Question

Read the excerpt from Act I of Hamlet.

Ghost: Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebona in a vial,
And in the porches of mine ears did pour
The leperous distilment; whose effect
Holds such an enmity with blood of man
That swift as quicksilver it courses through
The natural gates and alleys of the body.

Which correctly analyzes the use of figurative language in the excerpt?

The simile compares the poison to a fast-moving, toxic element, emphasizing its deadliness.
The metaphor compares the uncle to a poisonous plant, which illustrates his deadly intent.
The personification of the vial makes it seem more lethal.
The apostrophe allows the ghost to address the evil uncle.

Answer 1

The first option is correct.

Explanation: "swift as quicksilver it courses" is a simile (uses "as") comparing the poison to quicksilver (mercury), a fast-moving, toxic substance, emphasizing how quickly and lethally the poison spreads. The other choices are incorrect—there is no metaphor comparing the uncle to a plant, no clear personification of the vial, and the passage is not an apostrophe addressing the uncle.