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.
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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. |
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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