GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS
ENGLISH LITERATURE
AS/Advanced
JANUARY 2013
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Statistical Information
The Examiner’s Report may refer in general terms to statistical outcomes. Statistical
information on candidates’ performances in all examination components (whether internally
or externally assessed) is provided when results are issued.
Annual Statistical Report
The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall
outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC.
Unit
Page
LT1
1
LT4
8
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ENGLISH LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
January 2013
Advanced Subsidiary
LT1: Poetry and Drama 1
Principal Examiner:
Jennifer McConnell
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
LT1
Entry
3339
Max Mark
60
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
46
39
32
25
18
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
1
Mean Mark
36.2
LT1: Poetry and Drama 1
General Comments
We are now into the fifth year of the specification and most candidates are well aware of the
requirements of the paper. In the main candidates were well-prepared and there were some
superb responses: teachers and candidates are to be congratulated. Many of the issues
highlighted in this report have been discussed in previous reports; however, as there are still
some candidates who are not addressing the assessment objectives effectively, it is worth
going over the key points again.
It is worth reiterating that the strongest answers were those where candidates:



planned their answers fully, using an effective essay plan;
addressed AOs with confidence;
had clearly practised answering exam questions in timed conditions, leading to
relevant, shaped and focused answers.
In Section A, as previously noted, the strongest responses were those where candidates:





kept focus on the question;
gave a brief overview of what the poem is about before discussing the techniques
used;
discussed the core poems separately rather than moving between them;
introduced the partner text using signpost phrases such as ‘In contrast’, ‘Similarly’, etc.
and then went on to keep the core in mind while discussing the partner;
made explicit when they were exploring other readings and ensured the readings were
valid and relevant.
In Section B, as in previous years, the strongest responses were those where candidates:



analysed the extract in detail before moving on to discuss one other part of the play in
detail;
analysed a range of dramatic techniques;
threaded (relevant) references to context throughout the essay.
Section A: Poetry post-1900
AO1: as in previous years, the strongest essays were those where candidates spent time
planning; in the main this led to focused and controlled essays. However, in some cases
candidates’ plans were not helpful: for example, some consisted of little more than the
names of the poems and a few words. There is a suggested approach to planning in the
CPD 2011 section of the WJEC secure website. If candidates plan effectively then they are
more likely to keep focus on the question; further, they are more likely to address all of the
assessment objectives effectively.
AO2: as stated in previous reports, the strongest responses focused closely on how
meaning is created. Analysis of writers’ techniques (the how) and the effect of those
techniques is essential. There is still at times a tendency for some candidates to assert
meanings, and this was most common when making points about form and structure. There
are often pertinent points to be made about structure, but some candidates made broad and
unsubstantiated claims. In addition, some spent a lot of time listing the number of stanzas
and the number of lines in each stanza without any comment on the effect: this is just feature
spotting.
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2
AO3: as stated in the previous two reports, many candidates would benefit from a closer
focus on AO3, especially as it is worth a third of the marks for Section A.
Connections
 The strongest answers were those which used the partner text as a lens through which
to explore the core text.
 In a significant minority of cases, candidates made a link to the partner text, using a
suggested signpost phrase, but then went on to discuss the partner text in isolation from
the core text.
 The strongest answers kept returning to the core text while discussing the partner. It
might be worthwhile thinking of a C/P/C/P/C structure when discussing the partner
(where C is a reference to the core and P is a reference to the partner).
 It may be useful for candidates to think in terms of AO2 as a way into this strand of AO3
– many successful candidates explored how writers used the same technique as a
starting point for their exploration of links.
 However, it is worth noting that some candidates who attempted to use AO2 as a way
into this strand of AO3 ended up feature spotting (e.g. ‘Plath uses a simile and so does
Hughes’ with no further comment) or making very general comments. The more specific
the link, the more productive it can be.
 It is important to note that quality, not quantity, is important when it comes to links.
Other readings:
 As stated in the Summer report, at times this was dealt with very briefly and sometimes
even missed out altogether. As this strand is worth 5/30 marks, candidates penalise
themselves if they do not explore other readings. Other readings can be addressed by:
 engaging with relevant critical opinions (a significant minority of candidates included
critics whether they were relevant or not);
 using signpost phrases to make explicit the focus on AO3 e.g. ‘This line can be
read in different ways’; ‘Other readers’; ‘Some critics might argue’, etc.
