OCR A2 English Literature 2013

I felt like replying because no one had commented in the last few days . What text are you doing for section A?

Anyway, I'm doing Wife of Bath and The Rivals. Themes:

- Love
- Marriage
- Women
- Power
- Comedy/humour
- Stock characters

I think I've missed a few out so feel free to add to it

Thanks! I'm doing King Lear for Section A, probably more worried about that section due to the fact we only get 2 questions! What text are you doing?


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Quick questions for those who are doing 'The Wife of Bath' & 'The Rivals' comparison : Are you guys going to draw upon the differences between the two texts,with one being a drama text and the other a poem? Have you guys studied the poetry aspect of The Canterbury Tales? Or do you believe they won't be looking to much into that? Considering that the 'The Wife of Bath is pretty lengthy and dense.

just found this thread (I know its rather close to exam day...) and its so useful - good to know other people are doing WOB, The Rivals and King Lear!
Struggling with condensing my knowledge on WOB - any suggestions on key quotes to use and key contextual points would be very appreciated

I'm doing King Lear too! How's it going?

Oh, and finally, have you guys come up with quotas? I.e., I must include 3 critics quotes, 3 references to historical context, 3 references to literary context; I must memorise 15 critics quotes for each text plus 30 quotes from the actual text - that kind of thing? (I haven't come up with any... yet. I haven't even really tried to memorise any quotes yet. Time to panic? No. DEEP. BREATHS.)

Long post is long.

Back to the mad essay-writing. *salute*

Meh, it's going okay... I've only really revised Suffering, Good and Evil, and Blindness and Insight, but I'm hoping whatever quotes and arguments I have for those I can transfer across whatever question they ask, might have to make some tenuous links if I get desperate! I'm struggling with the context though, finding it difficult to make the links relevant. How are you finding it?


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Oh right. Yeah that should be fine really - I really hope we don't get a question on some (relatively) minor character like Kent or Edgar - I will be so annoyed -.-. I'd much rather a thematic question or one on Lear/Edmund etc. It's not too bad for me - I just need to consolidate quotes and themes (leaving it a big late xD) and just read over practice essays I've done. I agree with you about context, I struggled with AO4 but you don't need to include that much. I have, however, got 3 main points that I aim to talk about for context. I can't think of anything else to add but they are:

AO4:

- filial obedience. Very important at the time and to disobey family was seen as the height of disrespect, most obvious through Goneril and Regan's behaviour.
- rights to succession. Especially regarding Edmund's illegitimacy - had no rights to succession from Gloucester, whereas Edgar did. Also, Lear's decision to split his kingdom amount his daughters was unusual. Usually, a male heir would've inherited all of it but he doesn't have a son. In this case, it would go to his eldest daughter (primogeniture). I'm just saying it's his ego and vanity that leads him to quantify his daughters' love in splitting his kingdom.
- great chain of being very much dictated society and was extremely important - almost like a class system. Kings/Earls etc. were right at the top and beggars (like who Edgar disguises himself as) and bastards (Edmund) were right at the bottom, 'bases'. This was overturned during the play.

Oo I'm doing those as well - who are you comparing volpone with?

im quite worried about Shakespeare tbf, I'm revising background (Plutarch) and then characters and main themes - the question could be anything - cant waffle my way though this one!!! How about you?

Ah yes they are really good points thank you, and you'd be able to put them into an essay almost seamlessly.
The only context I've really got is literary context, like about what Shakespeare based King Lear on. Linking to your point about Lear's reasonings for splitting the kingdom, in the chronicle play it begins on Lear's wife's funeral and so his dividing the kingdom can be justified as him mourning, so with Shakespeare neglecting that part it makes his motivations seem more due to his own vanity.


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You're welcome . Yeah Ikr! Oooh that's a really interesting point - haven't come across that, thanks! What AO3 readings do you intend on using and what grade you aiming for?

I need an A, so hopefully if all goes well!
I've got some quotes from Kathleen McLuskie, John Holloway, Enid Welsford, and some contemporary critics i.e. A.C Bradley.
But tbh, if a question comes up that I cant apply any that I know, I might have to use a fake critic :') I've been told by my teacher, who has acted as an examiner, that they don't check every quote and critic and I'd rather risk it than miss out on A03 marks altogether.
What are you aiming for?


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Nice, I'm sure you'll get it
Ooh nice - yeah I've got a few from A.C. Bradley but reading his lecture notes it's so hard to understand and make sense of it, though there are a few lines I'll just use. Haha, yeah course! I'll probably do the same if my mind just goes blank. It's pretty easy to make some up anyway xD.

I'm aiming for an A, A* if I'm lucky but I only know the bands I got for my coursework, not the grade ¬_¬. How was your coursework?

Yeah same, we were only told the bands, I got band 5, actually really enjoyed the coursework, I started really early so didn't really find it a chore. I think i have a shot at an A* but tbh I'll be equally happy with an A. You need an A at AS and 90% at A2 for an A* don't you?


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Well done! I got band 5 too . Yeah I enjoy writing essays when you have more freedom and leeway like that. What was your coursework on?

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's the case. I really hope we get nice questions in the exam

Ah well done! Our c/w was on Post-War Literature, and how different writers responded to the change that had taken place in post war society. How about yours?


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Hey, for WoB, I've found quotes literally a line long (two at max). I'm memorising no more than 20 for each text. I can't find my quotes right now but just find ones where she uses metaphors (like the one about the barley and white bread, wooden and golden vessels), when she talks about power ('maistrie', 'soverainetee'), the terms she uses for her genitals and the contrast between them (e.g. the crudeness of 'queynte' with the euphemism and more refined term, 'bele chose'), monetary/pecuniary terms ('dettour and thral', 'make his paiement' etc.).

For context:

- the WoB's tale is an estate satire, of which Chaucer was an exponent. 'Estate' refers to the 3 classes at the time: church, nobility and peasantry and the purpose of this genre was to ridicule these classes.
- she was married at the 'chirche door'. Commoners married outside church whereas nobility and higher classes were married at the altar. The Wife is a commoner.
- women had power over their lover until they got married. The power then shifted to the husband.
- St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians states that a couple should marry if they can't resist their sexual desires, as it was seen as a lack of physical control. He sees it as a last resort (sort of) solution.
- The Bible would've been written in Latin/French which only the priests were familiar with. The Wife (and her audience) were pretty much illiterate in this sense so would not have been able to read it. The church very much dictated society.

That's all I'm using for AO4, hope it helped