Literary notes about forfeit (AI summary)
In literature, the term "forfeit" is employed to convey the irrevocable loss of something valuable—be it property, honor, or even life—when an individual fails to adhere to certain standards or obligations. Historical accounts, such as the account of citizens paying a requisite forfeit in a military context [1] or a Patriot's forfeiture of rights due to neglect [2], illustrate its institutional use as a legal penalty. In dramatic narratives, characters often face fatal or personal losses as a consequence of betraying moral or societal expectations, as seen when a character’s life is declared forfeit under threat of retribution [3], [4]. At the same time, the concept is extended metaphorically to imply the surrender of intangible assets like reputation or trust, reinforcing the lasting impact of one's transgressions on their identity [5], [6].
- Great numbers took advantage of this proclamation, some being ready to start directly, others paying the requisite forfeit.
— from The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides - A citizen could only forfeit his rights by apparent dereliction, and such dereliction of a valuable interest could not easily be presumed.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - And if you don't do that, you will have to forfeit your life.”
— from English Fairy Tales - that abominable Mr. Darcy!—My father's opinion of me does me the greatest honour; and I should be miserable to forfeit it.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - What have I done to forfeit this liberty?
— from History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
