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A2 OCR english literature exam -11 June 2015

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What I mean really is the opposite, if I didn't have a main counter argument do you think I'll lose marks?

You'll never lose marks in an English paper.. it just depends whether you linked back to the question. Which question was it on?

Reply 481

EnnieR

Original post by barose

Yes I did.. I talked about overconfidence in males pride and how Lucy and The Wife deceive them, overconfidence in females belief that they can have authority against the power of patriarchy linked the Old Hag and Lydia, and the overconfidence of language and how it backfires with malapropisms and jankeyn's use of antifeminism. How about you?

I argued that overconfidence in characters of both texts was merely covering deeper insecurities, and focused on the malapropisms, the wife getting the midas story wrong, sir Anthony and wife trying to gain authority through overconfidence to hide their lack of power, and how both wife of bath and mrs malaprop were insecure about their age. I don't really know if that is what I was supposed to do but o'well - yours sounds much more well rounded!!!

Reply 482

stgr97

Can someone help me out? :-)Last year I got 162 UMSIn this year's coursework I got 37/40 raw markRoughly what did I need in today's exam to get an A? Also is it at all possible for me to get an A*?Thanks

Reply 483

Zer0.

Original post by stgr97

90 UMS for an A = 50 Raw Marks (Most likely)

112 UMS for an A* = 58 Raw marks (Most likely)

Reply 484

AMKrishnan

Posted from TSR Mobile

For an A overall you need 158 ums (320-162=158)

37/40 = 68 Ums

So you need 90/120 ums in this exam which is a mid B (84 UMS Is a b and 96 an A)

90ums = 50/60 raw marks

For an A* you'll need 112 ums which is 57-58/60

You can trust this cause the grade boundaries rarely change and I kinda taught my teacher this haha

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 485

stgr97

Original post by AMKrishnan

Thank you so much! Good luck everyone

Reply 486

Anna135

Themes of the tempest:
- magic
- power
- the island
- colonisation

Reply 487

learner248

hey guys,
what were the questions for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? I can surmise that one was on disguise and deception, any ideas on its actual wording and the other one?

Reply 488

learner248

Original post by brotherwatsoni

Did anyone write about Puck for Section A? If you did what did you say?? I'm not sure my essay was well argued😁

Hi sorry, know this is from ages ago, can you remember what the actual question was? I know it was something along the lines of ‘Charming, creative, chaotic.’??

Thank youu :smile:

Reply 489

euan534

predictions for Tempest also what was June 2015 questions on tempest and on the comparison questions thank you

Reply 490

lwills04

Can anyone remember what the 2 Tempest question options were from the 2015 paper?

Reply 491

euan534

Original post by lwills04

Can anyone remember what the 2 Tempest question options were from the 2015 paper?

One was miranda, not sure on theother.

I have a feeling one will be Ariel since it has been Prospero in 2013,caliban 2014 and moranda 2015

Reply 492

lwills04

Fab thank you!! Yeah that's what i was thinking, Ariel would be pretty good to be fair! What other texts are you studying?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 493

Ellaclarke

Original post by Elle97

I did the Caesar question for Section A Antony and Cleopatra, and did The Rivals and Blake for Section B, the marriage question. Feeling good about my section B but section A concerns me a little, as I became ill during it and my exam had to be paused for like 19 minuets😭😭 I only need like 57 UMS for an A so if I can just grab myself a good D or even a high E I'll be fine 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻hope it went well for everyone!

Posted from TSR Mobile

What were the questions for Antony and cleopatra? Thanks

Reply 494

itsConnor_

Original post by stgr97

320 UMS overall needed for an A

36/40 gives you 64 UMS, but not sure how many 37 would get.

If we assume 68, 320-68-162=90 UMS which is a mid B in the exam (24-25 marks in each essay?)

Sorry I couldn't say exactly....hard to know as boundaries down go up in a linear relationship raw marks vs. ums

Reply 495

studentgirl78

THEMES AND QUOTES ON THE TEMPEST ; CRITICAL THEORY QUOTES AND TEXT QUOTES! Hope this is helpful to someone :smile:

Theme
Quote
Meaning/link

THEME: Betrayal

1. “by foul play, as thou sayst, were we heaved hence” Prospero (1:2)

Prospero was usurped by his brother, causing them to flee to the island.

2. “look how well my garments sit upon me, much feater than before” Antonio (2:1)

Antonio says that he has no guilt about usurping Prospero and looks and feels better as a result.

3. “my false brother awaked an evil nature” Prospero (2:2)

Prospero wants to get revenge on his brother.

THEME: Nature/colonialism

4. “O brave new world”, “how beauteous mankind is!” Miranda (5:1)

Miranda begins to understand about the outside world and the people in it.

