OCR A2 English Literature 2013

I'm doing The White Devil but I'm comparing it to Paradise Lost, Book 9, so I can't really help with comparisons, only with basic context.

In my copy of TWD the introduction talks about how Webster was satirising the court of James I all through the play, so maybe that could be a point of comparison with Blake - hopefully worth looking into :smile:

Webster was friends with quite an influential person in court - the King's favourite's assistant or something and they met at school I think (His name was Thomas Overbury I think). He worked in the family cart making business, but he didn't take over - he preferred writing. Tbh, everything contextual that I know comes from the front of my copy of the play - it's worth reading.

Wish I could help more, but the only Blake I've ever done was London years ago and we compared that to Wordsworth. I do seem to remember it was quite a left-wing satire-y type poem, but maybe I'm completely wrong :colondollar:

How do you find TWD in terms of the other A0s?

:goodluck:

Thank you so much! I actually really like the play, the only real issue I have with it is the fact that Webster lacks in massive amounts of context. I've struggled with A03 for him as well (I've actually used a copy of Malfi to find some criticism!) but Google Scholar and my library have been my saviour!

As for A02, I'm just focusing on that at the moment. It think it's hard to analyse it without a) over-analysing or b) taking it completely out of context.

All the comparison questions we've had have been really rather ambiguous and it's annoying how long it takes to plan and write them at the moment because then I just end up panicking.

Reply 41

REK94

Original post by Pavzky

Are you actually?! I'm doing exactly the same texts as you and I've been searching TSR for ages trying to find someone haha. How are you revising for it? Thank god I found you xD

I can't believe you're both doing the same texts as me- I genuinely thought my class were the only ones doing these texts!! Feel so relieved I have found others doing exactly the same texts. How's it all going?!

Reply 42

username823573

11

Original post by REK94

I can't believe you're both doing the same texts as me- I genuinely thought my class were the only ones doing these texts!! Feel so relieved I have found others doing exactly the same texts. How's it all going?!

*high 5*

Well, not good haha. I've had 5 different teachers just for this part of the exam and the whole thing's gone pear shaped. As a result, I have only a superficial knowledge of both texts (although I'm more confident with WOB) and I've no real idea on what to write for AO3 in terms of other readings. Still need to cover the themes in more depth. Fortunately there's a new teacher coming in for a few weeks so we're going to do lots of practice timed essays in class to get back up to speed. I really can't afford to drop a grade this year. I've done pretty well on my coursework so I'm just awaiting moderation so I really hope that doesn't get moderated down :tongue:

How's it going for you? Do you feel confident for the exam? How was your coursework?

Reply 43

REK94

That's crazy- how annoying for you! We need to do a lot more on comparing the two texts and it's a bit annoying that there aren't any past questions yet. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest is quite a good one to refer to in relation to The Rivals as it's about disguise and the characters are similar- other than that I'm not sure either. Thank goodness for coursework! What did you do it on?

At the moment not feeling too confident but am more confident with WOB- thankfully still got time to go over them. We started with WOB and Volpone but that teacher left so we changed to The Rivals. Same as me for coursework- really hoping it doesn't go down!

Reply 44

username823573

11

Original post by REK94

That's crazy- how annoying for you! We need to do a lot more on comparing the two texts and it's a bit annoying that there aren't any past questions yet. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest is quite a good one to refer to in relation to The Rivals as it's about disguise and the characters are similar- other than that I'm not sure either. Thank goodness for coursework! What did you do it on?

At the moment not feeling too confident but am more confident with WOB- thankfully still got time to go over them. We started with WOB and Volpone but that teacher left so we changed to The Rivals. Same as me for coursework- really hoping it doesn't go down!

I know man. I think people tend to underestimate how detrimental it can be for you with teachers changing so regularly. It's put us in a pretty bad situation. Ahh, that's a good one to refer to, thanks!

I know for WOB you can definitely add a feminist reading to that - there's quite a few online, and it fits in quite well. I don't know how relevant it could be for The Rivals though. Yeah I'm more confident with WOB too, but I suppose when you're comparing/contrasting with The Rivals it doesn't seem too bad (as opposed to looking at The Rivals in isolation). Oh, hopefully that disruption wasn't too bad for you.

