Question

Read the passage:

Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
Make plain to them the excellence of killing

What literary device is used and what effect does it have on the interpretation?

A) he uses irony because it is actually not virtuous or excellent to kill

B) he uses imagery because you can visualize the soldiers slaughtering and killing

C) he alludes to a past war

D) he uses alliteration because the words suggest the sound of slaughtering and killing

Answer 1

A) he uses irony because it is not actually virtuous or excellent to kill

Answer 2

Answer: A) he uses irony because it is actually not virtuous or excellent to kill

Irony is a rhetorical device in which what appears to be the case is actually extremely different from reality. In this case, it appears as if the author is praising slaughter and killing. He claims that these actions are "virtuous" and "excellent." However, the irony is that these acts are in fact far from virtuous or excellent.