ENGL 205 World Literature Final Exam Vocabulary Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key characters, literary concepts, and terminology for ENGL 205 World Literature.

Gilgamesh

King of Uruk and central hero of the Mesopotamian epic; moves from oppressive power and fame-seeking to grief, fear of death, and a deeper understanding of human limits.

Enkidu

Wild man created as Gilgamesh’s counterpart; becomes his closest friend. His movement into civilization and later death drive the two major halves of the epic.

Aruru

Creator goddess who forms Enkidu in response to the suffering caused by Gilgamesh.

Shamhat

Woman who brings Enkidu from the animal world toward human society and civilization.

Ninsun

Gilgamesh’s mother; wise/divine figure who interprets dreams and supports the bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Humbaba

Supernatural guardian of the Cedar Forest; defeated by Gilgamesh and Enkidu with Shamash’s help.

Shamash

Sun god and major divine helper of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, especially during the Humbaba expedition.

Ishtar

Goddess who proposes marriage to Gilgamesh; after his rejection, she helps bring the Bull of Heaven against Uruk.

Bull of Heaven

Divine creature sent against Gilgamesh; its death contributes to the gods’ decision that one companion must die.

Siduri

Tavern keeper at the edge of the world; encounters the grieving Gilgamesh and directs him toward Utnapishtim.

Urshanabi

Utnapishtim’s boatman; takes Gilgamesh across the Waters of Death and later returns with him to Uruk.

Utnapishtim

Flood survivor granted exceptional life; explains why his immortality is a unique divine exception and tests Gilgamesh.

Ea

God who warns Utnapishtim about the coming flood and instructs him to build the boat.

nostos

Homecoming; the central goal organizing Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey.

metis

Cunning intelligence, strategy, and adaptability; the central heroic strength of Odysseus.

xenia

Guest-host relationship / hospitality; used in Greek literature to distinguish proper and improper social behavior.

kleos

Fame/glory/reputation; useful for comparing Greek heroic values with Gilgamesh’s desire for a lasting name.

hubris / pride

In The Odyssey, Odysseus’s pride that can undermine his intelligence, especially when he reveals his identity to Polyphemus.

Penelope

Odysseus’s wife; resists the suitors, uses her own intelligence and delay tactics, and tests Odysseus before accepting his identity.

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus and Penelope; begins inexperienced and develops through his search for news and his participation in restoring the household.

Athena

Odysseus’s principal divine supporter; protects, disguises, advises, and helps both Odysseus and Telemachus.

Poseidon

Odysseus’s principal divine opponent; father of Polyphemus and source of much of the delayed homecoming.

Polyphemus

Cyclops and son of Poseidon; violates hospitality, is defeated by the 'Noman' trick, and curses Odysseus after the hero reveals his name.

Circe

Powerful enchantress who turns crewmen into pigs, later restores them, hosts the crew, and gives crucial directions for the Underworld and later dangers.

Tiresias

Dead Theban prophet consulted in the Underworld; warns Odysseus about the cattle of Helios and his homecoming.

Eumaeus

Loyal swineherd who shelters the disguised Odysseus and helps him and Telemachus against the suitors.

Eurycleia

Old nurse who recognizes Odysseus by his scar while washing his feet and keeps the recognition secret.

Jeli / Griot

Hereditary oral artist, genealogist, musician, praise singer, spokesperson, and diplomat in Mande West Africa who keeps ancestors and heroic exploits alive in communal memory.

Sunjata

Central Mande hero; foretold child who cannot initially walk, grows through exile, returns to defeat Sumaworo, and becomes a leader whose power depends on strength, knowledge, allies, and kinship.

Sogolon

Sunjata’s mother; central to his identity and motivation. Her humiliation triggers his first great display of strength, and her death creates the burial-plot challenge during exile.

Sumaworo

Supernaturally protected ruler and principal antagonist in Sunjata; his domination of Manden creates the crisis that calls Sunjata home.

Fakoli

Important ally in the coalition against Sumaworo; illustrates how Sunjata’s success depends on political and military relationships rather than solitary heroism.

Marco Polo

Venetian traveler and central observer/narrative figure associated with the journey through Asia in The Diversity of the World.

Kublai Khan

Mongol ruler and major political figure in Marco Polo's account; his court and empire demonstrate the size, wealth, organization, and diversity of the Mongol Empire.

ren

Humaneness/benevolence in Confucianism; ethical concern for others and cultivated humane conduct.

li

Ritual/propriety in Confucianism; proper behavior, ceremonies, social forms, and habits that shape character and order.

xiao

Filial piety in Confucianism; respect/duty within family relationships, especially toward parents/elders.

junzi

The exemplary or cultivated person in Confucianism; defined by moral development rather than simply birth/status.

government by example

Confucian political principle that the ruler’s conduct matters and moral example can produce order more effectively than coercion alone.

Sufism

Mystical practices within Islam involving music, poetry, and spiritual union that could resonate across religious boundaries.

virtù

Political capacity/skill in Machiavelli's thought: decisiveness, adaptability, force, judgment, and the ability to shape circumstances, distinct from modern moral 'virtue.'

fortuna

Fortune/chance/circumstance in Machiavelli's thought: forces a ruler cannot fully control but must anticipate and respond to.

appearance vs. reality

Machiavellian concept that a ruler’s public image matters politically and appearing to possess admired qualities can be strategically important.

fear and love

Machiavellian problem of whether a ruler should be loved or feared; emphasizes that fear is politically more reliable, though avoiding hatred is essential.

Cesare Borgia

Historical figure frequently used in The Prince as an example of bold political action, calculated force, and attempts to secure a newly acquired state.