The Emperor's Dog (Metaphor)
Towards the end of the play, the man says that he is the emperor's dog: "Your servant, your slave, your dog, arf, arf, your dog, Your Majesty!" By using this metaphor, he means to say that he is completely subservient to the emperor, in the same way that a dog is to its owner. This point is driven home by his bizarre imitation of dog noises.
Laughing Like Idiots (Simile)
When the man finishes his story at the beginning of the play, he describes laughing with his wife: "At last we laughed like idiots." This simile suggests that they laughed intensely and almost uncontrollably. This unusual choice of words also implies that their laughter was somewhat inexplicable, as they were doing it largely without thought.
As One Caresses a Child (Simile)
In the stage directions, the old woman is described as "caressing the Old Man as one caresses a child" while he sits upon her lap. This sets up the idea that their relationship is not really a romantic one but rather more of a parental one. This simile immediately reinforces their strange dynamic.
Scratches His Head like Stan Laurel (Simile)
When the old woman asks the old man to imitate the month of February, the stage directions specify the following: "He scratches his head like Stan Laurel." This moment is a humorous one, as he does an impression of the popular performer Stan Laurel, famous for being part of the Laurel and Hardy comedy duo. But it also serves to highlight the absurdity of his action. In almost no way does his head-scratching actually seem to mirror any attributes of the month of February.
Like Fireworks (Simile)
Before leaping out the window, the man makes one last celebratory gesture for the emperor: "He throws confetti and paper streamers on the invisible Emperor; we hear fanfares; bright lights like fireworks." The comparison between bright lights and fireworks both gives the impression of this celebration while also showing how short his efforts have fallen. Like the invisible guests, all the audience actually encounters are vague suggestions of these things, not actual fireworks.
