AQA GCSE English Literature Help

So we have an AQA worker who creates test papers who actively comes to our school to help students out in their knowledge of the texts. I happend to be selected into one of these sessions with her and she said "Lady Macbeth is likely to come up in the exam" exactly. I am not lying but i wanted to share this with everyone and good luck with your revision.

P.S She said she didn't create this years paper but she assisted on it.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Fullsend

Original post by S47W4N

Hello if lady macbeth comes up i will be buzzing but is there any chance of something else coming up. Did she tell you about anything else that is likely to comeup.

Reply 2

jannat_xoo

Omg watch how she don't come up and I revise it proper, idekkk what imma do for English totally gonna flop

Original post by S47W4N

Reply 3

stresseddelrey

How do i revise? Learn quotes?

Reply 4

ellie154352

Original post by nurudelrey

How do i revise? Learn quotes?

It makes it easier with flash cards (put the technique used in the quote (e.g. emotive language) on one side and the quote on the other). Also, I am finding using isochromic tones on youtube very useful (isochromic tones are particular types of sound waves (not the same as binaural waves which are less effective) to help with learning, although they can give some people headaches). One video that I use is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEgSBuYlSoA
Hope this helps and good luck

Reply 5

darrencoxon

Original post by S47W4N

Examiners are sworn to secrecy so I think this is a guess. I personally think it will be Macbeth and an early soliloquy or the first exchange between M and LM. I've done a sample question and approach to an answer here: examinershead.wordpress.com

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 6

ellie154352

Original post by darrencoxon

Thank you so much for the link. It is really useful. Only you should probably also mention in your blog to analyse the language techniques used (e.g. soliloquy, oxymoron, alliteration, etc) and why the writer uses them (and then the effect on the reader).

For anyone who is taking this paper, I've put a paragraph from a sample answer (should be six paragraphs overall - three for extract and three for text as a whole, this is not for any sample paper but just an analysis for a quote which should be included in an argument. BY ITSELF THIS ANSWER WOULD NOT GET GOOD MARKS - it needs to be backed up an argument which I haven't made (e.g. Lady Macbeth is not as powerful as she tries to seem):

"Shakespeare uses the juxtaposition "milk for gall" to present Lady Macbeth as a character who is trying to present herself as someone she is not (powerful when she is really just weak) as juxtaposing is putting two contrasting images together, possibly symbolising the two contrasting sides of herself. The "milk" could be interpreted as being intended by Shakespeare to represent life as "milk" is food and food sustains life. "(G)all", on the other hand, is "poison". Shakespeare may have chosen to use the noun "gall" to suggest the opposite of "life" to the reader - "death". Therefore, Shakespeare may have been saying that Lady Macbeth is willing to sacrifice life ("milk" :wink:

in order to gain power. This is of course what happens to Lady Macbeth (she dies of remorse), and so the juxtaposition could also be interpreted as foreshadowing as well. The techniques of juxtaposing and foreshadowing in the phrase "milk for gall" have the effect on the reader of them feeling worried for Lady Macbeth, an in particular what the future will hold for her, as the foreshadowing that she will exchange life for death shows the reader that there will be no happy ending for her. It also makes the reader sympathetic to her as a character as Shakespeare is presenting her as trapped in her mistaken beliefs. Shakespeare could also be interpreted as using the juxtaposition "milk for gall" as a moral for women living in the patriarchal Shakespearean Britain when Macbeth was written - if a women tries to exchange her femininity and the weakness that comes with it for masculine power and strength (the fact that Lady Macbeth wants to do this is shown to the reader by Shakespeare by her imperative command "unsex me here!" - she does not want to be a woman as she sees them as weak), then she is trying to exchange "milk for gall" and will "die", at least socially and perhaps even literally as Lady Macbeth does."

Also, here's a link for the mark scheme for exactly what is expected
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA-87021-SMS.PDF

Anyway, for anyone who's taking this paper, hope this helps and hope you do well.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 7

S47W4N

Original post by Moveid

Hello if lady macbeth comes up i will be buzzing but is there any chance of something else coming up. Did she tell you about anything else that is likely to comeup.

Sorry that was it.

BUT... i have her on Tuesday for Fridays exam :wink:

Reply 8

S47W4N

Original post by jannat_xoo

Omg watch how she don't come up and I revise it proper, idekkk what imma do for English totally gonna flop

I'd do LM, Macbeth & Banquo as the key characters.
They're the most likely

Reply 9

zahraaa7

Original post by S47W4N

If this is true and it comes up. I will send you any chocolates you want!!

Reply 10

S47W4N

Original post by zahraaa7

If this is true and it comes up. I will send you any chocolates you want!!

Okay Thanks!

Reply 11

darrencoxon

Original post by ellie154352

Yes you're right. My latest post does just this. You do need to get in the language features but you must say why they are used. Listing them will get you very few marks. Best of luck.

Posted from TSR Mobile