In this excerpt from "The Nun's Priest's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, how is Pertelote, a hen, compared to Hasdrubal
's wife? When they had caught a sight of Chanticleer.
But fair Dame Pertelote assailed the ear
Far louder than did Hasdrubal's good wife
When that her husband bold had lost his life,
And Roman legionaries burned Carthage…
A).Pertelote's devotion to her husband is compared to that of Hasdrubal's wife.
B).Pertelote's screams are likened to the laments of Hasdrubal's wife.
C).Pertelote's beauty is compared to that of Hasdrubal's wife.
D).Hasdrubal's wife's mannerisms are mimicked by Pertelote the hen.
E).Pertelote's love for Chanticleer is mocked by Hasdrubal's wife.
B). Pertelote's screams are likened to the laments of Hasdrubal's wife.
Explanation:
This is the way in which Pertelote, a hen, is compared to Hasdrubal's wife. In this passage, we learn that Pertelote "assailed the ear," which means that it produced a very strong sound that would bother most ears. We also learn that these noises are compared to the laments of Hasdrubal's wife when her husband was killed.
