The correct answer should be A. people and E. ruler
Great is an adjective, Montezuma and Aztec are proper nouns, while people and ruler are common nouns.
In my opinion, what identifies a key characteristic is how the characters use traits.
External conflict: The swan was stuck in thorns. Evidence for this is: Nevertheless, he was able to release it from the thorns.
Since she uses the derogatory word for the Union soldiers, it is the second option.