Question

Which line best helps develop the central idea that the plague was a very deadly disease?

“Elizabethans do not understand infection and contagion as we do.”
“In 1565 the people of Bristol count up the plague victims for that year and arrive at the figure of 2,070 . . .”
“This last epidemic originates in Portugal and is brought to Devon by mariners.”
“It is ironic that the great naval ships that deliver the English from the Spanish threat bring another danger . . .”

Answer 1

“In 1565 the people of Bristol count up the plague victims for that year and arrive at the figure of 2,070 . . .”

Reason: it gives a concrete death toll, directly showing the high number of victims and therefore the disease’s deadliness. The other lines describe understanding, origin, or irony but don’t quantify the lethality.