My coursework was comparing and contrasting the mental effects of war on the soldiers - I did All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque), Regeneration (Barker) and a selection of Wilfred Owen's poetry. I got 2 band 5s so, assuming it doesn't go down, it's between A* - B, but B is right at the bottom of the bands so I'm hoping it's an A at least :tongue:

What was your coursework on, and what was the title? What bands did you get?

Reply 45

username823573

11

Doing an essay on King Lear now. Kill me.

Reply 46

REK94

I completely agree! Glad that helped!

Haven't had a problem finding critiques for WoB- it's The Rivals that seems to be the problem haha. That's very true, for example comparisions between Mrs M and the wife etc.
How are you going about your revision for these texts?

That sounds really interesting! Ahh really hope it doesn't go down for you! Mine was comparing and contrasting how male and female writers convey the judgement of women as victims of a patriarchal society- I did The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Madame Bovary (Gustav Flaubert) and a selcection of Sylvia Plath's poetry. I haven't heard back yet from my teacher but also hoping for the top band :smile:

Reply 47

username823573

11

Original post by REK94

I completely agree! Glad that helped!

Haven't had a problem finding critiques for WoB- it's The Rivals that seems to be the problem haha. That's very true, for example comparisions between Mrs M and the wife etc.
How are you going about your revision for these texts?

That sounds really interesting! Ahh really hope it doesn't go down for you! Mine was comparing and contrasting how male and female writers convey the judgement of women as victims of a patriarchal society- I did The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), Madame Bovary (Gustav Flaubert) and a selcection of Sylvia Plath's poetry. I haven't heard back yet from my teacher but also hoping for the top band :smile:

I agree - I think The Rivals is a more difficult text to revise for. WOB has a much more straightforward structure i.e. she's putting forth her case to gain sovereignty in marriage from her own experience in her Prologue and telling a story in her Tale. Revision wise... my new teacher has come in and she's set us a lot of work. Initially I was thinking 'bombarding us with work won't help' but it seems to be coming together now - just gotta keep at it. She's also setting us mock exams in class once a week so, again, that should help.

Haha, thanks! I'm sure you'll do well too. What are you predicted and what did you get at AS overall?

Ah that's pretty interesting. We did The Handmaid's Tale last year for coursework for the essay where we had to analyse an extract (but I didn't bother reading the book :tongue:

).

Any progress with revision?

Reply 48

alicesimpson2

Is anyone doing tis pity and paradise lost book 9??? :frown:

Reply 49

HighwayUnicorn

16

Original post by Eireann95

OMG Hii!

So far, I've gathered all my quotes from the texts and written them either in my note book or on a revision poster. I'm gonna put the most important ones on individual sticky notes- including AO3 quotes.

The themes I can think of
King Lear: Nature, Order/ Justice, Sight, false appearances, madness, animals, family and love, wealth, nothing

TR and WOB: love, marriage, power, money

I just emailed my old teacher and this was her advice:

"coloured pens!
- Draw spider diagrams/mind maps of ideas and themes and write quotes onto them: teach the map to somebody else and then make sure you display it somewhere.
- If you have closed book exams which you have to be able to quote as part of, then finding a song you know the tune to reallly well and changing the lyrics to be different quotations from the text is really helpful. then you learn the song with the quotations and are more likely to remember it in the exam too.
- plan essays to as many questions as you can: you don't have to have written the essay, but the act of planning it out is really important and will mean that you are better prepared in the exam room.
- if you use sparknotes etc, make sure that you take notes from them and write key points on flashcards or draw little pictures with key things associated with them.

The most important thing with revision, is that it has to be active. The more time you spend just reading your notes, the less productive it will be. Condensing your notes, drawing them, mapping them etc will all make the information stick better. "

I hope it helps,

Good luck

I'm still in awe that we're doing the same texts!!!

Hey I am doing to exact same texts as you.

I just needed some clarification with the AO's for the texts. Is WOB/TR AO3/AO4 and King Lear is AO2/AO3? Thanks.

I can't believe how little resources there are for The Rivals :s-smilie:

Literally nothing about it on the internet.

