Identify the figure of speech in the following: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

Antithesis is a figure of speech in which contrasting ideas are placed in parallel grammatical structures to highlight their opposition. 'Best' and 'worst' are direct opposites placed in parallel clauses, making this a classic example of antithesis. Hyperbole involves exaggeration, while synecdoche uses a part to represent the whole.