 It is worth noting that (as with links) it is the quality of the other readings that is
important, not the quantity.
 Some candidates used signpost phrasing, but did not give valid other readings
(sometimes offering the same reading twice, but worded slightly differently).
 As with the other strand of AO3, candidates can use AO2 as a way into other readings,
for example exploring the different ways a line or technique may be read.
Notes on Questions
T.S. Eliot: Selected Poems (Core text)
(Prufrock and Other Observations, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, Ariel Poems)
W.B. Yeats: Selected Poems (Partner text)
Q.1
This was the more popular of the two questions and candidates made effective use
of a range of poems, including Prufrock, Portrait of a Lady and Marina, approaching
the idea of relationships between men and women in a number of ways, including
relationships between lovers and father/daughter relationships. Many chose to focus
on the way Eliot presents failed relationships. Candidates made useful links to Yeats;
some argued that Yeats is more hopeful and romantic when he writes about
relationships between men and women; others argued that he too presents failed
relationships.
Q.2
Candidates enjoyed engaging with this statement, with most arguing that Eliot in
particular is strongly critical of his post-war society. Candidates focused on the
imagery of fragmentation and disconnection to back up their arguments. Some
argued that Yeats is equally critical, shown by his desire to escape society, while
others found Yeats’ poems more celebratory than critical.
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3
Philip Larkin: The Whitsun Weddings (Core text)
Dannie Abse: Welsh Retrospective (Partner text)
Q.3
In the main, candidates addressed this question with confidence, with most arguing
that Larkin’s detached voice contrasts strongly with Abse’s more personal voice.
Some argued that while Larkin seems to prefer the voice of the detached observer,
there are poems, such as Broadcast, where the speaker is more personally involved;
others used Broadcast as evidence of the speaker’s detachment, as he is not
physically in the room with the woman.
Q.4
This was by far the more popular question of the two and candidates addressed it
with confidence, interpreting loss in a number of valid ways, including death as a
form of loss and loss of identity. However, in some cases candidates ended up
writing about death rather than loss. While death is a valid example of loss, it is
essential that candidates keep focus on the question that has been asked.
Sylvia Plath: Poems Selected by Ted Hughes (Core text)
Ted Hughes: Poems Selected by Simon Armitage (Partner text)
Q.5
Both questions were equally popular. Candidates approached the idea of identity in a
number of effective ways and there were some superb responses. ‘Daddy’, ‘Tulips’,
‘Ariel’, ‘You’re’ and ‘Facelift’ were popular choices, and candidates explored identity
in terms of gender, family relationships and loss of identity. Useful links were made to
Hughes’ ‘The Day He Died’ and ‘Wodwo’ in particular.
Q.6
Candidates mainly focused on death as a form of loss, focusing on ‘Daddy’ and ‘Full
Fathom Five’; however, other valid approaches included focusing on loss of identity
(as seen, for example, in ‘Tulips’ and ‘Facelift’).
Carol Ann Duffy: Selected Poems (Core text)
(Standing Female Nude, The Other Country, The World’s Wife)
Sheenagh Pugh: Selected Poems (Partner text)
Q.7
Candidates approached this question in a number of interesting and valid ways.
Popular choices included ‘Weasel Words’, ‘Comprehensive’, ‘A Healthy Meal’ and
‘Education for Leisure’. Some chose to focus on Duffy’s criticism of the treatment and
objectification of women, using, for example, ‘Standing Female Nude’ and ‘Girl
Talking’, while others saw Duffy’s poems about lesbianism (‘Girlfriends’ and
‘Oppenheim’s Cup and Saucer’) as political.
Q.8
This was the more popular of the two questions. The most effective answers began
by making clear which emotions were going to be the focus of the essay. Candidates
approached the idea of emotions in a number of relevant ways, with some choosing
to focus the whole essay on one emotion (for example, love) and others choosing a
range of different emotions to explore. However, a significant minority of candidates
did not effectively address the idea of emotions; weaker answers did not highlight
any specific emotions, and some put forward topics such as ‘loss of innocence’ as an
emotion. Some candidates mentioned emotions in their introduction and then did not
return to this until the conclusion, instead writing generally on the poems. It is
essential that candidates keep focus on the question throughout their essay.
