ENG I Final Exam Study Guide 2026

Vocabulary-focused flashcards covering grammar rules, drama terms, Romanticism, Greek theater structure, and literary concepts from the ENG I Final Exam study guide.

Possession (Apostrophes)

A grammar rule indicating ownership, such as in Macbeth’s ambition.

Contractions (Apostrophes)

Terms that combine words, such as it’s meaning it is.

Parallel Structure

Keeping sentence structure balanced, for example: Victor likes creating life, studying science, and reading books.

Monologue

A long speech delivered by one character to others or to the audience to reveal thoughts, motivations, and plot information.

Aside

A short comment spoken directly to the audience that other characters supposedly cannot hear, creating dramatic irony.

Dramatic Irony

A situation where the audience knows something the characters do not.

Tragedy

A literary work with a disastrous or sorrowful ending caused by a character’s actions or flaws.

Tragic Hero

A noble or important character with a tragic flaw that causes a downfall.

Hamartia

The tragic flaw of a noble or important character.

Catharsis

The emotional release audiences feel after experiencing pity and fear during tragedy.

Aristotelian Tragedy

A type of drama focusing on one central plot where the hero experiences reversal and recognition, using a chorus for commentary.

Shakespearean Tragedy

A type of drama usually containing multiple subplots and comic scenes for relief, often ending in tragic death.

Romanticism

A reaction against the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution that prioritized emotion, imagination, and nature.

The Sublime

Experiences so powerful they exceed rational understanding, often connected to awe, terror, or vastness in nature.

Orchestra

The circular dancing area for the chorus in a Greek theater.

Theatron

The seating area for the audience in a Greek theater.

Skene

The building behind the stage in a Greek theater.

Parodos

Entrances and exits for the chorus in a Greek theater.

Prologue

The part of Greek tragedy that introduces the setting and conflict.

Chorus

A group in Greek tragedy that sings, comments, and reacts.

Episodes

The main action scenes in the structure of a Greek tragedy.

Stasima

The songs that separate episodes in a Greek tragedy.

Exodus

The final scene and exit in a Greek tragedy.

Satyr Plays

Plays that followed tragedies to ease audiences back into reality.

Allusion

A reference to another work, such as Frankenstein referencing Paradise Lost by John Milton.

Symbolism

The use of objects, settings, or characters to represent deeper meanings, such as nature representing healing.

Narrative Point of View

The perspective of the story; in Frankenstein, it includes multiple narrators: Walton, Victor, and the Creature.

Theme

The central message or idea in a work.

Characterization

How an author develops characters through actions, speech, and thoughts.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story.

Recognition

In Aristotelian tragedy, this is when the hero realizes the truth; in Shakespearean tragedy, the hero may not fully understand their flaw.

Relief

In drama, provided by the chorus in Aristotelian tragedy or comic scenes in Shakespearean tragedy.