iGCSE Questions for Funeral Blues
A couple of practice questions for the iconic poem Funeral Blues by WH Auden, tailored towards Edexcel iGCSE Literature exams.
Macbeth - the 2022 AQA GCSE Question
Here’s the official June 2022 AQA GCSE English Literature essay question for Shakespeare’s Macbeth!
Macbeth - the June 2023 AQA GCSE Question
Here’s the official AQA GCSE Literature question for Macbeth from June 2023.
Macbeth and Violence - Example Grade 7 GCSE Essay
This GCSE essay on ‘Macbeth and Violence’ was completed by a student in response to an AQA Literature question, but it can be used as an example of Grade 7 writing for any GCSE or iGCSE exam.
The 2023 Edexcel A Level Questions for ‘Othello’
These questions are from the 2023 Past Paper for Edexcel A Level Literature - for this question, you have to write a 35 mark essay that includes context and critical ideas in the right way.
Watch a Traditional Version of ‘Othello’
This is a link to Ian McKellen and Willard White’s brilliant 1990 version of the play - it’s so well acted that I’d really recommend this one as one of the main versions to watch!
A Modern Day Adaptation of ‘Othello’
Here’s a link to the film ‘Othello’, directed by Geoffrey Sax and written by Andrew Davis - a modern adaptation of the play that sets the play in the world of police detectives. It doesn’t use traditional Shakespearean language, but it’s a good fun way of getting used to the story and the way in which tension builds between the characters. Enjoy!
5 Famous Speeches for AQA Language Paper 2 Practice
As you read these speeches, you should also start to develop your own thoughts and opinions on the topics they explore. This will help you with your own writing and analysis on Language paper 2.
5 Great Short Stories to Read for AQA Language Paper 1
As you read these stories, you should also start to develop your own thoughts and opinions on the topics they explore. This will help you with your own writing and analysis on Language Paper 1.
6 Articles to Read for GCSE Language Paper 2
One of the best things you can do for Language Paper 2 is get a lot of exposure to different non fiction texts by reading different examples. We’ve deliberately chosen a range of examples at different levels - if you’re reading a more difficult one and find it hard, feel free to look up words as you go, or research a summary of the main ideas in the article.
What to Say About ‘Exposure’ In An Essay
A list of pretty much everything you can say about Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’ if you’re writing a Power and Conflict AQA GCSE Literature essay! It’s written in note form so you can get to grips with the ideas as quickly as possible.
All The Points You Can Make For ‘Remains’ In An Essay
Here is a quick list of pretty much everything you can say about ‘Remains’ if you’re writing a Power and Conflict AQA GCSE Literature essay! It’s written in note form so you can get to grips with the ideas as quickly as possible.
How to Answer the ‘Power and Conflict’ Question
It’s important to remember that the Power and Conflict question for AQA GCSE Literature is a comparative essay, so it needs a comparative structure that perfectly balances across both poems. Here, we’ll go through the best way to structure this essay so that it has a good balance of paragraphs and covers all of the assessment objectives.
Example Structural Analysis of a Poem
To analyse poetic structure, think about everything that the writer has done to deliberately create a shape or rhythm to the poem. You can also think about whether it’s a regular or irregular poem, and why.
How to Analyse Poetic Structure
Technically, the ‘structure’ of the poem can include anything that the writer has deliberately done to organise or shape the poem in any way. But it’s also the intention or reason behind the choice that matters most - if you identify a technique without understanding the reason, you won’t be able to analyse it properly.
25 Poetic Devices for IGCSE
When it comes to poetic devices, there’s almost an infinite amount that you could learn - but realistically, for iGCSE poetry, you probably only need to learn a list of the most common 20-25 features. Here’s a good manageable list for you to get used to - bear in mind that it’s better to know 20 devices well, instead of 50 devices in not much depth, because at theend of the day your analysis of HOW and WHY the technique is used counts for a lot more than being able to pick it out.
Othello: Is he to blame for his own downfall?
When we think of Shakespeare’s Othello, we often picture a powerful general brought to ruin by jealousy. But was Othello simply a victim of his own emotions, or was there more going on? The truth lies in the tension between personal responsibility and the insidious forces of the society around him.
10 Key Quotes from Act Two in ‘Othello’
Here are 10 key quotations of the main events in Act Two in Shakespeare’s Othello. When writing essays, be sure to think about the structure of the plot, and whether specific passages or events occur at the play's beginning, middle or end. Use this to make deeper points about the characters and themes in your analysis.
How Tragedy works in ‘Othello’
When you think of revenge, you might picture epic showdowns, twisted plots, and poetic justice. That’s basically the essence of Jacobean revenge tragedy, a dramatic genre that flourished in the early 17th century during the reign of James I.
Free Narrative Writing Masterclass
Here’s a link to our recent Youtube Masterclass that covers everything you need to know about Narrative Writing for GCSE in detail - suitable for all exam boards, including AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC + Cambridge. Enjoy!