Read the excerpt from Ovid’s "Pyramus and Thisbe". And when he had found the bloodstained shawl, he cried: "Now this same night will see two lovers lose their lives: she was the one more worthy of long life: it's I who bear the guilt for this. O my poor girl, it's I who led you to your death; I said you were to reach this fearful place by night; I let you be the first who would arrive. O all you lions with your lairs beneath this cliff, come now, and with your fierce jaws feast upon my wretched guts! Which statement best describes how the pace of the excerpt creates tension?
Answer
A
Pyramus’s quick action hurries the plot to his tragic death.
B
Pyramus’s long speech slows the pace to prolong suspense.
C
Pyramus’s long speech slows the pace to taunt the lioness.
D
Pyramus’s quick action hurries the plot to reveal his crime.
Explanation
Pyramus speaks at length as he grieves, blames himself, and calls on the lions to kill him. This extended speech slows the action and holds the reader in suspense before the tragedy unfolds. It does not taunt the lioness; it expresses his despair and guilt.
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