Ife is a woman of great virtue She is a woman of great vice illustrate

Analyze the question

The question seems to be a garbled version of: "Ife is a woman of great virtue. She is a woman of great vice. This illustrates ___." We need to name the literary device that sets these two statements side by side.

Explain the concepts

• Antithesis: placing two directly opposite ideas next to each other, usually in balanced phrases, to create contrast. Example: "To err is human; to forgive, divine."
• Alliteration: repeating the same starting consonant sound in nearby words. Example: "Peter Piper picked..."
• Paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth. Example: "The child is father of the man."
• Pathos: language that evokes pity, sorrow, or sympathy.

Work through the solution

1. The sentences contrast "virtue" (goodness) with "vice" (wickedness). These are direct opposites.
2. They are set in parallel structure: "a woman of great virtue" / "a woman of great vice." This balanced, opposing structure is the hallmark of antithesis.
3. Alliteration is not the device here. "Virtue" and "vice" do share a "v" sound, but the point of the sentence is the contrast, not the sound repetition. Pathos is also ruled out because there is no appeal to pity.
4. Paradox is the closest distractor. A paradox would need to be a single statement that seems impossible yet holds a hidden truth. Here we simply have two opposed qualities in parallel phrasing, so antithesis fits better.

Answer: A. antithesis

Exam tip: Look for the structure. If opposite words appear in parallel phrases (good/bad, virtue/vice, love/hate), think antithesis. If one statement contradicts itself but makes a deeper point (e.g., "cruel to be kind"), think paradox.