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4
Seamus Heaney: New Selected Poems (Core text)
(Death of a Naturalist, Door into the Dark, The Haw Lantern)
Owen Sheers: Skirrid Hill (Partner text)
Q.9
This was the more popular of the two questions and candidates enjoyed writing about
Heaney and Sheers’ personal links to the landscape, exploring the role of nature in
the process of growing up, and the links between family members and nature.
Weaker answers engaged only with ‘nature’ rather than ‘the relationship between the
individual and nature’ – this highlights the importance of reading questions carefully.
Candidates are advised to underline or highlight the key words and phrases from the
question, and to address the question directly in their introduction.
Q.10
A small number of candidates chose to answer this question and a range of
responses were seen; successful second poems included ‘From the Frontier of
Writing’, ‘Bogland’ and ‘Hailstones’. Candidates were able to discuss Heaney’s links
to Ireland and to make effective links to Sheers’ political poems about Wales.
Eavan Boland: Selected Poems (Core text)
(New Territory, The War Horse, The Journey)
Clare Pollard: Look, Clare! Look! (Partner text)
Q.11
This was by far the more popular of the two questions. Candidates wrote about a
refreshingly wide range of poems. 'Famine Road' was particularly well used to
discuss the presentation of identities of the Irish and women through English lenses.
Its distinctive verse form also gave candidates the opportunity to engage clearly with
AO2 (form and structure). Other frequently chosen poems, 'Self Portrait on a
Summer's Evening', 'The Journey' and 'An Irish Childhood in England, 1951' also
formed the basis of interesting discussions of identity in relation to gender, nationality
and the role of the woman poet. There were sound contrasts with Pollard's identity as
western tourist, partner, mother and daughter.
Q.12
'Mise Eire' elicited clear responses. It was often paired with 'The Journey' to show
how first person allowed Boland to inhabit different voices and follow different
journeys. Contrasts were made with how Pollard was able to use her vivacious first
person voice for satire and sympathetic purposes. However, some candidates tended
to rest their discussion on the prominent surface features of poems instead of
stopping and analysing more closely.
Section B: Drama post-1990
AO1: as stated in the past two reports, it would be useful for candidates to think about
spending around 50% of their time on the extract. There are still some essays where the
extract is dealt with only briefly. While candidates are free to range throughout the play if
they wish, the most successful answers were those where candidates chose one other
point in the play and analysed it in detail. This helped candidates to deal effectively with
AO2 (close analysis) and AO4 (links between the extract and the wider play).
AO2: it is very pleasing that the majority of centres are now giving excellent advice to
candidates about the necessity of focusing closely on a range of dramatic techniques.
Many candidates wrote confidently about the texts as drama, discussing the effects of
staging, costume, function of character, props, music, lighting, etc. However, there is a still a
significant minority of candidates who are not engaging with the text as drama, and this
needs to be addressed.
AO4: as in past exams, a significant minority of candidates either missed out wider
contextual issues altogether or else mentioned wider context only in general terms. In
addition, some essays began with a general overview of context without an explicit link to the
question. It is much more effective if candidates reference relevant context briefly in the
introduction and link all contextual references to the question and to the text. As stated
previously, it is useful for candidates to think in terms of AO2+AO4, or task-text-context.
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5
Notes on Questions
David Hare: Murmuring Judges
Q.13
This was the more popular question of the two and the strongest answers kept focus
on men and male attitudes; weaker answers tended to drift into a discussion of
Hare’s presentation of policing. Most candidates wrote well about the racism and
sexism within the justice system, with some discussing the presentation of Gerard as
a counterpoint to less sympathetic male characters such as Barry.
Q.14
Many candidates wrote with confidence, and the strongest answers effectively
integrated AO2 and AO4. Candidates explored a range of different aspects of society
criticised by Hare, including racism and sexism, class hierarchy, PACE and the
prison system, etc.
David Mamet: Oleanna
Q.15
The strongest responses kept focus on the question throughout; however, as in
previous years, some candidates tended to drift from the question, instead writing
essays on language or miscommunication. While these are valid aspects of Mamet’s
presentation of the relationship between men and women, it is imperative that
candidates keep focus on the question they have been asked. As in the past, the
best answers avoided making sweeping generalisations about men and women and
about feminism.
