Read the excerpt from Act II, Scene i of Julius Caesar. Then answer the question that follows.
BRUTUS: Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing And the first motion, all the interim is Like a phantasma or a hideous dream. The genius and the mortal instruments Are then in council, and the state of man, Like to a little kingdom, suffers then The nature of an insurrection.
Which statement best explains the figurative language in the bolded line?
The use of allusion references Greek mythology and compares a myth to a nightmare.
The use of meiosis understates Brutus’s dilemma, making his decision seem easy.
The use of metaphor compares the appearance of the ghost of Pompey to a nightmare.
The use of simile shows that not knowing what to do is making life a nightmare for Brutus.
Leave a Reply