Of Irony and Contradiction

Chapters O, P, and Q all include contradictory statements. This is confusing for the reader. For example, I am used to texts which EXPOSE their points literally. Only this year have I begun to notice the figurative meaning of texts and words. Who'd have known The Tempest is metaliterature!

The first antithetical statement I found was on page 135. Just five words caused such confusion in my mind.

"This sentence is a lie." 

If the sentence were true, then it would be a lie. What is the logic in that! Reality is beginning to resemble a never-ending cycle. The chapter's titled "Contradiction," and Shields has used an example which shows this.

I'm not sure comparing these fragments counts as antithesis of each other but fragment 409 and fragment 418 seem to disagree on the topic of doubt. Fragment 409 says its stupid to conduct experiments if you know the results and its silly to ask questions you know the answer to, such as rhetorical questions. On the other hand, fragment 418 says that "when we are not sure, we are alive."

Contradiction, in my opinion, "can be true and untrue at the same time." (pg. 135)

A song of irony and contradiction.