Q.16
This question was slightly more popular than question 15. As with question 15, the
strongest responses kept focus on the interaction between teacher and student;
however, there was in some cases a tendency to drift into a discussion of John and
Carol’s relationship in general. It is essential that candidates keep focus on the
question at all times. A number of contextual influences were discussed, including
access to higher education in America (and issues affecting this such as socioeconomic pressures and sexism), feminism, political correctness and the American
dream.
Brian Friel: Dancing at Lughnasa
Q.17
The strongest answers integrated AO2 and AO4 throughout, and this is an effective
approach for any Section B question as candidates must ensure that all points on
context are linked firmly to the text and to the question. Candidates discussed a
range of techniques used by Friel to criticise Irish society, including the use of
Michael as Narrator/Boy. All were aware to some extent of the relevant context,
including attitudes to women, attitudes to disability and the restrictive nature of
Catholicism and there were some detailed and perceptive discussions.
Q.18
This question was the more popular of the two and there were some very impressive
responses, with most candidates integrating their discussion of home life with Irish
Catholic attitudes to women. Some included nuanced discussions of the presentation
of Rose and her role in the home, and many also explored the complex relationship
between Boy Michael and the sisters. Many chose to write about the dancing scene
for their second extract and this worked well as it allowed exploration of the sisters’
desire to break free from their restrictions (if only temporarily).
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6
Tom Stoppard: Arcadia
Q.19
The strongest answers integrated AO2 and AO4 throughout and always kept focus
on the question: this is an excellent approach for any Section B question. Candidates
discussed a range of topics linked to the different time periods including attitudes to
women, knowledge, the past and class. Many were able to discuss with confidence
the mathematical and scientific ideas Stoppard draws on and how these are used in
the play. In the main, candidates were comfortable discussing Stoppard’s innovative
use of time shifts.
Q.20
This was the more popular of the two questions and there were some interesting and
focused responses. Candidates explored knowledge in a range of ways, including
intellectual knowledge, scientific knowledge and sexual knowledge. However, as in
previous years, a minority of candidates would benefit from closer focus on
Stoppard’s techniques (such as props, costume, lighting, etc.).
Arthur Miller: Broken Glass
Q.21
This was the more popular of the two questions. Candidates effectively contrasted
the presentation of Sylvia and Gellburg’s marriage with the more affectionate, open
and sexual relationship between Margaret and Hymen. Others contrasted Sylvia and
Gellburg with Sylvia and Hymen. Most were aware to some extent of 1930s attitudes
to women and marriage; however, a significant minority of candidates missed out
wider context altogether.
Q.22
There were some very strong responses here; candidates focused on Gellburg’s
identity as a Jew and as a 1930s man, and also on Sylvia’s identity as a woman.
Again, the strongest answers integrated context throughout; weaker answers ‘tagged’
context on at the beginning or end of the essay.
Diane Samuels: Kindertransport
Q.23
The majority of candidates were able to discuss the effect of Samuels’ use of time
shifts, using it as a way to explore a number of themes including separation,
mother/child relationships and the effect of the past on the present. Weaker answers
began by discussing the time shifts, but then drifted from the question, writing instead
(for example) about mother/child relationships separate from the time shifts. It is
essential that candidates keep focus on the question at all times.
Q.24
This was by far the more popular of the two questions and many were able to write
with confidence about how attitudes to German Jews are presented in the play. Many
explored not only the attitudes of the Nazis, but Lil’s attitudes to Eva (for example,
encouraging her to eat ham). However, as in previous years, some candidates began
their essays with a general overview of context before moving on to the question. It is
much more effective if candidates begin by addressing the question very early on in
their introduction (even in the first line) and then make brief reference to relevant
context.
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7
ENGLISH LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
January 2013
Advanced
LT4: Poetry and Drama 2
Principal Examiner:
Stephen Purcell
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
LT4
Entry
1049
Max Mark
80
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
63
53
43
33
23
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
8
Mean Mark
49.4
LT4: Poetry and Drama 2
General Comments
This exam seems well and truly bedded-in and it is pleasing to report that despite the short
time for preparation, candidates showed a thorough understanding of the rubric and there
were very few examples of mistakes seen in past series such as a failure to take account of
a partner text or, conversely, too much emphasis on unseens in Section A and partner
drama texts in Section B. The entry in January is of course smaller than the Summer series,
but there still seemed proportionately fewer overlong and badly constructed answers with
much more evidence of purposeful planning in both sections. Some responses did put undue
emphasis upon AO4 – sometimes referring to only loosely connected contexts – but most
now seem to have the idea that it is AO1 and AO2 which drive literary essays and lead into a
consideration of contexts rather than the other way round.
