Which line from “Cruel Tribute” best supports the idea that the elders help to advance the plot?
A. “O mighty king,” they said, “what have we done that you should wish thus to destroy us from the earth?”
B. “But we do deny it-we do deny it!”
C. “What is the tribute which you require?”
D. “It is better that a few should perish than that the whole city should be destroyed,” they said.
Answer: D. “It is better that a few should perish than that the whole city should be destroyed,” they said.
This line can be best aligned with the notion of the great role of the elders in driving the plot in ‘Cruel Tribute’ The statement reveals the decision made by elders which most probably will create a certain shift in the story. By choosing to give some characters as a target to those vengeful fellows for sparing such several characters, the elders are presenting the main clash or the key point in the plot.
Such a decision is one of the most effective in setting the plot and establishing a conflict that generates moral questions. It seems to indicate that the elders are the main protagonists of the drama, who make difficult decisions that affect the future. It probably results in some other events and ‘action’, as it is customary in the narration of most stories.
Of course, it is impossible to elaborate on how this decision concerns the story’s narration without more information on the plot. However, in general, it is established not only that all of the decisions of the community leaders are fateful but also that such a weighty word causes character reactions, a call into question the essence of the decision, or, in general, the revelation of the essence of the sacrifice – all of this would have served the purpose of developing the plot. The line of the elders gives a strong impression of inexorable fatigue and anticipation of the worst from the side of sons which can be perceived as an ominous mood for the further development of the story.
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