Punctuation for appositive phrase

[Ritterbruder]

While Falstaff stands as an authentic image of a defector of honor, Hotspur represents the chivalric knight[ ] a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it.

What should go in the []? A colon or a semicolon?

Thanks

 

[Dimcl]

Forum rules require that you pose one question per thread, Ritterbruder, so I'll respond to your first question. I would use neither a colon or semi-colon, but a comma.

 

[Ritterbruder]

Ok I got rid of the second question.

Anyways:
While Falstaff stands as an authentic image of a defector of honor, Hotspur represents the chivalric knight, a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it.

That is what I had, but isn't that comma splicing and a run-on?
Could you please explain the "rule" behind this?

Thanks and sorry for violating rules

 

[Dimcl]

Ok I got rid of the second question.

Anyways:
While Falstaff stands as an authentic image of a defector of honor, Hotspur represents the chivalric knight, a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it.

That is what I had, but isn't that comma splicing and a run-on?
Could you please explain the "rule" behind this?

Thanks and sorry for violating rules

I'm not a grammarian so I can't help you with comma-splicing or the definition of a run-on. As a result, I also don't know of any rules. The fact is that a colon would be totally inappropriate and I see no reason for a semi-colon. Perhaps someone else will have other opinions.

 

[Cagey]

Here is one website that explains run-on sentences, comma splices and fused sentences.

As I see it, your sentence is none of the above. "a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it" is in apposition to "chivalric knight". That is, it refers to the same thing using other words. Apposition is an acceptable construction, and is customarily set off by a comma, as Dimcl correctly suggests.

Here is a discussion of "appositives" on the same website. It agrees that the proper punctuation is a comma.

 

[cuchuflete]

Cagey is correct. It's appositive and needs a comma. Appositives in the middle of a sentence should have commas both before and after.

 

[wildan1]

While Falstaff stands as an authentic image of a defector of honor, Hotspur represents the chivalric knight[ ] a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it.

What should go in the []? A colon or a semicolon?

I would use neither — I'd use an em dash, just as I did earlier in this sentence.

While Falstaff stands as an authentic image of a defector of honor, Hotspur represents the chivalric knight — a protector of honor willing to sacrifice his life to retain it.