How To Get Full Marks (OCR GCSE English Literature): Model Answers

Extract Question

• Thorough Textual Analysis: Engage deeply with the text, focusing on how Shakespeare's use of literary devices such as imagery, metaphor, and irony enhances the meaning of the extract. Discuss the significance of the play's structure, such as soliloquies or dialogue exchanges, and how they contribute to character development or thematic exploration.

• Contextual Understanding: Demonstrate a clear understanding of the social, historical, and political context in which the play was written and how these factors influence the characters and themes. For example, explore how Elizabethan views on fate, power, or gender roles are reflected in the characters' actions and motivations.

• Effective Use of Quotations: Select short, relevant quotations from the extract to support your points. Each quotation should be analysed in detail, explaining how it contributes to the overall themes or character arcs within the play.

• Linking to the Whole Play: Show how the themes or character developments in the extract connect to the rest of the play. This could involve referencing earlier or later scenes where similar themes or character traits are explored, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the play.

  • Example: In Romeo and Juliet, if analysing the extract where Romeo declares, "O, I am fortune's fool!" you could discuss how this reflects the play's ongoing theme of fate and destiny. You might link this to the prologue's reference to "star-crossed lovers" and explore how Shakespeare consistently develops the theme of fate throughout the play.

Essay Question

• Comprehensive Analysis: Provide a detailed examination of the theme or character across the entire play. Use multiple examples from different parts of the text to support your points, showing how Shakespeare develops these ideas throughout the play.

• Contextual and Critical Insight: Show an understanding of the play's context, including how historical and social factors influence the portrayal of the theme or character. Engage with critical perspectives where relevant, demonstrating an awareness of how different interpretations can offer deeper insights.

• Structured Argument: Organise your essay clearly, with a strong introduction, well-developed paragraphs, and a concise conclusion. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the theme or character, with clear links between your points.

  • Example: For an essay on the theme of power in Macbeth, you could explore how Shakespeare presents power through Macbeth's ambition and Lady Macbeth's manipulation. Discuss how their relationship and actions reveal the corrupting influence of power, linking this to the play's broader themes of guilt and fate.