to include harsh actions that may be better for everyone in the long run (Hamlet also turns out to be wrong since, by the end of the play, pretty much everyone is dead). In a sense, Heller’s paradox is a reflection of the way World War I was labeled the “war to end all wars.” The very notion that humans understand the necessity of war to curtail war is both crazy and sane, mirroring the Catch-22 paradox faced by Orr’s character in the novel in terms of flying war missions. When he returns, he tries to warn humanity, but everyone laughs at him and in his anger he turns on them with his machines, thus causing the very destruction that he witnessed in the future. 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