Final answer:
The literary device where one thing is stated as another to describe its meaning more clearly, without using 'like' or 'as', is a metaphor. Therefore, the correct option is B. Metaphor.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stating that one thing is another to describe its meaning more clearly is an important tool in figurative language known as a metaphor. Unlike a simile, which compares two things using 'like' or 'as', a metaphor makes a direct comparison without using those words.
For instance, in the phrase 'Hope is the thing with feathers' by Emily Dickinson, hope is not literally a bird with feathers, but the metaphor vividly demonstrates the idea of hope being light and uplifting.
Similarly, when Hamlet refers to Claudius as a 'snake', it's a metaphor conveying the idea of deceit without stating Claudius is 'like' a snake. Thus, the correct option is B. Metaphor.