Read the passage from 1 Henry VI (act 2, scene 3) and answer the question that follows.

Is this the scourge of France?
Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad
That with his name the mothers still their babes?
I see report is fabulous and false:
I thought I should have seen some Hercules,
A second Hector, for his grim aspect,
And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.
Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf!
It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp
Should strike such terror to his enemies.

What impact does the use of the references to Hercules and Hector have on the passage?

Question

Read the passage from 1 Henry VI (act 2, scene 3) and answer the question that follows.

Is this the scourge of France?
Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad
That with his name the mothers still their babes?
I see report is fabulous and false:
I thought I should have seen some Hercules,
A second Hector, for his grim aspect,
And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.
Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf!
It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp
Should strike such terror to his enemies.

What impact does the use of the references to Hercules and Hector have on the passage?

anonymous · Answer

The references show the speaker preparing for war like Hercules and Hector.
The references portray Talbot favorably compared to Hercules and Hector.
The references are used to contrast Hercules and Hector with Talbot.
The references explain why Talbot is so feared compared to Hercules and Hector.