Read the unseen dramatic extract below and answer the question that follows:
KALE: (Pacing the dim corridor, clutching a sealed letter)
"If I speak, the city burns; if I remain silent, my brother dies on the scaffold at dawn. Oh, glorious justice, that demands treason to preserve honor!"
(He pauses as steps approach, then mutters under his breath)
"I must wear the mask of a fool, lest the tyrant read my agony."
In the extract above, the line "Oh, glorious justice, that demands treason to preserve honor!" primarily exemplifies which literary device?
- ParadoxAnswer
- BOxymoron
- CDramatic Irony
- DMetaphor
Answer
The line primarily exemplifies a paradox because it presents a complete statement that seems inherently self-contradictory—that justice requires committing treason to preserve honor—yet highlights a profound moral truth about the speaker's predicament.
The choice identifying the device as a paradox is correct. The phrase 'justice, that demands treason to preserve honor' is a full statement that seems absurd and self-contradictory on its face, yet reveals the complex moral reality of a character caught in an impossible predicament.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying Paradox in Unseen Dramatic Extracts