Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the excerpt from a prescribed play below:

"Listen to me, my son: when the crown speaks, the entire kingdom bends its knee; yet you dare turn your back on the royal scepter."

Which figure of speech is demonstrated in the phrase 'when the crown speaks'?

  1. MetonymyAnswer
  2. B
    Synecdoche
  3. C
    Personification
  4. D
    Irony

Answer

Metonymy is the correct literary device shown in the phrase.
The correct answer is metonymy because the term 'the crown' is an attribute or symbol associated with royalty, used here to substitute for the monarch or sovereign authority.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the literal meaning of the target phrase 'when the crown speaks'.
A literal crown (headgear) cannot speak, indicating a figurative figure of speech is employed.
Identifying figurative usage requires recognizing non-literal expressions in context.
2
Determine the relationship between 'the crown' and the intended subject.
'The crown' represents the king or sovereign ruler through an associated symbol of royalty.
When a related attribute or symbol is substituted for the entity itself, the device is metonymy.

Key Concept

Metonymy vs. Synecdoche in Contextual Excerpts
Rate this question

Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

More questions from this topic