The irony of how Samuel Adams reacted to Shays and the other agitating farmers can be best captured by option b: Samuel Adams had used similar tactics and strategies against the British, and for similar reasons.
Adams was initially a leader in the fight against British oppression and had employed grassroots organizing, protests, and other forms of dissent to advocate for the rights of colonists. However, when faced with similar forms of agitation from the farmers in Shays' Rebellion who were fighting against economic hardships and government policies, he turned against them. This contradiction highlights the irony of his stance, as the same tactics he had once championed were now being condemned when used against the new government he had helped to establish.
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