Part B: Mark Scheme & Model Answer (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

AO1

• Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to:

  • Maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response

  • Use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations

AO3

• Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written

Key Questions 

• Does your response show a high level of engagement with other areas of the play?

• Are all points linked closely to the theme given in the question?

• Have you challenged the interpretation of the text being discussed?

• Are quotations appropriate to the point being made and relevant to the theme being discussed?

• Are contextual links interspersed throughout your response?

• Do your contextual points illustrate how the characters or events reflect or challenge social, political or historical perceptions?

• Is there the correct balance between your textual analysis (75%) and the contextual points (25%) made?

Question:

Part (b) 

Explain the importance of love elsewhere in the play.

Question focus

Importance of love elsewhere in the play

Topic sentence 1

The romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is portrayed as pure and idealised and Shakespeare uses it as a symbol of hope and unity amid the discord between both families. 

Analysis

In Act I Scene V, in the quotation, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night”, Shakespeare expresses the transformative power of love and suggests that Romeo had never truly experienced deep love until he laid his eyes on Juliet. Romeo comes to the realisation that his prior experiences of love were superficial in comparison to the love he now feels for Juliet. 

Question focus

Importance of love elsewhere in the play

Topic sentence 2 

Familial love is depicted as both a source of support and conflict through the Montague and Capulet families and the deep-rooted animosity and hatred between the two households serves as a major obstacle to the love between Romeo and Juliet.

Analysis

The feud creates an environment of hostility and tension and directly influences the choices and actions of the characters within the play. This conflict illustrates the destructive power of familial discord and its ability to overshadow other forms of love. In contrast, the love of parents for their children is also evident in the play. Both Lord and Lady Capulet, as well as Lord and Lady Montague, express worry and concern for the well-being of their children.  

Throughout the play, Shakespeare explores the powerful and transformative nature of love, be it romantic, familial, or the love between friends. It could be argued that Shakespeare suggests that all these various types of love ultimately have a destructive impact on the characters in the play.

The romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is portrayed as pure and idealised and Shakespeare uses it as a symbol of hope and unity amid the discord between both families.  In Act I Scene V, in the quotation, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night”, Shakespeare expresses the transformative power of love and suggests that Romeo had never truly experienced deep love until he laid his eyes on Juliet. Romeo comes to the realisation that his prior experiences of love were superficial in comparison to the love he now feels for Juliet. The immediacy of Romeo’s love reveals his impulsive and passionate nature. 

Escalus says “For never was a story of more woe/Than this of Juliet and her Romeo”. This shows us that forbidden love, caused by society’s unwillingness to let them be together drove them to commit suicide so that they could finally be together. It is also significant because after learning of their children’s love, the Capulets and Montagues finally put aside their differences to unite out of respect for their children.

Familial love is depicted as both a source of support and conflict through the Montague and Capulet families. The deep-rooted animosity and hatred between the two households serves as a major obstacle to the love between Romeo and Juliet. The feud creates an environment of hostility and tension and directly influences the choices and actions of the characters within the play. This conflict illustrates the destructive power of familial discord and its ability to overshadow other forms of love. In contrast, the love of parents for their children is also evident in the play. Both Lord and Lady Capulet, as well as Lord and Lady Montague, express worry and concern for the well-being of their children. For instance, in Act I Scene I, Lord Montague is concerned about Romeo’s melancholy and in Act I Scene III, Lady Capulet discusses Juliet’s potential marriage with her. The expectations placed on Juliet by her parents, especially regarding her marriage to Paris, illustrate the complex nature of familial love. However, the irony lies in the fact that this parental love and concern do not prevent the tragedy but in some ways contribute towards it.

Love through friendship is primarily evident in the relationships between Romeo and his friends Benvolio and Mercutio. Benvolio serves as a loyal and supportive friend and often provides advice to Romeo and attempts to diffuse conflicts. On the other hand, Mercutio is Romeo’s witty friend and his impulsive nature contributes to the escalating tensions within the play. In Act III Scene I Mercutio states: “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford/No better term than this, - thou art a villain”. In this scene, Tybalt seeks out Romeo to confront him but Mercutio intervenes and a duel ensues. Mercutio’s loyalty to Romeo leads him to confront Tybalt and despite their close bond of friendship, their love is overshadowed by the conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets. It therefore illustrates the consequences of familial animosity and its impact upon friendship.