[snow leopard]

After a very successful thread last year on the AS exam for English Lit, I thought I'd do one for A2 (a bit early in case I forget). A quick scroll through that previous thread shows the highlights being: my five predictions on the poems, which were knocked down to four by HolyFuzazzle; then three by agoetcherian; leavemebehind correctly suggesting the theme of the poem (Apologia, which everyone favoured) that came up; Oklii reiterating the AO's; LeSaqMagique destroying essay length misconceptions, etc etc.

Now to let those posters know of this thread.

Spoiler:

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(Original post by Edwin Okli)
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(Original post by agoetcherian)
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(Original post by HolyFuzazzle)
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(Original post by leavemebehind)
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(Original post by LeSacMagique)
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Obviously not now but near June I hope you'll all return to this thread to discuss revision for this exam (if you've continued on to A2, that is).

[LeSacMagique]

(Original post by snow leopard)
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I'm flattered you thought I was a highlight! Anyone else doing Pardoner's Tale + Faustus?

[snow leopard]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
I'm flattered you thought I was a highlight! Anyone else doing Pardoner's Tale + Faustus?

Same texts. At first glance though I don't think I'll like Pardoner's Tale that much, as on top of standard analysis you have to also decipher Chaucer's Middle English. Next year when they refresh the poetry they're bringing in William Blake which I would have preferred a million times more.

As for Section A of the exam, doing Othello!

[LeSacMagique]

(Original post by snow leopard)
Same texts. At first glance though I don't think I'll like Pardoner's Tale that much, as on top of standard analysis you have to also decipher Chaucer's Middle English. Next year when they refresh the poetry they're bringing in William Blake which I would have preferred a million times more.

As for Section A of the exam, doing Othello!

I love both of them. I'm especially keen on Marlowe now. I think it was my rambling about his 'Tamburlaine' in the interview that got me my place. It is a bit off-putting that the Chaucer seems to be written in Geordie though.

(Also doing Othello here.)

[Edwin Okli]

(Original post by snow leopard)
...

Sadly I've dropped English Literature so I can't be commenting this year. I kind of wish I could go back and drop a different subject but I didn't really know where it fitted in. I'm honoured to be mentioned though.

[snow leopard]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
I love both of them. I'm especially keen on Marlowe now. I think it was my rambling about his 'Tamburlaine' in the interview that got me my place. It is a bit off-putting that the Chaucer seems to be written in Geordie though.

(Also doing Othello here.)

Never heard of Tamburlaine but congrats on getting your place.

What revision guides will you be using for the texts (if any), by the way?

(Original post by Edwin Okli)
Sadly I've dropped English Literature so I can't be commenting this year. I kind of wish I could go back and drop a different subject but I didn't really know where it fitted in. I'm honoured to be mentioned though.

I was in a very similar position when picking a subject to drop, so I can understand where you're coming from. In the end I picked English over Biology on the basis that I'd enjoy it more.

[HolyFuzazzle]

Yay Highlight Anyway, we're doing Othello for Section A and Faustus/the Pardoner's tale for section B We're just finishing Othello though so I can't help or comment on any of the other two yet D= Good luck everyone

[LeSacMagique]

(Original post by snow leopard)
Never heard of Tamburlaine but congrats on getting your place.

What revision guides will you be using for the texts (if any), by the way?.

It's not as well-known as Faustus or even Jew of Malta - it's about a central Asian emperor who conquers most of Eurasia, and how hubristic he is. Unlike Faustus, though, he does, arguably, succeed, and when he dies, his sons look set to carry on what he started anyway. Under-rated in my opinion.

I don't use revision guides, really - never have. Maybe I should!

[snow leopard]

(Original post by HolyFuzazzle)
Yay Highlight Anyway, we're doing Othello for Section A and Faustus/the Pardoner's tale for section B We're just finishing Othello though so I can't help or comment on any of the other two yet D= Good luck everyone

Nice, we now have three people doing identical texts on both sections! Hopefully agoetcherian/leavemebehind/other members will find their way here too.

