"she kept near him, however, and when he exclaimed, "alas! alas! she answered him with the same words." what is described in this passage? a) a nymph whom narcissus once scorned is now scorning him. b) hera is mocking narcissus in order to punish him for the way he treats women. c) echo is taunting narcissus after he has treated her badly. d) echo, who has already been punished, hovers around narcissus repeating his words.

The passage that is shown above is from a passage of “Stories of Gods and Heroes”,” XIII. b. Echo and Narcissus”

Echo was a Nymph whom the forest who was in love with Narcissus, but a goddess cursed for having lied to her, in the following quotation from the story we can read the happenings.

“Echo by her talk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs made their escape. When Juno discovered it, she passed sentence upon Echo in these words: “You shall forfeit the use of that tongue with which you have cheated me, except for that one purpose you are so fond of—reply. You shall still have the last word, but no power to speak first.”

So the final answer is:

D) Echo, who has already been punished, hovers around Narcissus repeating his words.