Key Themes in the books of English 2 Honors

Seamus Heaney

An Irish poet, playwright, and translator.

Beowulf

An Old English epic poem featuring the hero Beowulf.

Shield Sheafson

The legendary Danish king in Beowulf.

Halfdane

The father of Hrothgar in Beowulf.

Hrothgar

The king of the Danes in Beowulf.

Wealhtheow

The queen of the Danes in Beowulf.

Frewaru

The daughter of Hrothgar in Beowulf.

Heorot

The mead hall built by Hrothgar in Beowulf.

Hrunting

The sword given to Beowulf by Unferth.

Naegling

Beowulf's sword used in his final battle.

Geat

A member of the tribe to which Beowulf belongs.

Dane

A member of the Danish people.

Swede

A member of the Swedish people.

Hygelac

The king of the Geats and Beowulf's lord.

Hygd

The queen of Hygelac in Beowulf.

Ecgtheow

Beowulf's father.

Wiglaf

A warrior who helps Beowulf in his final battle.

Aeschere

A trusted advisor to Hrothgar.

Kenning

A compound expression in Old English with metaphorical meaning.

Grendel

A monster defeated by Beowulf.

Queen Modthryth

A character in Beowulf known for her harshness.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Caesura

A pause in a line of poetry.

Sigemund

A character in Beowulf known for his heroic deeds.

Finn

A character in Beowulf associated with a tragic story.

Cain & Abel

Biblical figures representing the theme of fratricide.

John Gardner

An author known for his novel 'Grendel'.

The Shaper

A character in 'Grendel' who represents art and creativity.

Ork

A character in 'Grendel' who is a priest.

Red Horse

A character in 'Grendel' who represents nihilism.

Solipsism

The philosophical idea that only one's mind is sure to exist.

Sophism

A fallacious argument, especially one used deliberately to deceive.

Existentialism

A philosophical theory emphasizing individual existence and freedom.

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience.

Machiavelli

An Italian Renaissance political philosopher known for 'The Prince'.

Nietzsche

A German philosopher known for his critique of traditional morality.

Unferth

A character in Beowulf who challenges Beowulf's reputation.

Hrothulf

A character in Beowulf, related to Hrothgar.

William Shakespeare

An English playwright and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers.

Othello

A tragedy by William Shakespeare about jealousy and betrayal.

Desdemona

The wife of Othello in Shakespeare's play.

Iago

The antagonist in Shakespeare's Othello.

Emilia

Iago's wife and Desdemona's maid in Othello.

Cassio

Othello's loyal lieutenant.

Bianca

A character in Othello, Cassio's love interest.

Duke of Venice

The authority figure in Othello.

Brabantio

Desdemona's father in Othello.

Roderigo

A suitor of Desdemona in Othello.

Gratiano

Brabantio's brother in Othello.

Lodovico

A Venetian nobleman in Othello.

Montano

The governor of Cyprus in Othello.

Cyprus

The setting for part of Othello.

Venice

The setting for the beginning of Othello.

Willow

A symbol of sadness in Othello.

Green-Eyed Monster

A metaphor for jealousy, originating from Othello.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

An American novelist known for 'The Great Gatsby'.

The Great Gatsby

A novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald exploring themes of decadence and idealism.

James Gatz

The real name of Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.

Dan Cody

A wealthy copper magnate who mentored Gatsby.

West Egg

The fictional village representing new money in The Great Gatsby.

East Egg

The fictional village representing old money in The Great Gatsby.

Tom Buchanan

A character in The Great Gatsby, representing the old money elite.

Daisy Buchanan

Gatsby's love interest in The Great Gatsby.

Nick Carraway

The narrator of The Great Gatsby.

Mr. McKee

A character in The Great Gatsby, a photographer.

Myrtle Wilson

Tom Buchanan's mistress in The Great Gatsby.

George Wilson

Myrtle's husband in The Great Gatsby.

Mr. Michaelis

A character in The Great Gatsby, a witness to Myrtle's death.

Meyer Wolfsheim

A character in The Great Gatsby, associated with organized crime.

Jordan Baker

A professional golfer and friend of Daisy in The Great Gatsby.

The Green Light

A symbol of Gatsby's hopes and dreams in The Great Gatsby.

The Valley of Ashes

A desolate area in The Great Gatsby representing moral decay.

Dr. T. J. Eckleburg

A symbol of the eyes watching over the characters in The Great Gatsby.

Alice Walker

An American novelist known for 'The Color Purple'.

The Color Purple

A novel by Alice Walker about the struggles of African American women.

Celie

The protagonist of The Color Purple.

Shug Avery

A singer and Celie's love interest in The Color Purple.

Nettie

Celie's sister in The Color Purple.

Mr.

Celie's abusive husband in The Color Purple.

Albert

Celie's husband, also known as Mr. .

Sofia

A strong-willed character in The Color Purple.

Harpo

Sofia's husband in The Color Purple.

Adam

Celie's son in The Color Purple.

Olivia

Celie's daughter in The Color Purple.

Corrine

Nettie's adoptive mother in The Color Purple.

Samuel

Nettie's adoptive father in The Color Purple.

Roofleaf

A character in The Color Purple.

Olinka

The village where Nettie lives in The Color Purple.

Tashi

A character in The Color Purple.

Folkspants, Unlimited

A fictional company in The Color Purple.

Miss Millie

A character in The Color Purple.

Uncle Bubber Hodges

A character in The Color Purple.

Mary Agnes

A character in The Color Purple.

Squeak

A character in The Color Purple.