5. “The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not” Caliban (3:2)

The mystical imagery here expresses how Caliban loves the island and is in touch with nature.

6. “a born devil, on whose nature nurture can never stick” Prospero (4:1)

Colonialist attitudes of ‘natives’ being innately savage and unable to become ‘civilised’.

THEME: God/The divine
7. “I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble”
Miranda on Ferdinand
Miranda expresses her love for Ferdinand - in that he seems god-like.

8. “that’s a brave god and bears celestial liquor”, “I prithee, be my God” Caliban (2:2)

Links to colonial history of alcohol being used to destroy the locals and make them addicted so they will do what the colonisers want.
Caliban seems to seek domination when he says ‘be my god’.

9. “MIRANDA: ‘how came we ashore? PROSPERO: ‘by providence divine’” (1:2)

Religious attitudes of the time, Prospero seems like a devout man – like early colonisers.

THEME: Freedom

10. “remember I have done thee worthy service, told thee no lies, made no mistakings” Ariel (1:2)

Ariel seeks freedom by asking rather than trying to take it like Caliban.

11. “Caliban has a new master… freedom, high day!” Caliban to Stephano (2:2)

Caliban seems to misunderstand the concept of freedom. This again could show he seeks domination.
The supernatural

12. “I’ll break my staff… I’ll drown my book” Prospero (5:1)

Prospero finally gives up his powers as they have no place anywhere but the island.

13. “this is no mortal business, nor no sound that the earth owes” Ferdinand (1:2)

Ferdinand recognises the magical feel of the island.

14. “now my charms are all o’erthrown and what strength I have’s mine own” Prospero (Epilogue)

Prospero, left without his powers, now only has his own strength like everyone else.

THEME: Love/compassion

15. “the white cold virgin snow upon my heart abates the ardour of my liver” Ferdinand (4:1)

The difference between love and lust – proving himself to Prospero who emphasises Miranda’s virginity.

16. “O, I have suffered with those that I saw suffer” Miranda (1:2)

Miranda is compassionate, innocent and pure – something that only her and Ferdinand share.

17. “I have used thee, filth as thou art, with human care… till thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child” Prospero (1:2)
Caliban attempted to rape Miranda in order to populate the island, not necessarily in a malicious way.

18. “I here could pluck his highness’ frown upon you and justify you traitors. At this time I will tell no tales” Prospero to Antonio and Sebastian (5:1)

Prospero does not tell about their plot to kill the king out of compassion and forgiveness.

The Tempest – CRITICAL

Theme/character
Quote
Prospero
“Prospero is the ultimate colonialist stereotype… domineering, crafty, prudish and piggish” Deborah Willis

“[Prospero is] controlling the other characters, as a puppeteer might manoeuvre his puppets”, “Prospero has played God” Robert Wilson

“Prospero is himself changed as the action unfolds” Robert Wilson

“in renouncing his art, he realises he is imperfect” Dowden

“the man of methodical conquest” Cesaire

“Prospero is the grandest conception of the magician to be found in all our literature”
Rolfe

‘Over all this spirit world Prospero bears sovereign rule by the power of a commanding intellect’ Rolfe
Caliban
“the island brings out the best in Caliban. Whenever he describes it, his language loses its characteristic gruffness” Diana Devlin

“Caliban, given the choice, would not seek total liberation but willing service” Diana Devlin

“To the best of our knowledge, Shakespeare’s audience viewed Caliban as an archetype representing… the primordial, monstrous and sinful, not as a colonised Native American” Deborah Willis
“Caliban does not complain of being exploited; he complains rather of being betrayed” Mannoni

“if Shakespeare, however obliquely, meant Caliban to personify America's natives, his intention apparently miscarried almost completely” Vaughn

Miranda
“has a paradoxical role as the dependant female who is however crucial for the dynamics of power in the play” Valdiveiso

“Miranda and not only Caliban should receive attention as the victim of oppression” (feminism) Valdiveiso

“a wilful individual, who largely embodies Prospero’s obsessions with chastity, fertility and obedience.” G.V Ratnam

“the obvious example of human love in action is the way Ferdinand and Miranda are absorbed in eachother” Stephen Siddall

“her primary value is her virginity” Metzger

Other characters
“[Sycorax is] an unconventional woman who threatens… patriarchal society” Brett
“[Antonio and Sebastian] are the real dreamers, sunk into the hallucination of greed” Northrop

“every character is driven by an internal cry for freedom” Sharpe
The play as a whole
“The Tempest is a hall of mirrors” Brooks
“[the play shows the] ugly nature of power struggle within politics” Green

“the magic island is a metaphor for the theatre” Norbrook