English II Final Exam Exhaustive Study Guide

Exam Logistics and Administration Information

• Instructor: Mrs. Sullivan
• Subject: English $2$ CP (College Preparatory)
• Exam Date: Wednesday, June $10$, $2026$
• Section Specifics and Locations:
  • English $2$ CP.03-F: Scheduled for $9:15\,\text{AM}$ for a duration of $90$ minutes in room $105$.
  • English $2$ CP.02–H: Scheduled for $9:15\,\text{AM}$ for a duration of $90$ minutes in room $104$.
  • English $2$ CP.01-E: Scheduled for $9:15\,\text{AM}$ for a duration of $90$ minutes in room $104$.
  • Accommodations: Students requiring Extended Time will test in the Library.
• Exam Structure:
  • Objective Section: Multiple choice and matching questions covering all three major texts studied during the second semester.
  • Short-Answer Section: Specifically focused on William Shakespeare's Othello, requiring analysis of literary elements.

Part $1$: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

• Assessment Format: Objective Questions (Multiple Choice and Matching).
• Primary Focus: Analysis of major figures, specific legal battles, and the systemic issues (racial bias, legal injustice) presented in the narrative.
• The Mockingbird Players:
  • You must be able to identify and describe the roles of this group, which consists of the core legal team and the local community members who organized to support the Walter McMillian case.
• Key Figures for Review:
  • Bryan Stevenson: The narrator of the book and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI).
  • Walter McMillian (Johnny D.): The central figure of the memoir; he was falsely accused and convicted of murdering Ronda Morrison.
  • Key Supporters:
    • Minnie McMillian: Walter's wife.
    • Sam Crook: A local white supporter of Walter.
    • Darnell Houston: A witness who provided evidence of Walter's innocence but faced harassment for doing so.
    • Local Community: Review the collective efforts of Monroeville's Black community and their rallying for Walter's freedom.
  • Legal and Official Figures:
    • Monroeville Officials: Review the roles of the police and prosecution in securing a false conviction.
    • Ralph Myers: The key witness whose coerced and fraudulent testimony led to Walter's conviction; review his eventual recanting of his story.
    • Systemic Biases: Identify how these figures represented the broader prejudices within the legal system.

Part $2$: Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

• Assessment Format: Objective Questions focusing on Character Identification.
• Central Subject: The biographical narrative of Artemisia Gentileschi, her artistic development, and her fight for justice.
• Major Characters:
  • Artemisia Gentileschi: The protagonist, a gifted painter struggling against gender constraints in $17\text{th}$-century Italy.
  • Orazio Gentileschi: Artemisia’s father, also a painter.
  • Agostino Tassi: Artemisia’s art tutor and her attacker, who becomes the antagonist in the trial.
• Central Plot and Conflict:
  • Artistic Journey: Artemisia's struggle to be recognized as an artist in her own right.
  • The Assault: The central trauma inflicted by Tassi.
  • The Trial: The grueling legal process where Artemisia was forced to undergo torture (the sibille) to prove the truth of her testimony against Tassi.
• The Biblical Framing (Metaphorical and Spiritual Strength):
  • Artemisia processes her trauma and finds her voice through the stories of two biblical figures:
    • Susanna: Represents the story of a woman falsely accused by corrupt elders and the societal pressure to remain silent in the face of injustice.
    • Judith: Represents a woman who takes direct, powerful action to decapitate her oppressor (Holofernes), serving as a model for Artemisia's inner strength and agency.

Part $3$: Othello by William Shakespeare

• Assessment Format: Objective Questions and a dedicated Short-Answer Section.
• The Tragic Hero Analysis:
  • Noble Standing: Othello begins the play as a respected general of high social and military status.
  • Hamartia (Tragic Flaw): Analyze his specific vulnerabilities, including his deep-seated insecurity regarding his race and age, his intense jealousy, and his extreme susceptibility to manipulation.
  • The Downfall: Othello’s journey from nobility to a state of irrational rage and violence, ending in his suicide after realizing his grave errors.
• Core Themes:
  • Deception and Trickery: The contrast between how things appear and how they actually are, epitomized by the phrase "Honest Iago."
  • Jealousy: famously described in the play as the "green-eyed monster" that consumes a person's ability to reason.
  • Revenge: Serving as the primary motivation for Iago's complex plotting and Othello's eventual destructive actions.
  • Reputation and Honor: Characters like Cassio and Othello view their public image as vital; the play explores how easily this honor can be dismantled.
  • Virtue: Represented by Desdemona’s purity and innocence, which Iago ironically turns into a weapon to destroy her.
  • Trust and Betrayal: The erosion of fundamental bonds between military comrades, friends, and spouses.
  • Lust vs. Love: The thematic tension between genuine, spiritual love and base, animalistic physical desire.
• Motifs and Imagery:
  • Black and White: used to contrast racial dynamics, purity vs. sin, and innocence vs. evil.
  • Animals and Beasts: Dehumanizing animalistic language used primarily by Iago to strip other characters of their human dignity and nobility.
  • Witchcraft/Magic/Poison: Representing both literal accusations (against Othello) and the metaphorical "poison" Iago pours into Othello's ear to corrupt his mind.
  • Sight and Lack of Sight: The conflict between literal vision and spiritual/emotional blindness; Othello’s tragic demand for "ocular proof."
• Symbolism:
  • The Handkerchief: Initially a token of Othello’s love and Desdemona’s fidelity (passed down from Othello’s mother); it is transformed into a fabricated piece of "proof" of her infidelity.
  • The Willow Song: Sung by Desdemona, it symbolizes betrayal, mourning, and the premonition of her impending death.
• Dramatic Devices:
  • Dramatic Irony: When the audience possesses knowledge that the characters on stage do not (e.g., the audience knows Iago is a villain while the characters trust him as "honest").
  • Soliloquy: A speech delivered by a character alone on stage to reveal their inner thoughts and true intentions directly to the audience (e.g., Iago’s soliloquies).

Short-Answer Practice Prompts

• Prompt A (The Tragic Hero & Deception): Analyze how Othello fits the definition of a tragic hero. How do his internal vulnerabilities or flaws make him susceptible to Iago’s deception and trickery, and how does this lead to his ultimate downfall?
• Prompt B (Dramatic Irony & Soliloquy): Explain how Shakespeare uses Iago’s soliloquies to create dramatic irony for the audience. How does knowing Iago’s true intentions affect how the audience views the themes of trust and betrayal unfolding on stage?
• Prompt C (Symbols & Motifs): Track the journey of Desdemona’s handkerchief. Explain how Shakespeare uses this concrete symbol to represent love and virtue at the beginning of the play, and how it transforms into a tool for jealousy and revenge by Act $III/IV$.

Study Recommendations and Strategies

1. Visual Review: Watch the film adaptations of the plays/books if you missed any class sessions.
2. Digital Resources: Review all Discussion Questions and Classwork assignments posted on the Google Classroom page.
3. Quote Analysis: Pay special attention to specific passages highlighted in class, particularly those in Blood Water Paint regarding the stories of Susanna and Judith.
4. Drafting: Use the practice prompts above to draft responses that include a clear claim and specific evidence/quotes from your notes.