Love like an uncontrolled fire
Another comparison made with regards to love has the purpose of comparing it with a fire which can affect a person. The image is a slightly more violent one, invoking the idea of destruction of pain. At the same time, this image shows how love can be at times uncontrollable and how it can spread quickly without anyone realizing it until it is too late.
Love is like a newborn baby
When Arlecchino talks with Lisette about the love he developed towards her, he compares his feelings with a child which was born the first time he saw Lisette. This comparison has the purpose of transmitting the idea that love is something pure and which can’t be blamed for the wrongdoings which happen in the world while also suggesting the rapid pace at which love can develop.
Language as a metaphor for education and a high social status
Dorant and Silvia are both characterized by an extremely polished use of language while their servants, Arlecchino and Lisette talk in broken English, sometimes not understanding the proper use of the words they hear and utter. Both Dorant and Silvia find it peculiar that their counterpart can speak English in such an educated manner and during the course of the play, proper use of language becomes a metaphor used to suggest education and a high social status.
Shyness as a metaphor for affection
When Dorant and Silvia meet for the first time, both pretending to be servants, they are both overcome by a sense of shyness which affects the way they talk to one another. Both Dorant and Silvia admit that they are affected by shyness and see it as a sign of the affection developing inside them for the other person. Because of this, shyness is used in the play as a metaphor for affection.
Like putting on a hat
Lisette, Silvia’s maid tried to convince her that the man chosen for her by her father is someone regarded as a very good man, respected in their social circles. Because the suitor is seen that way, Lisette claims that the man must be a decent and good one. Upon hearing this, Silvia tells Lisette the story of a man whom they both knew and who was seen as being a decent and good man. In private however, he acted as a tyrant and was feared by his wife, children and servants alike. Silvia compares the good behavior many exhibit while in society with a hat they put on before leaving the house. This comparison has the purpose of showing that a woman should not trust what the rest of society thinks about someone but instead should try and make up their own mind.
