Ambiguity or uncertainty in meaning; a linguistic or rhetorical condition where something can be interpreted in multiple ways.
From Greek 'amphibolia' (ambiguity, doubt), derived from 'amphibolos' (ambiguous), meaning 'thrown in both directions' or uncertain.
Amphibolia is the rhetorical equivalent of a fork in the road—Shakespeare used it constantly to create dramatic irony where characters and audiences understand the same words differently, making tragic misunderstandings feel inevitable.
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