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
It's not as well-known as Faustus or even Jew of Malta - it's about a central Asian emperor who conquers most of Eurasia, and how hubristic he is. Unlike Faustus, though, he does, arguably, succeed, and when he dies, his sons look set to carry on what he started anyway. Under-rated in my opinion.

I don't use revision guides, really - never have. Maybe I should!

I think it would be good to read it and support my wider reading of Marlowe, but I have no time thanks to coursework.

Considering you managed AS without a revision guide, I don't think you'll need one this time round. It'd be the start of a bad habit, I'm fixated that revision guides=success

[leavemebehind]

(Original post by snow leopard)
After a very successful thread last year on the AS exam for English Lit, I thought I'd do one for A2 (a bit early in case I forget). A quick scroll through that previous thread shows the highlights being: my five predictions on the poems, which were knocked down to four by HolyFuzazzle; then three by agoetcherian; leavemebehind correctly suggesting the theme of the poem (Apologia, which everyone favoured) that came up; Oklii reiterating the AO's; LeSaqMagique destroying essay length misconceptions, etc etc.

Now to let those posters know of this thread.

Spoiler:

Show

Obviously not now but near June I hope you'll all return to this thread to discuss revision for this exam (if you've continued on to A2, that is).

Ah! I feel special. Thanks for making this thread, will definitely be a great help. I'm studying Othello, John Donne and School for Scandal for the exam.
My comparitive coursework was on A Doll's House, Carol Anne Duffy's 'A World's Wife' collection and Wide Sargasso Sea.

Hope everyone did well in their AS English Exam! I got an A which I was shocked about because I actually found the essay for the poetry section tough, but maybe I had a nice examiner haha.

[LeSacMagique]

Just over two months to go; how are people revising? I'm just doing past essay Qs. Slightly panicked about this exam since I need to get an A* somewhere and I think this is the most likely place I'll pick one up... I wish our school would tell us our provisional coursework marks

[holbets]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
I love both of them. I'm especially keen on Marlowe now. I think it was my rambling about his 'Tamburlaine' in the interview that got me my place. It is a bit off-putting that the Chaucer seems to be written in Geordie though.

(Also doing Othello here.)

I'm doing the same three texts as you are. Loved Doctor Faustus and Othello, and part way through studying Chaucer at the moment

[Harry.K]

Has anyone got any notes on Othello?, struggling a bit on that.

Is anyone comparing Dr Faustus and Paradise Lost?

[snow leopard]

(Original post by leavemebehind)
I'm studying Othello, John Donne and School for Scandal for the exam.

Any hunches on possible Othello questions?

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
I wish our school would tell us our provisional coursework marks

Are they reluctant to tell you?

[LeSacMagique]

(Original post by snow leopard)
Any hunches on possible Othello questions?

Since this is the last year of this text being set and since there has not been a character question specifically about Othello himself I wouldn't be surprised if there is a question specifically on Othello the character.

Are they reluctant to tell you?

They just don't tell us, it's the English department's policy.

[snow leopard]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
They just don't tell us, it's the English department's policy.

This is similar to my sixth form, except that they tell us after OCR's moderation (which is next week).

[languagegeek]

Hey everyone,

I am also doing Othello for section A and both The Pardoner's Tale and Dr Faustus for section B. Anyone got any suggestions on how to revise for each text? I was thinking covering main themes, characters, context and critics :/

[snow leopard]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
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I can't seem to locate the AO's distribution for Section A (Shakespeare)... am I correct in thinking it's mainly AO1 and AO2?

[thethinker]

(Original post by Harry.K)
Has anyone got any notes on Othello?, struggling a bit on that.

Is anyone comparing Dr Faustus and Paradise Lost?

I'm doing Othello and Paradise Lost/ Dr F

[thethinker]

(Original post by LeSacMagique)
Since this is the last year of this text being set and since there has not been a character question specifically about Othello himself I wouldn't be surprised if there is a question specifically on Othello the character.

That would be a peach of a question. Theres a good critical debate over whether Othello is 'the most romantic character in literature' (Bradley) or whether he has 'an obtuse and brutal egoism'. (Leavis)

What do people think? I tend to agree with Leavis on this.