The question is based on William’s Shakespeare’s OTHELLO ill-starred wench: Pale as thy smoke; When we shall…

Analyze the question

The quoted line is from Othello (Act 5, Scene 2), where Othello addresses the dead Desdemona:

"Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starred wench! Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt, This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven..."

The question's text has "smoke" but the original word is "smock" (a woman's undergarment or nightgown). This is a typing error in the question. The device is in the phrase "Pale as thy smock."

Explain the concept

• Simile: a direct comparison between two unlike things using "as" or "like."
• Metaphor: an implied comparison without "as" or "like."
• Pun: wordplay using a word with double meanings.
• Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory but contains truth.

Show the solution

1. Othello looks at Desdemona's lifeless, pale face.
2. He compares her paleness to her white smock: "Pale as thy smock."
3. The comparison uses the word "as", so it is direct and explicit.
4. It is not a metaphor, since she is not said to be a smock. It is not a pun, since there is no double meaning. It is not a paradox, since there is no contradiction.

This is a simile.

Answer: A. Simile

Exam tip: Look for the signal words "as" and "like." If you see "as ... as" or "like," think simile first. If the comparison is stated outright ("He is a lion"), think metaphor.