Less encouraging, however, was the widespread evidence of learned critical sources where
little attempt had been made to match the contents of the critical quotation to the task or text
in hand. Even candidates who were performing well in other aspects of their essays seemed
to feel that simple evidence of another reader was all that was necessary for AO3 (ii) and
many did not attempt to integrate or build upon critical opinions in relevant, creative ways.
Although a significant number of scripts at this stage of the year tend to be uneven in quality
(there is often a marked difference between the sections in the depth of knowledge and
appreciation of texts, and/or a narrow range of reference) all examiners found examples of
the very highest quality and full marks were awarded in a number of cases. Candidates who
achieved this level of success and their teachers deserve hearty congratulations.
Section A: Critical Reading of Poetry
In the analysis of item level data, the mean mark achieved on every one of the five poetry
questions was almost identical (with a correspondingly similar “facilty factor” score) which
tells us clearly that candidates found all questions equally accessible. However, the most
popular of the poetry questions was Q1 (the presentation of loss and disappointment)
followed closely by Q3 (frauds; taking sides; starting arguments and shaping the world). Q5
(landscapes and the natural world) and Q2 (entertainment and instruction) were marginally
less popular and least popular by a substantial margin was Q4 (contradiction and paradox).
This was a surprise as there would seem to be so much to say about contradictions and
paradoxes in all of the set works and the unseen poems – it is possible that some
candidates were not entirely confident about the meaning of “paradox”.
Q.1
All candidates who attempted this question were able to identify examples of loss or
disappointment in the works of the authors they had studied but many were less
confident about analysing the ways writers had presented these emotive issues.
Poetic technique and the effects of literary devices upon the reader’s feelings and
understanding deserve more attention. Elizabeth Jennings’ Absence was a very
popular choice of partner text but all too often unsupportable assumptions were
made about the nature of the loss in this poem. Candidates’ energies would have
been more profitably spent exploring imagery and technique.
Q.2
This was not a very popular question but responses were seen which drew upon
study of all the core poets. There were some excellent answers which took creative
and analytical approaches to instruction and entertainment but some candidates
(especially those who had prepared Blake or Lyrical Ballads) allowed social history
rather than literary analysis to take precedence in their essays.
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9
Q.3
There was a good deal of interest in this question which produced some very
energetic, ambitious discussion and analysis. In some cases though, candidates
allowed broad claims and rhetoric to run away with them so there were often the sort
of general, wide-ranging introductions mentioned in “Advice “ below and some
essays devoted very little attention to how or how effectively the poets went about
their work.
Q.4
Although an unpopular question (possibly for the reason mentioned above) there
were some excellent answers – especially from those who had studied Donne or
Chaucer. In weaker responses from Chaucer students there was a tendency to
describe the contradictions in the Wife’s character as if she were real rather than
concentrating on Chaucer’s technique of presenting the contradictions and
paradoxes in the text. As in responses to other questions by Chaucer students, there
is still a tendency to ignore or underestimate the importance of the Tale itself and
concentrate on the Prologue.
Q.5
All core texts were represented in responses to this question and, even though there
was a relatively small number of essays, there was a fascinating range of
approaches encompassing the varied landscapes of Lyrical Ballads and the use of
the natural world in Donne’s and Blake’s imagery. Some of those who had prepared
Milton produced some very impressive writing.
Section B: Shakespeare and Related Drama
In the pairs of drama questions there was a little more variation than in Section A. Those
responding to King Lear and Oedipus Rex showed a marked preference for Question 6 (“the
decay and fall of the world”) over Question 7 (sympathy/support for those who oppose Lear).
