What is a key difference between a theme and a central idea?

a. a central idea is specific to a genre, such as epic poetry, while a theme is specific to a medium, such as written text.
b. a central idea is relatively neutral, while a theme makes some kind of moral point.
c. a central idea is a concept that a written work suggests, while a theme is a concept that it states directly.
d. a theme is shown by characterization or plot, while a central idea is shown by rhetoric or stated directly.

the answer is d. the theme is the central message in the text. the plot and the characterization build up the theme. thus it is not direclty mentioned in the text.themes are universal can be taken out and applied to other texts.

whereas the   central idea is stated directly in the text. the reader learns what   the story is about to the central idea.main ideas are not universal because they only apply to the text they belong. we can say they are unique.

" these violent delights have violent ends"

explanation:

  dante alighieri wrote the divine comedy, a description of a spititual journey. when he wrote it , he was in exile. in florence, dante's native city, there was a social strife, they had political turmoil, and some of the   florentine names included in the narrative may have been a way that dante used to criticize his fellow citizens.