Literary notes about guileful (AI summary)
In literature, the term “guileful” is employed to evoke a sense of cunning and deceptive charm that often marks a character’s inner machinations or outward demeanor. Writers depict figures with a “guileful mind” capable of intricate, even dangerous, manipulations [1], while others use it to capture a bewitching, almost subtle quality in a face or smile that hints at ulterior motives [2]. Similarly, its application extends to narrators or tempters who set intricate traps with sly intent, reinforcing the association of guile with artful deceit and clever scheming [3, 4].
- Began him then t’ equip th’ antagonist of God, prompt in harness:— he had a guileful mind.
— from Anglo-Saxon Literature by John Earle - A pretty cap, fresh cheeks, trim hair, a guileful smile, and the rest of her almost neglected.
— from The Duchesse of Langeais by Honoré de Balzac - To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd.
— from The Poetical Works of John Milton by John Milton - These despised themselves, as being the dupes of a wily fraud, a guileful snake in the grass.
— from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain
