Literary notes about conceit (AI summary)
In literature, the term conceit is employed to portray an inflated self-regard as well as a creative or fanciful metaphorical construction. In some works, it underscores hubris and the inevitable downfall that follows excessive pride, as when Doctor Faustus’s self-conceit lifts him beyond his reach [1]. In other texts, it conveys vanity and a narrow-minded arrogance—a mind so limited that it compensates with inflated self-importance, as noted in a saying about the lesser mind producing greater conceit [2]. At times, conceit appears in characters who indulge in self-admiration to a fault, whether in subtle social observations or dramatic narrative turns, such as when a character reflects on a foolish supposition driven by self-conceit [3] or is described as “puffed up with self-conceit” [4].