English lit help

Hi, I’m in my last year of secondary which means I’ll be sitting my GCSE’s this year. I’ve been struggling to write good English essays. I really just don’t know what structure I need to follow and how to incorporate context. Please help me, it would be much appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

spacingoutagainx

have you heard of SPEED or PEEZ?

Reply 2

IkathleenI

Peez I’ve heard of. I haven’t heard do speed though

Reply 3

spacingoutagainx

it’s similar to PEEZ, it’s like this
Signpost (firstly, secondly...)
Point (language/literary technique)
Evidence (quote)
Explanation (how does the quote show that technique, if it shows any others - mention that too)
Development (zoom into one word and explain that, what are the writer’s/playwright’s intentions, what is the effect on the reader/audience)

for example:
the playwright begins (this is your signpost- you could just use firstly) the scene by using dramatic irony (point). this is shown through malcolm’s dialogue - “hath he not touched you” (evidence). this quotation shows dramatic irony because the audience knows that macbeth has harmed macduff’s family. however, macduff isn’t aware of it yet because he is in england but the murder happened in scotland (the last two sentences are the explanation). shakespeare’s intention through the quotation are successfully shown because it also shows a form of equivocation (half truth, half lie). this is true because macbeth hasn’t touched macduff yet but he has harmed his family. harming macduff’s family is macbeth’s way of emotional torture on macduff. throughout this, the audience feels omniscient since they are already aware of what has happened in england unlike malcolm and macduff.
-
that’s an example and you could develop it more depending on the question, you could go on about how macbeth is a coward for (a) not doing the murder himself and (b) how he killed macduff’s family and not macduff himself.

also, everything i’ve written in brackets is just notes that i included to help you so you won’t need them whenever you are using it. however, if you’re question gives SPAG marks, use brackets in situations like “which...” just to add extra detail.

i hope this helps, feel free to ask anything else.
good luck!

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 4

IkathleenI