Question

Read the excerpt from Act I, Scene iii of Julius Caesar. Then answer the question that follows.

CASSIUS:
And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep.
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome.

Which statement best explains the figurative language in the bolded lines?
Cassius uses hyperbole to exaggerate how important Brutus is to the assassination plot.
Cassius uses a metaphor to convince Casca that Caesar is preying on the weak, vulnerable people of Rome.
Cassius uses personification to compare Caesar to a sheep that is easily controlled by the conspirators.
Cassius uses a simile to compare the people of Rome to a pack of hungry wolves.

Answer 1

The correct statement that best explains the figurative language in the bolded lines is:

**Cassius uses a metaphor to convince Casca that Caesar is preying on the weak, vulnerable people of Rome.**

In this excerpt, Cassius compares Caesar to a lion and the Romans to hinds (female deer), implying that Caesar is taking advantage of the weak citizens of Rome, positioning Caesar as a predator and the Romans as his prey.