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AQA English Literature: Tragedy- 20th May 2016

Is anyone studying these texts:
Death of a Salesman
King Lear

Any thoughts or ideas on what might come up

Its a new course isn't it? I'm hoping for either a question on the relationship between Lear and Kent or Lear and Gloucester, for Death of a Salesman I'm hoping for a question about Linda or Is Willy truly a tragic hero. Knowing my luck they won't be nice questions like that.

Reply 2

Bernice_1

Yeah it s a new spec, exactly AQA aren't really a nice bunch but I'm praying it goes well🙏🏾

Reply 3

maggiedavies

Thank god I found a thread for this.

I am doing both texts and the exam is tomorrow.

How do you guys structure your essays? Is there a check list that you go through as you're writing them?

Specifically Death of a Salesman, do you just go straight in to quoting providing contextual information, analysis, background info and criticisms etc. as you go along? Or am I missing something?
Mostly, do you compare it to classical tragedies i.e. Shakespeare or any mention of Arsistotle's Poetics - I know to mention the Greek keywords such as hamartia, anagnorisis etc. in relation to the text, but is that all??

For King Lear I normally begin with some act/scene setting discussion and the contrast to previous scenes, a bit about the history of Greek tragedy and how it links to the text e.g. tragic hero/downfall etc. etc.
And then of course plunge in to the extract analysis - picking out phrases and analysing them just like a poem. Then offering critical interpretations, context etc. Is that all?

Any advice for conclusions?

Thanks!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

Bernice_1

1. Topic sentence(must connect to focus on the question )-aspects of tragedy
2.contextualise the aspect of text you re exploring
3. Short embedded examples of evidence
4. Explore the evidence-break it down- consider why the writer is using this character/theme/plot device/speech/setting
5.link back to the original point
6.explore how tragedy is evident in this aspect of the text
Then move in to the next point

I hope this helps 🙂

Reply 5

Bernice_1

With people in my who achieve top bands they seem to be contextualising a lot and embedding quotes and linking in A05 and other aspects of tragedy texts (Lear) .

Reply 6

maggiedavies

Original post by Bernice_1

Cheers x

Reply 7

courtknxx

Anyone doing Death of A Salesman and Othello tomorrow??

Reply 8

Atomix330

Anything could come up in terms of Lear or Salesman. Unlikely to be anything to do with Linda or Kent though as both turned up in the Specimen Paper....as did Cordelia and Edgar ( in the A2 Specimen).

Hoping for the sisters or the Fool, or Edmund or Gloucester....and something purely on Willy.

Reply 9

Chris-Graham

I thought the paper today was awesome! I did Othello and Death of a Salesman, and they were just my dream questions! (However, I didn't include an intro or conclusion for Othello, I doubt this matters too much as the content was great). I was on such a high!!

Reply 10

courtknxx

Original post by Chris-Graham

I sat the paper for both these texts today, and I agree, I feel that AQA were nice to us, lets hope the Poetry paper is just as good.

Reply 11

emerald17

Original post by courtknxx

Anyone doing Death of A Salesman and Othello tomorrow??

i did! how did you find the exam?

Reply 12

emerald17

Original post by Chris-Graham

i found the Death of a salesman question kind of difficult?
do you mind telling me how you structured the question? and brief points on what you wrote?