The mean mark for Question 6 was a little better too. There was very little difference
between the numbers choosing Question 8 or Question 9 on Hamlet and The Revenger’s
Tragedy and mean marks were very similar. There was a bigger difference in responses to
Measure for Measure and The Duchess of Malfi with candidates performing better on
Question 10 (obedience) than on Question 11 (“Human nature is on trial....”). There was a
similar situation in Question 12 and Question 13 where there was a marked preference for
Question 12 (feelings about Prospero) over Question 13 (conflict between higher and baser
instincts) with candidates performing a little better on Question 12. Choices and levels of
performance in questions Question 14 and Question 15 were all but identical.
King Lear and Oedipus Rex:
Question 6 was generally well handled with plenty of detailed knowledge on show about the
conventions of tragedy and some interesting interpretations of decay. Question 7, however,
was often misread as a simple question about “good” and “bad” characters with whom we do
or do not sympathise. These answers missed entirely the opportunity to analyse supportive
or destructive opposition to Lear.
Hamlet and The Revenger's Tragedy
Candidates found plenty to say in response to both of these questions. Weaker answers to
Question 8 struggled to find much more than the threat from Fortinbras as the political
dimension of the play and some interpreted personal only in the sense of Hamlet taking
things personally. Question 9 presented candidates with the problem of selecting from and
controlling a vast amount of material and weaker answers sometimes resorted to listing
examples of pretence and hypocrisy with little or no discussion of techniques.
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10
Measure for Measure and The Duchess of Malfi
Most of those who answered Question 10 were clear about the examples of
obedience/disobedience in both plays but some found difficulty in discussing the
presentation of the theme and in evaluating it as a structuring device within the plays. There
were some excellent responses to Question 11 but weaker answers struggled to
conceptualise the issue of human nature and tended to describe different types of behaviour
which were then labelled as good or bad – in this approach characters are treated as “real”
rather than as products of Shakespeare’s creative imagination.
The Tempest and Doctor Faustus
Some examiners remarked upon the very high quality of responses to The Tempest and
Doctor Faustus – clearly these plays continue to fire the imaginations and enthusiasms of
the new generation of literature students. Question 12 was significantly more popular than
Question 13 and, with readings of the play at a comparatively early stage, it might be easy to
see why. Prospero’s ambiguous nature might seem a fairly comfortable subject for
discussion while the more conceptual ideas of baseness and virtue (despite the rich
opportunities of comparing different groups within the play while exploring dramatic
technique and structure) could be more appealing to the highly experienced reader.
Richard II and Edward II
As always, there was little more than a handful of responses to these two questions but
answers were evenly divided between the two questions with some excellent responses to
both. In Question 14, candidates often took a sophisticated approach to nobility considering
it as a factor in the social and political hierarchy as well as an abstract quality. In Question
15, it was very pleasing to see how many of the candidates had a thorough knowledge and
understanding of the principles of tragedy which they were able to bring to bear effectively in
their answers.
Advice
 Avoid introductions which take up time and space but contribute almost nothing to the
essay. Here is an example of what should be avoided:
Response to Question 5.
In this essay I will be exploring some of the ways in which William Blake makes use of
landscape and/or nature in his poems in The Songs of Innocence and its comparison
collection The Songs of Experience. I will also be comparing Blake’s use of these
concepts with Christina Rossetti’s nineteenth century poem The Thread of Life in which
she reflects about the quality of life.





Take care to avoid uncritical and sweeping remarks “obviously”; “completely”;
“continually”; “throughout the text”; “indisputably” are prime examples of language where
candidates have allowed debating tactics to substitute for creative, critical analysis which
might have been better served by more tentative or provisional judgements.
Avoid lengthy, wide-reaching and general overviews of poetry or drama in introductions
to essays and link the chosen question to aspects of the core text as swiftly as possible.
Remember that claims such as “Lear is blind and immoral” without discussion and
support are mere assertions and of limited value in a literary essay.
Adopt and maintain an appropriate register of language. Essays at this level quickly
become unconvincing when they suggest that Shakespeare might be “having a dig” at
James I; the Fool is “only having a laugh” with Lear or that the Wife of Bath “goes off on
one about virginity.”
Use technical terms (a requirement for AO1) carefully and never as a substitute for
critical discussion. For example, simply spotting and labelling Lear’s hamartia or
agnorisis does not really help to demonstrate a creative engagement with
Shakespeare’s presentation of the character or the relevant literary concepts.
GCE English Literature Examiners Report - January 2013 JF 08 03 13
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