Difference Between Motif and Theme

Confusion always occurs to similar terms, and people consider both the items the same. As we all know, both the terms motif and theme are very similar to each other, so many people consider both the terms the same.

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Education Quiz

Test your knowledge about topics related to education

1 / 10

What is the main purpose of a liberal arts education?

To prepare students for specific careers

To provide a broad-based education that cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills

To train students in a specific field

To develop students' technical skills

2 / 10

What is the study of the physical, social, and cultural phenomena of a particular country or region called?

Sociology

Geography

Linguistics

Economics

3 / 10

Which of the following is NOT a type of writing?

Narrative

Persuasive

Expository

Mathematics

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What is the name of the standardized test used for college admissions in the United States?

SAT

GRE

LSAT

MCAT

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What is the name of the first university established in the world?

University of Bologna

University of Oxford

University of Paris

University of Alexandria

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Who is the author of the famous novel "Pride and Prejudice"?

Jane Austen

Charlotte Bronte

Louisa May Alcott

Mary Shelley

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What is the capital of the country Greece?

Athens

Thessaloniki

Patras

Heraklion

8 / 10

The purpose of the evaluation is to make?

Decision

Prediction

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9 / 10

GPA is considered important as it is required for taking admission into the Bachelor's and Master's degree programme. State true or false.

True

False

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What is the skill of speaking in front of an audience called?

Debate

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Summary

The term motif refers to symbols of symbols, shapes, sounds, distinct colors, and organized events in a pattern or sequence. The term motif also gives a significance, symbolic value, to the theme of a play or a story.

Motif vs Theme

The difference between motif and theme is that motif is considered to be concrete. On the other hand, the theme is considered to be abstract. The term theme considers being a central idea or main idea that the writer gives through his or her literary work. It is considered to be a plot of the events which will make up the story. So the theme is considered to be the main event of the story.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Motif	Theme
Meaning	The term motif refers to a symbol, shapes, sounds, distinct color, and events in a story that are organized in a series or sequences.	The term theme refers to be a central idea or the main idea that the writer wants to convey through their literary work.
Explicitly	The motif is generally explicitly as it is clearly understood.	The theme is not explicitly given in a text.
Difference	The motif is considered to be concrete.	The theme is considered to be abstract.
Aim	It gives significant symbolic value to the main theme or plot of the play.	It gives the central idea or main motive that the writer wants to convey to his story.
Example	A repeated reference or visual of shattered glass can be an example of the motif.	The example of the theme can be death, loneliness, friendship, honor, love, etc.

What is a Motif?

The team motif is referred to as a recurring pattern in a writing workshop, which helps to gain strength in the story’s main theme. A motif can be considered symbolic or concrete, and it can also keep on supporting the main or central idea or underlying theme of the story.

The term motif is considered a recurring element in a literary work, which also means that the image or idea appears repeatedly. It is believed that if the related image can bring the audience’s attention to an idea, it will be known as the story motif.

What is a Theme?

To understand the theme, we can tell that every written piece has its purpose. The author wants to say something to a reader about the idea, a thought, concept, or process, which we call a theme.

It is considered if the brokenness comes as the story motif, then we can say that author is trying to tell about love, relationship, and families or if children break the window of a misunderstood neighbors house, then it might seem that the author is trying to give the symbol about the gaps in understanding between people who do know each other very well.

Main Differences Between Motif and Theme

The term motif refers to a symbol, shapes, sounds, distinct color, and events in a story that are organized in a series or sequences. On the other hand, The term theme refers to a central idea or the main idea that the writer wants to convey through their literary work.
The motif is generally explicitly as it is clearly understood. On the other hand, the theme is not explicitly given in a text.
The motif is considered to be concrete, whereas the theme is considered to be abstract.
It gives significant symbolic value to the main theme or plot of the play. On the other hand, This gives the central idea or main motive that the writer wants to convey to his story.
A repeated reference or visual of shattered glass can be the example of a motif, whereas The example of the theme can be death, loneliness, friendship, honor, love, etc.

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