World Literature Final Exam Study Guide 2025–2026

Vocabulary and concept flashcards covering major works, characters, and themes for the 2025–2026 World Literature Final Exam.

Romeo

A main character in Romeo and Juliet who is part of the central tragic romance and is eventually banished.

Juliet

A main character in Romeo and Juliet who participates in a secret marriage and a potion plan.

Mercutio

A character in Romeo and Juliet whose death is a major turning point in the play.

Tybalt

A character in Romeo and Juliet whose death leads to Romeo's banishment.

Friar Laurence

A character in Romeo and Juliet who performs the secret marriage and makes mistakes during the potion plan.

Star-crossed lovers

A term used in Romeo and Juliet to describe the couple fated for tragedy.

Fate vs. Free Will

A major theme in Romeo and Juliet exploring whether events are predestined or chosen.

Old Major

A character in Animal Farm who helps inspire the revolution.

Napoleon

A character in Animal Farm who uses specific methods and propaganda to corrupt power.

Snowball

A character in Animal Farm involved in the initial leadership of the farm.

Squealer

A character in Animal Farm who represents the theme of propaganda and manipulation.

Boxer

A character in Animal Farm whose specific role and fate are central to the story's meaning.

Benjamin

A character in Animal Farm who is often skeptical of the changes on the farm.

Russian Revolution

The historical event that serves as the allegory for the story Animal Farm.

Windmill

A key symbol in Animal Farm representing the animals' labor and the pigs' manipulation.

Don Quixote

The protagonist of Don Quixote who possesses a tragic flaw and struggles with imagination vs. reality.

Sancho Panza

The companion and squire to Don Quixote.

Dulcinea

A character in Don Quixote who serves as the protagonist's idealized lady.

Rocinante

The name of Don Quixote's horse.

Windmills (Don Quixote)

A famous obstacle Don Quixote attacks, representing the conflict between appearance and reality.

Santha Rama Rau

The author of the story By Any Other Name.

British India

The setting of By Any Other Name, characterized by cultural prejudice and forced name changes.

Grace Ogot

The author of the story When the Rain Came.

Oganda

A character in When the Rain Came who is selected as a sacrifice during a drought.

Osinda

A character in When the Rain Came involved in the conflict between tradition and individual desires.

Filial Piety

A Confucian concept defined as respect for one's parents.

Confucius

A philosopher who taught that leadership should be by example and that education builds character.

A Canary's Ideas

A satirical story where a canary views humans as inferior and misunderstands reality.

Allegory

A literary term for a story where characters and events symbolize deeper political or historical meanings, such as Animal Farm.

Satire

A literary term for using humor or exaggeration to criticize stupidity or vices, used in A Canary's Ideas.

Dramatic Irony

A literary term used when the audience knows something the characters do not, especially prominent in Romeo and Juliet.

Theme

A literary term referring to the central idea or underlying message of a work, such as 'Power can corrupt leaders.'

Symbol

A literary term for an object or image that represents a larger idea, such as the sheep or dogs in Animal Farm.