What is the difference between language, form and structure?
How can I write about them in my exam? How can I even identify these things?! This video explains more.
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When you sit the GCSE, you will find that Shakespeare and the modern novel (Lord of the Flies) are on the same paper. For your mock, you will sit Jekyll and Hyde, plus Macbeth, so it's a little different.
This video tells you how to plan the Shakespeare questions 1a and 1b (extract-based and full-text). It might help to make notes as you watch. This is a valuable resource that focuses on the top bands, so if you're aiming high then it's a must-watch. Answering the whole-text question for part 2 of the Macbeth paper is easier than it seems. However, it does require you to fully read the question, and to understand exactly what it is you have been asked to do. Consider: Explore the importance of conflict elsewhere in the play. Look at the question - really read it. What have you been asked to do? If you rewrite the question (as you know, I'm a fan of this), you end up with: How important is conflict in the play? Aha! You can already see that you may have mis-read the question, initially. Many students do mis-read, and answer a different question (usually, how is conflict presented in the play?). Now that we know we are discussing the importance of conflict, we can begin to plan. A good place to start is with a box plan. I've mocked one up here, but it is quite text-heavy. Yours should have absolutely no more writing than this - preferably less. All you need to do is think about the important conflicts in the play - and why they are important... See how in the intro box, I've answered the question briefly already - I've looked at how important I think conflict is in the play, and why, leaving the gateway open to explore my statement in more detail. Let's look at the mark scheme: As you can see, this is a critical analysis essay that requires you to synthesise, evaluate and interpret a range of information. You can read more about critical analysis here. For Band 3 and higher, note that you need a clear personal response. This means that you need an opinion - you're not just telling us what happens, but why it happens, why it is important and why it matters. For Band 4, note that you also need a range of effective points. That means that you need to look at a variety of ideas - not just one or two. This is why the box plan helps - it gives you a clear range of points to play with. Let's look at some modelled answers from the exam board. Candidate 1: 17 marks This candidate's response is excellent. Take some time to read over it, paying particular attention to their overview opening paragraph: Note in particular how this candidate looks outside the physical events of the play and moves further into the themes of the play, looking at how these themes are reflected in the central characters. Examiner Feedback: The response is assured and maturely written, illustrating a high level of engagement with the text and the presentation of conflict, through ‘the relationships between characters and between good and evil’. The candidate discusses the impact of the witches in Act 1 and the conflict of ‘illusion and reality’, which is supported with well-chosen references to fully support the points made. The candidate similarly explores the mental conflict of Lady Macbeth and her ‘sleepwalking and obsessive cleaning of her hands.’ Some mention is made of context and the impact of the witches on the audience; however, there is a lack of exploration of further areas of context and its relationship to the text in the rest of the response. You will also notice that the response is concise - this candidate hit Band 5 in only 1.5 pages. Candidate 2: 15 marks This response is more focused on events within the play, but has a clear focus on the role that conflict plays in these events. Notice how it doesn't just look at how conflict is presented, but also at why these particular events are important.
Examiner Feedback: A developed, personal response, illustrating a secure knowledge of the play and the presentation of control. The candidate considers three areas: the control of the witches; Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s mental conflict in the killing of Duncan and the conflict at the end of the play between Macbeth and Macduff. The critical style is maintained and close textual reference is made to support points. The response, however, does not fully explore the relationship between context and text and this has to be taken into account when awarding a mark. The candidate here could have said something about Lady Macbeth's subverted role - she is a powerful woman exerting control over Macbeth - to earn more marks. They could have also referred to the role of the female as a whole as they have mentioned the witches. You only get 5 marks for context, but boy, do those marks count... Both of these papers are high-level responses but both of them are also of the quality that you are capable of. You possess the same knowledge as these two candidates; it is shaping this knowledge that is your obstacle to overcome. A good idea for revision is to spend a few minutes each week practising planning responses. Follow the same pattern each time:
Here are some questions you could try:
I'm always happy to help with revision, so if you want any more questions, just come to see me. This is an example, from Edexcel, of a top-level response to Question 1 (the extract question) of the Macbeth paper. It's really important to see examples of papers like this as it allows you to reflect on your own practice and identify where you need to make changes or improvements. This example is a solid example of writing critically, not narratively - something we all need to learn to do better. Edexcel Examiner Response: A cohesive evaluation of the extract, showing a high level of engagement with the character of Lady Macbeth and how she is ‘an antithesis of a Jacobean woman’. Discussion is made of her relationship with Macbeth and how she has ‘power over him’ and is able to ‘convince him’ to go through with the murder of Duncan. Mention is made of Shakespeare’s use of bathos to contrast ‘Macbeth’s worry with Lady Macbeth’s determination’ and the candidate considers the impact of imperative verbs and supports points with close reference to the text. The response uses some relevant subject terminology, which is integrated. Apart from the verbs ‘give’ and ‘get’, the response requires focus on additional language or structural devices to place this piece at the very top of Level 5. The next example is a 14-mark response. It's a good idea to read this and compare it to the response above, thinking about what makes the first response a higher-graded one. Read the response and then look at the examiner feedback. Edexcel Examiner Response:
