A rhetorical device where a speaker suddenly shifts to addressing someone directly or makes an abrupt exclamation.
From Greek 'ekbole' meaning 'a throwing out' or 'an outburst' (ek- 'out' + bole 'a throw'). It's related to the Latin concept of 'exclamatio' used in classical rhetoric.
Imagine you're reading Shakespeare and suddenly a character breaks the fourth wall or shouts directly at the audience—that's an ecbole! It's a dramatic 'throwing out' of emotion.
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