IXL | Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source

Read the source of the allusion.

Don Quixote is the main character in Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's novel of the same name. Quixote cannot see the world as it truly is; in his overly romanticized view, inns are castles and windmills are giants.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below?

The mayoral candidate was widely viewed as quixotic, so it was no surprise that he lost by a substantial margin.

intentionally misleading

naively idealistic

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question

Read the source of the allusion.

During the Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, an essay that claims that achieving and maintaining political power requires dishonesty and ruthlessness.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below?

His Machiavellian strategies landed him a promotion.

kind and understanding

deceptive and cutthroat

key idea

An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.

The protean nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.

The word protean is an allusion to the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology. Because the sea is constantly changing, to describe something as protean suggests that it is variable or in flux.

solution

An allusion references ideas and events from its original source. Look at the underlined part of the source to better understand the meaning of the allusion.

During the Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, an essay that claims that achieving and maintaining political power requires dishonesty and ruthlessness.

The allusion Machiavellian means deceptive and cutthroat.

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