An epiphany means a sudden, overwhelming insight or revelation evoked by a commonplace object or a scene in a poem or a work of fiction.Hamilton, Essential Literary Terms (98-111; 150-166) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
One of my favorite plays is The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. In this play, at the ending, the main character, John Proctor has a beautiful epiphany. He is finally able to forgive himself for the sins he has committed, a very hard thing to do while living in a strict Puritan soceity. Proctor simply states, "I can" as he realizes his own worth; however, while this self-reconciliation is admirable, even more inspiring is the ironic fact that this newfound faith leads him to his tragic death as a martyr.