Death lays his icy hands on the king. The figure of speech used in the sentence is
The figure of speech used in the sentence "Death lays his icy hands on the king" is Personification.
This is because personification involves attributing human characteristics to non-human or abstract entities. In this case, the abstract concept of death is given human-like actions and qualities—laying hands, which are described as 'icy'—thus bringing it to life in the imagination of the reader.