Bunuel
Shakespeare’s Hamlet was based on a style of morality plays, wherein personifications of vice and virtue fight over a man’s soul; Shakespeare’s originality
lay in the fact that he integrated these personifications into the internal psyche of the protagonist.
(A) lay in the fact that he integrated these
(B) lay in the fact of his integrating these
(C) laid in the fact of his integrating these
(D) lay in his integration of these
(E) laid in his integration of these
Since this sentence is stating a universal truth or fact. We need to use present tense "lay" instead of the past tense "laid". On basis of this we can eliminate options C and E.
(A) lay in the fact that he integrated these
Unnecessarily wordy because of "in the fact" and the correct idiom should be "integration of".
Eliminate this option.(B) lay in the fact of his integrating these
Unnecessarily wordy because of "in the fact" and the correct idiom should be "integration of".
Eliminate this option.(C) laid in the fact of his integrating these
Incorrectly uses the past tense "laid" we need to use present tense "lay".
Eliminate this option.(D) lay in his integration of these
This seems
correct option. Correctly uses the present tense "lay" and the correct idiom "integration of". Let's keep this.
(E) laid in his integration of these
Though it correctly uses "integration of" but it incorrectly uses the past tense "laid".
Therefore eliminate this option.
The correct answer is option D.