Literary notes about scape (AI summary)
The term "scape" in literature often serves as an archaic and rhythmic variant of "escape," evoking themes of evasion, fate, and narrowly avoided consequences. Authors employ it to illustrate both literal and metaphorical escapes—from the dire clutches of punishment or destiny, as in the struggles against doom seen when characters swear not to "scape hanging" for their misdeeds ([1], [2]), to the more abstract notion of avoiding retribution or suffering ([3], [4]). Its usage ranges from poetic musings on the inevitability of fate—illustrated by lines expressing that nothing can "scape" the sun’s eternal run ([5])—to characterizing the act of fleeing imminent danger or the complexity of fate in epic narratives ([6], [7]). Moreover, the word is creatively extended into compound forms like "scape-goat" to denote a person burdened with blame ([8], [9]), or even appears as part of technical descriptions in works of natural history ([10]), reflecting both its versatility and its enduring stylistic charm.
- Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I ’scape hanging for killing that rogue.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - Till the high fever seethe your blood to froth, And so scape hanging.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - Enough for half the greatest of these days To ’scape my censure, not expect my praise.
— from An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires by Alexander Pope - Some innocents scape not the thunderbolt.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - : The sun, the sea will sooner both stand still, Then her eternal tongue; nothing can 'scape it.
— from Volpone; Or, The Fox by Ben Jonson - It never was the will of fate That Olaf from such perilous strait Should 'scape with life!
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson - “Descending thence, I scape thro’ foes and fire: Before the goddess, foes and flames retire.
— from The Aeneid by Virgil - Would this induce the belief that he was but the scape-goat of the court, that the condemnation was purely political?
— from Bacon's Essays, and Wisdom of the Ancients by Francis Bacon - (1) I.e. the fate of a scape-goat is too good for me.
— from Anabasis by Xenophon - The engine bells jingled and the engines answered promptly, shooting white columns of steam far aloft out of the 'scape pipes, but it was too late.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain
