Question

years passed by. every spring when the roses began to bloom seven youths and seven maidens were put on board of a black - sailed ship and sent to crete to pay the tribute which king minos required. in every house in athens there was sorrow and dread, and the people lifted up their hands to athena on the hilltop and cried out, \how long, o queen of the air, how long shall this thing be?\
in the meanwhile the little child at troezen on the other side of the sea had grown to be a man. his name, theseus, was in everybodys mouth, for he had done great deeds of daring; and at last he had come to athens to find his father, king aegeus, who had never heard whether he was alive or dead; and when the youth had made himself known, the king had welcomed him to his home and all the people were glad because so noble a prince had come to dwell among them and, in time, to rule over their city.
why does the author allow years to pass between the making of the treaty with king minos and the return of aegeuss son, theseus? check all that apply.

• to emphasize how terrible the situation is
• to prove that aegeus is courageous
• to make readers curious about theseuss role in the plot
• to allow theseus to grow and mature
• to cause readers to lose interest

Explanation:

• The repeated annual tribute over years highlights the ongoing, unbearable suffering of Athens, emphasizing the situation's horror.
• The time skip lets Theseus grow from a child to a capable, renowned man, which is necessary for him to take on the tribute challenge.
• Waiting years before introducing Theseus as the potential savior builds reader curiosity about how he will change Athens' fate.
• The other options are incorrect: the passage does not focus on Aegeus's courage, and the time skip is meant to engage, not lose, reader interest.

Answer:

• to emphasize how terrible the situation is
• to make readers curious about Theseus's role in the plot
• to allow Theseus to grow and mature