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(Tragedy of Macbeth)

Read the quotation from Act V, Scene 8, lines 9-10.

As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air
With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed.

How do these lines illustrate inverted sentence structure?

A. A verb follows its direct object.

B. A predicate precedes the subject.

C. A subject comes between a helping verb and a main verb.

D. A prepositional phrase comes before the verb it modifies.

2 Answers

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Final answer:

In the provided quote from Macbeth, the inverted sentence structure means that the predicate precedes the subject, creating an inversion commonly used by Shakespeare to preserve the iambic pentameter rhythm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lines from Act V, Scene 8 of The Tragedy of Macbeth illustrate inverted sentence structure in a way that can be somewhat confusing. Shakespeare often used inversion, especially in iambic pentameter, to maintain the rhythm of the verse. The inverted sentence structure is identified by analyzing the sequence and placement of the grammatical components such as the subject, verb, and object.

In the given lines 'As easy mayst thou the intrenchant air With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed.', the normal word order (subject-verb-object) is changed to accommodate the meter and rhythm of the line. Here, the predicate 'mayst impress' (which includes a helping verb and a main verb) is split by the insertion of the direct object 'the intrenchant air' and a prepositional phrase 'with thy keen sword', thus creating an inverted sentence structure.

Looking at the options given, the closest fit to the structure of the lines in question is option B, where a predicate precedes the subject, which creates the inversion. The predicate components are placed before the grammatical subject (thou) of the clause.

User Jeromej
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5 votes

Answer:

The correct answer is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

A predicate precedes the subject. In this sentence, the predicate "impress with thy keen sword" comes before the subject "thou" (you). This is an example of inverted sentence structure, where the normal subject-verb order is reversed for emphasis or poetic effect.

User Jose Villalta
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