ENG I Final Exam Study Guide 2026

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering grammar rules, drama terms, Romanticism ideals, Greek theater structures, and literary concepts from the ENG I Final Exam Study Guide.

Possession (Apostrophes)

The use of an apostrophe to show ownership, such as in the example Macbeth’s ambition.

Contractions

Combinations of words using an apostrophe, such as it’s for it is.

Parallel Structure

A balanced sentence structure where parts of the sentence follow the same grammatical pattern, such as Victor likes creating life, studying science, and reading books.

Monologue

A long speech delivered by one character to others or to the audience, intended 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 and revealing private thoughts.

Dramatic Irony

A literary device where the audience knows something that the characters in the work 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 their downfall.

Hamartia

The tragic flaw of a hero that causes their downfall.

Catharsis

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

Aristotelian Tragedy

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

Shakespearean Tragedy

A realistic and complicated form of drama usually containing multiple subplots, often ending in tragic death and using comic scenes for relief.

Romanticism

A movement that reacted against the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, prioritizing emotion over reason and nature as powerful and spiritual.

The Sublime

Experiences so powerful they exceed rational understanding, often connected to awe, terror, or the 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 located behind the stage in a Greek theater.

Parodos

The entrances and exits used by the chorus in a Greek theater.

Structure of Greek Tragedy (Prologue)

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

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 in Greek theater to ease audiences back into reality.

Allusion

A reference to another work; in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley references Paradise Lost by John Milton.

Symbolism

The use of objects, settings, or characters to represent deeper meanings, such as nature symbolizing healing and emotional truth.

Narrative Point of View (Frankenstein)

The novel uses multiple narrators: Walton, Victor, and the Creature.

Theme

The central message or idea in a literary work.

Characterization

The process by which an author develops characters through actions, speech, and thoughts.

Strong Essay Structure

An introduction with a thesis, followed by $3$ body paragraphs with evidence and analysis, and a conclusion.