Question

Read the excerpt from "The Storyteller." "Were there any sheep in the park?” demanded Cyril. "No;” said the bachelor, "there were no sheep.” "Why weren’t there any sheep?” came the inevitable question arising out of that answer. The aunt permitted herself a smile, which might almost have been described as a grin. "There were no sheep in the park,” said the bachelor, "because the Prince’s mother had once had a dream that her son would either be killed by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him. For that reason the Prince never kept a sheep in his park or a clock in his palace.” Which statement best explains the situational irony in the passage? Cyril expects there to be sheep in the park, but there are not. The aunt hopes that the bachelor cannot answer Cyril’s questions, but he can. The prince’s mother fears that her son will be killed by a sheep, but he is not. The bachelor wants the children to listen quietly, but Cyril asks a question.

Answer 1

The statement describing the situational irony in 'The Storyteller' is that the prince’s mother took extreme action to protect her son from a highly unlikely danger, which reflects the unexpectedness and excessiveness of the caution.

Step-by-step explanation:

Looking at the provided excerpts from various literary works, these passages do not seem to relate directly to the initial question which refers to a specific excerpt from "The Storyteller." The situational irony in that passage arises from the expectation set by the prince’s mother to protect her son from an unlikely danger, that is, being killed by a sheep. Since the passage describes a proactive measure taken to protect against an improbable threat, the irony lies in the unexpected and unnecessary degree of caution.

Answer 2

c

Step-by-step explanation: