Final Exam

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

1.Personification occurs when an inanimate object or concept is given the qualities of a person or animal. Read the following quote by Juliet— “For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night / Whiter than new snow on a raven’s back. / Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night” (Act III Sc. 2). How is this quote an example of personification? What inanimate object is being given the qualities of a human or animal?

2. An oxymoron describes when two juxtaposed words have opposing or very diverse meanings.

Read the following quote from Juliet – “Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical!” (Act III, Scene 2). How is this quote an example of an oxymoron? What words with diverse meanings are being compared?

3. Foreshadowing is a reference to something that will happen later in the story. Read the following quote from Juliet:

“Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun.” (Act III Sc. 2)

How is this quote an example of foreshadowing as it pertains to Romeo and Juliet? Explain.

4. A metaphor is an implied comparison between two unlike things. Read the following quote from Romeo, “Juliet is the sun.” What is being compared? What is Romeo trying to say about Juliet?

5. Describe the meanings of the terms “protagonist” and “antagonist.” Who is the main protagonist of Romeo and Juliet? Who is the main antagonist of Romeo and Juliet? Why? Explain.

“The Odyssey” by Homer

1. Read the following passage from The Odyssey, “...straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and I leaned on it turning it as a shipwreck turns a drill.” Is this an example of a simile? How do you know? What is being compared? Explain.

2. Read the following passage from The Odyssey, “When Dawn [light] spread out her finger tips of rose.” Is this an example of personification? Why or why not? What is being given human qualities in the passage?

3. Hospitality is one of the major themes in The Odyssey. What is hospitality? Provide an example of a time when Odysseus was treated with hospitality. Also, provide an example of when Odysseus was not treated with hospitality.

4.Another major theme in The Odyssey is loyalty. What is loyalty? Provide examples of how Penelope and Telemachus show their loyalty to Odysseus.

5. Vengeance is another prevalent theme within The Odyssey. What is vengeance? Why does Poseidon seek vengeance on Odysseus? Why does Odysseus seek vengeance on the suitors? Explain.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

1. Who is the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird? How would you describe this character? What point of view is the story told from? How do you know? Explain.

2. One of the major themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the coexistence of good and evil. Which character(s) represent “good” within the story? Why? Which character(s) represent “evil” within the story? Why? Explain.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a fictional town within what state? What time period does To Kill a Mockingbird take place in? How does the setting influence the trial and subsequent verdict of Tom Robinson?

4. When describing the house fire, Scout says that it “looks like a pumpkin.” What literary term is this an example of? How do you know? Explain.

5. One of the major themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is innocence. The theme of innoncence and the loss of it as Scout and Jem grow up is explores throughout the novel. What are some of the injustices that Jem and Scout encounter that cause them to lose their innocence?