Although the response opens with a contextual point which is not awarded for this part of the paper, the comment made does help to establish the reason for the unusual presentation of Lady Macbeth as a woman who ‘asserts her power’ over her husband. The candidate establishes a cohesive and detailed analysis of the extract and supports every point with appropriate and relevant textual evidence. Exploration is made of key words from the exemplifications selected; however, although the response is a good example of a Level 5 in its composition, the candidate does not explore specific language, form or structural devices in the same way as the previous candidate or use relevant terminology to develop points. This, therefore, needs to be taken into account. So you can see that the lack of focus on structure has hit this candidate hard, as has the reference to context, which isn't marked here. It's good to remember what you read here, as these responses have come direct from the exam board. The guidance and feedback here is the closest you can get to directly conversing with your examiners before you sit the paper. Your GCSE Literature exam for Shakespeare asks you to explore an extract from the play in order to win 20 marks (50% of the total). This sounds simple, but often students can miss the point and lose valuable marks by making simple errors that can be easily fixed. This post will help you begin to approach the extract question in a more focused manner, in order to achieve the maximum number of marks. The Task Read through this question and think about how you're going to approach it. Explore how Shakespeare presents Macduff and Malcolm in this extract. Step 1: Redraft the Question So, what have you been asked to do? It's always a good idea to redraft the question. This enables you to really focus on what it is you've been asked to do. We could rewrite this one as thus - I have to:
Step 2: Read and Annotate the Text Once we've re-drafted the question, we can read the text and start to make notes. Remember, we are being asked to look at something specific - so you need to make your annotations relevant! It would be a good idea to begin by looking at the roles of Macduff and Malcolm. We must also take into account the mark scheme: Notice how you're being asked to look at language, form and structure. Therefore, your annotations need to focus on all three of these! So, now we know you are basically being asked to look at how Shakespeare shows Macduff and Malcolm's roles through his use of language, form and structure. Spend a good five minutes making notes all over the extract - this will form the basis of your plan, so it's important to do it! Notice how I made a classic error at the start - I made notes on Ross, a character who isn't included in the task at all! This just goes to show that even the most seasoned readers can make mistakes if they act too quickly.
You can see that I've tried to focus on the different character's opinions and ideas about what has just happened, and I've come to the conclusion that Malcolm is hell-bent on immediate revenge for the murders, whereas Macduff is a little more emotional, taking time to process his feelings. I've identified words and techniques in addition to structural choices (the length of each character's lines). Ross' presence is important when it comes to form - an an outside character, he acts almost as a catalyst for the events. Step 3: Writing an Overview Introduction This is an important step as it allows the examiner to see that you clearly understand what the extract is about and how it links to the question. Don't waste time re-writing the question: In this extract, Shakespeare presents Malcolm and Macduff in a specific way. In this essay I will look at how they are presented. Uh-oh. You've actually not said anything of value there, and it shows. It also means that you have no basis on which to formulate your essay - making it harder for yourself. Try this, instead: In this extract, we see Macduff and Malcolm's very different reactions to the news that the Macduff family have been killed. Macduff takes time to collect his feelings, in contrast to Malcolm, who seems intent on revenge. This is a great introduction as it clearly shows that you understand the question, the plot and the characters. You also have a great foundation for developing your points! Step 4: Write the Essay! This is the easy bit, now. Honestly. You've done the hardest part, which was figuring out the answers - you have these on your annotated sheet. You've already asserted that Macduff is thoughtful and Malcolm wants revenge - now you just need to explain and analyse Shakespeare's decisions in showing this. Attack the extract from the top down, and remember:
Once the two men receive the news, Malcolm is the first to speak but clearly he hasn't processed his emotions, opting instead for revenge; he immediately states "pull your hat upon your brows", urging the men to leave. Macduff, however, is more focused on the details - he asks a flurry of questions - "My children too?" and "My wife kill'd too?" suggesting that he wants to understand before acting. This clear juxtaposition of the characters emphasises their key difference - that Malcolm simply wants to atone, whereas Macduff wants to understand. You must remember to look at language, form and structure in your response - your annotations should guide you towards this anyway. For the rest of this essay, I would look at:
Step 5: Proof Read It! This is really, really important. Allowing yourself time to proofread is really, really important as it gives you time to spot all of the small consistency errors you may have made when writing in a rush. Many students elect not to do this: the highest-scoring students always make time. Remember - Relax It's very easy to get sucked into a vortex of panic when approaching a question like this. You don't need to! So long as you clearly annotate and make sure you read the question thoroughly, there is no reason why you wouldn't be able to make a wide range of interesting and relevant points. The key things you must always remember to do are:
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In a Nutshell...After returning from war, Macbeth meets three witches who tell him that he is to become King. His wife persuades him to kill the existing King in order to win the throne - but this comes with a whole heap of problems, as Macbeth has to continually kill people - including his best friend - in order to hide the truth. ArchivesCategories
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