Question

The second brother, seeing how his comrade was treated, drove his heels into his castle of a mule and made off across the country faster than the wind.

The phrase his castle of a mule” in this excerpt from Cervantes’ Don Quixote is an example of what literary device?

metaphor
personification
simile
symbol

Answer 1

Answer: metaphor

In this excerpt, the comparison between a castle and a mule is an example of a metaphor. It is intended to provide more information on the mule. For example, this could mean that the mule was particularly strong and resilient, or that it was very valued. The answer could not be personification because nothing is being compared to a human. Moreover, it also could not be a simile as it is not a direct comparison with words such as "like." Finally, it is not a symbol as the mule, at least in this excerpt, does not stand for anything besides itself.

Answer 2

The phrase “his castle of a mule” is an example of a metaphor. In the excerpt, this was used to directly describe the stature of the mule. Given the context, the mule was possibly strong, as in the next sentence it spoke of how he was able to escape quickly.