Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is option b) The angel was dead; what then remained? This usage follows the rule that a semicolon should connect two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning and can stand alone as sentences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires selecting the correct use of a semicolon to punctuate the italicized sentences. The correct answer follows the rule that a semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning, and either can stand alone as a sentence.
The correct option is: The angel was dead; what then remained? In this sentence, both 'The angel was dead' and 'what then remained' are independent clauses that are closely related and the semicolon appropriately indicates that the second clause is a continuation or a consequence of the first.
Option b is actually a repetition of this sentence and is equally correct. Option c is incorrect because it places the semicolon in the wrong position, breaking the first independent clause awkwardly ('The angel was dead so;'). Option d is incorrect because the semicolon should not be followed by the conjunction 'and' since both parts are already capable of standing alone as separate sentences.