1.
The play begins with the stage directions, ‘Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.’ What
mood does this set for the play? Why does it set this mood?
The thunder and lightning create a spooky, menacing mod and hint that something dramatic is about
to follow. A Shakespearean audience would have been afraid of stormy weather because they did
not have the scientific knowledge we have nowadays and would have associated this kind of weather
with supernatural beings, such as witches. It suggests chaos, danger and overturning the natural order. The technique of using weather or nature to reflect mood is called pathetic fallacy.
2.
The Witches speak in short lines and rhyme throughout the play; why does Shakespeare have
them do this?
This sets them apart from other characters—only supernatural characters in the play consisitently
speak in rhyme. The strange rhyming nature of their speech makes them seem weird and otherworldly. The witches are made to seem unnatural and it makes them sound as if they are casting evil
spells.
3.
The Witches speak in paradoxes. Find three quotes from the play in which they do this and
copy them down.
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair.’
‘When the battle’s lost and won.’
‘Lesser than Macbeth and greater.’
‘Not so happy, yet much happier.’
4.
1.
The play begins with a party to celebrate the engagement of Gerald and Sheila. In what ways
does Priestley use the characters in this scene to represent the perfect middle class family and
ideals?

Mr Birling is a successful businessman

Mrs Birling works hard to maintain the Birling’s reputation and social standing

Eric works for his father in the family business

Sheila is engaged to Gerald, who is from a wealthy and socially superior family
2.
How does Priestley use the technique of dramatic irony when Mr Birling lectures the young
men? Why does he use this technique? What does he want the audience to think?
Mr Birling makes predictions about the future, claiming that war with Germany will definitely not
happen and that the Titanic is an unsinkable ship. He also says conflicts between striking workers
and their employers will come to nothing. An audience watching the play in 1946 (when it was written) would be aware that Birling was way off the mark with these predictions. Priestley uses this
technique to make Birling seem arrogant and overconfident, showing that his opinions are not always to be trusted.
3.
What do we learn about Eva Smith and what her life was like from Act One?
Eva was a lively, good-looking girl, who worked in Birling’s factory. She was a good worker but nevertheless was sacked as one of the ‘ringleaders’ of n organised strike to protest against lower
wages. She then went on to work as a shop assistant at Milwards. Sheila, in a fit of anger and jealousy, had her sacked from this position. She then changed her name to Daisy Renton. We also
learn, from Gerald’s confession, that she had an affair with him the previous summer.
What three predictions do the Witches make when they meet Macbeth and Banquo in Act One
Scene Three?
That he will become Thane of Cawdor
That he will be King of Scotland
That Banquo’s son will become King of Scotland
How and why does the mood of the play change with the Inspector’s arrival? Why do you think
Priestley does this?
1.
What kind of man is Scrooge at the start of the novella? How does he feel about those less welloff than himself?
Scrooge is described as someone who’s only concern is money. He is unsympathetic towards other
people and has no interest in helping the poor or donating to charity. Dickens uses lots of cold and
icy language to describe him.
How to use this booklet:
2.
How does Dickens create sympathy for Scrooge ? Why is it important that we sympathise with
Scrooge?
We learn that Scrooge has been shaped by his past, making it easier to understand why he is so
cold and bitter. He is shown sympathetically as a lonely schoolboy, left alone at Christmas because
his father won’t let him come home from boarding school. He has a close relationship with his sister, but she dies, perhaps explaining why Scrooge keeps Fred at a distance, as he is a painful reminder of his loss.
3.

You will be given a new homework booklet every Thursday in your core English
lesson.

You should complete the activities at home over the weekend, using your revision
guides to help you.

Answers will be published on the school website and in English classrooms every
Monday.

You should mark your work and complete any corrections before
handing it in during your Thursday afternoon Enrichment session.

A mark of 10/10 will earn you £1 off the cost of your prom ticket!
How has Scrooge changed by the end of the novella? What has he come to realise?
Throughout the visions, Scrooge is forced to see himself as other see him and this prompts change.
His values change completely; he learns to be charitable and changes his opinion of Christmas, no
longer seeing it as ’a poor excuse to pick a man’s pocket.’ He values family, becoming closer to his
nephew, and the companionship of the Cratchit family.
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Macbeth
An Inspector Calls
A Christmas Carol
Parent’s /Guardian’s Comments:
Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature:
Date:
Question 4