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Literary notes about reverend (AI summary)

In many literary works, "reverend" is employed to denote both formal religious authority and a broader sense of dignified respect. It functions as an honorific title in addressing clergy members or esteemed figures—as seen when characters are greeted as "reverend father" or "reverend sir" to emphasize their social or moral standing [1][2][3]. At times, the term also carries an underlying irony, subtly critiquing the piety or self-importance of its bearers [4]. Overall, its application not only situates individuals within a clear hierarchical framework but also enriches character interactions in narratives that range from the sacred to the quotidian [5][6][7].
  1. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor; here it is.
    — from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
  2. But, my reverend master, permit me a question in my turn.”
    — from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo
  3. Whom, but the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, half frozen to death, overwhelmed with shame, and standing where Hester Prynne had stood!
    — from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  4. The long and the short of it is, I consider him a reverend jackass.
    — from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery
  5. “May I so find mercy in your eyes,” said the Jew, “as I know not one word which the reverend prelate spake to me all this fearful night.
    — from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott
  6. "I ask your pardon once more," said Candide to the Baron, "your pardon, reverend father, for having run you through the body."
    — from Candide by Voltaire
  7. Near unto the Reverend Frank Milvey as he read, stood his little wife, John Rokesmith the Secretary, and Bella Wilfer.
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

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