Reply 50

Eireann95

Original post by HighwayUnicorn

Hey I am doing to exact same texts as you.

I just needed some clarification with the AO's for the texts. Is WOB/TR AO3/AO4 and King Lear is AO2/AO3? Thanks.

I can't believe how little resources there are for The Rivals :s-smilie:

Literally nothing about it on the internet.

Yeah, those are the correct AOs :smile:

The Rivals is really hard to find stuff on, but at least you don't have to discuss it by itself in an essay.

How are you finding the texts? Do you feel ready for the exam?
x

Reply 51

Jadb

Yeah I'm struggling for stuff on The Rivals. Hard to write about different readings of the text when it doesn't seem like many people have read it!

Reply 52

josiecasey

Original post by lottielugosi

Is anyone else studying Volpone? We're comparing Volpone and The Wife of Bath's Tale, which is proving reaaally quite difficult.

Hiya! I'm comparing those two texts as well; create a table comparing the use of structure, purpose, humour, blasphemy and sacrilege, lust, and avarice in each of them, learn it and you should be fine for the exam. Include quotations to back up the various points too - the only two themes you can really compare with the two texts are comedy and sin and they go hand in hand really; human failings are presented in a humorous way. Hope that's been of some use!

Reply 53

HighwayUnicorn

16

Original post by Eireann95

Yeah, those are the correct AOs :smile:

The Rivals is really hard to find stuff on, but at least you don't have to discuss it by itself in an essay.

How are you finding the texts? Do you feel ready for the exam?
x

I really enjoy Lear. It's a shame I can't say the same about the other two... :s-smilie:

I'm going to make a list of quotes this week to revise, and do the major themes too. I feel so behind with my other subjects (chemistry and biology) that English has got lost in between everything. Really starting to feel the effects of the exam season now.

How about you?

Reply 54

username823573

11

I finally feel confident with WoB and The Rivals - just need to get quotes sorted now really and practise some more essays
King Lear - generally okay on the whole. Just the main themes to cover really

How's everyone's revision going for those texts?

Reply 55

username823573

11

Original post by Jadb

Yeah I'm struggling for stuff on The Rivals. Hard to write about different readings of the text when it doesn't seem like many people have read it!

For The Rivals (similarly with WoB), you can use:

- Feminist reading - how Malaprop was denied education because she's a woman
- Marxist reading - issues of class/class struggle, such as how David (a servant) persuades Acres not to duel (I think)
- An essay by Oliver Goldsmith - while not directly about The Rivals, the points made are relevant and shed light on the purpose of comedy. It's titled 'A Comparison between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy'. I can't find the link but when I find it, I'll post it here.

Reply 56

MForbes23

Original post by Pavzky

I finally feel confident with WoB and The Rivals - just need to get quotes sorted now really and practise some more essays
King Lear - generally okay on the whole. Just the main themes to cover really

How's everyone's revision going for those texts?

I am trying to stay positive about my exam.. Im doing Paradise Lost book 9 with The White Devil, and King Lear.

I find that now it usefull learning quotes that relate to themes, as questions are always theme based. So going through each act and choosing 5 quotes which relate to animalistic imagery etc or division etc etc

Once I can recall my quotes confidently I will be fine.
Im really looking forward to the king lear text though, having not to draw direct comparisons is soo much easier and the a03 is eaiser than my comparison texts too.

Reply 57

Emmester

Original post by MForbes23

I am trying to stay positive about my exam.. Im doing Paradise Lost book 9 with The White Devil, and King Lear.

I find that now it usefull learning quotes that relate to themes, as questions are always theme based. So going through each act and choosing 5 quotes which relate to animalistic imagery etc or division etc etc

Once I can recall my quotes confidently I will be fine.
Im really looking forward to the king lear text though, having not to draw direct comparisons is soo much easier and the a03 is eaiser than my comparison texts too.

YAY someone is doing the same as me!

I'm stressing quite a bit of it as I'm the only person in my class so I have no one else to compare my work/essays with! How are you finding it?

Reply 58

dougturnsy

Original post by Emmester

YAY someone is doing the same as me!

I'm stressing quite a bit of it as I'm the only person in my class so I have no one else to compare my work/essays with! How are you finding it?