Question

How is antithesis different from paradox?

Answer 1

Hint: Both antithesis and paradox are two figures of speech that contain two contradictory ideas in the same sentence. Although both seem to have the same structure as both contain contrasting words, which may seem to have the same function at a first glance, but there is a distinct difference between antithesis and paradox which we will discuss in the complete answer below.

Complete answer:
Let us discuss what is antithesis and what is paradox and how are they different.
An antithesis, which literally means ‘opposite’ is a figure of speech that involves contrary ideas described by contrasting words in sentences within a balanced grammatical structure.
Example:- “ Setting foot on the moon may be a small step for a man but a giant step for mankind.”– Neil Armstrong
In the given example, the two opposite words ‘small’ and ‘giant’ are used to emphasise on the deeper meaning of the sentence.

A paradox is a figure of speech that contains two seemingly contrasting ideas together in a single sentence in order to reveal some hidden or unexpected truth. Often a paradox may seem silly or and abrupt or even contradictory at first glance, it usually reveals a latent truth upon further reflection by analysing it’s deeper meaning. .
Example:- “Your strength lies in your weakness”
Example:- “Less is more”.

The main difference between antithesis and paradox is that antithesis is the juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas or words in the same statement with a motive to create a contrasting effect whereas paradox is a statement or an idea that seems to be contradictory or abrupt but contains a latent, hidden, raw truth.

Note:The simplest way to differentiate the two is that antithesis is a contrasting idea. Usually, the antithesis is the contrast or opposition to the thesis. A paradox is a self-contradiction, or we can call an oxymoron, or a word/phrase that signifies two contradictory meanings. Therefore, a paradox is like a combination of a thesis and an antithesis.