Epiphany Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.9-10.2

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

An epiphany is the single point in time where a character comes to earth-shattering awareness of something that drives the remainder of the story. When an epiphany is presented by an author in literature it often comes in the form of a subtle, consistent theme or aspect. Epiphanies have been used by authors to create some the most compelling events from everyday mundane instances in a story. This technique can also result in a sense of hope for the reader because they often relate well to the real world. These worksheets will help students explore this literary technique and help students learn how to use in their own compositions.

Epiphany Worksheets To Print:

The Beginning - This worksheet would like you to read Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem "Renascence."

True or False - See what you is the most important thing for you to focus on.

What's Missing? - When can you complete this type of work?

Brainstorm - What is the significance of this strategy as a literary device?

Anagnorisis - This is a more character driven strategy that authors use.

Frequency - How often should this device be used in a story?

The Dead - Read The Dead by James Joyce. Identify the passage in which a character has this experience and quote it below.

To Kill a Mockingbird - What is this book about? Who narrates the story?

Fahrenheit 451 - There are a few instances of that.

My Story - You can quickly and easily apply this to any story you are reading.

Hamlet - What is Hamlet like for most of the play?

Turning Point - Tried to put your finger on where the story goes and makes a hard turn.

Significance - Explore the impact that something like this has.

Pointing at It - Briefly summarize the story that you are reading and pick out special points.

Experiences - Would you characterize this experience as philosophical, spiritual, or personal?

What Is an Epiphany in Literature?


An epiphany is defined as the moment in a story or sequence of events when someone suddenly gets a realization of something that can alter the course of events. In other words, an epiphany can be defined as the "Aha!" moment. An epiphany can be something small like realizing how your actions are affecting others in the heat of an argument or finally understanding how to solve a complex problem that you have been working on for some time.

The term epiphany gained prominence when James Joyce used it in his novel Stephen Hero. He defined an epiphany as the moment when "the soul of the commonest object... seems to us radiant, and may be manifested through any chance, word, or gesture."


In literature, an epiphany is when a character finally understands how to do something or understands something that had been troubling them for some time. Think of it as the moment when a detective is finally able to see through the smoke and understand who the culprit was and crack the case.


Examples Of In Literature


There are many different examples in fiction when a character had an epiphany and the story was changed.


To Kill a Mockingbird


"I turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie's, Miss Stephanie's-there was our house, I could see the porch swing-Miss Rachel's house was beyond us, plainly visible. I could even see Mrs. Dubose's... Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough."


In this section, the main character, a girl named Scout, gets an epiphany where she is finally able to make sense of the things that her father has been trying to teach her. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book about how different races lived in the deep south. In this passage, she realized that people deserved to be treated with kindness, regardless of their skin color.


Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets


"Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" And she sprinted away, up the stairs. "What does she understand?" said Harry distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from. "Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head. "But why’s she got to go to the library?" "Because that’s what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library.


In this section, Harry Potter hears something the others don't because only he can speak in parseltongue. However, it is Hermione's epiphany that tells her to go to the library because when she was found in the library, she was holding a page about basilisks with the words ‘pipe’ written behind it. She realizes the monster must live in the pipes.