Paper 1 Shakespeare Overview (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Written by: Nick Redgrove
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
As part of your Edexcel English Literature GCSE, you will complete two examination papers. On Paper 1 there are two sections: Section A and Section B. In Section A you will complete two questions on the Shakespeare play you have studied.
Paper 1: Section A (Shakespeare) can be summarised as follows:
Paper | Questions | Time | Marks | % of GCSE grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1: Shakespeare and Post-1914 Literature | 2 (one Shakespeare question in two parts) | 55 minutes | 40 marks (20 marks per question) | 25% |
In Section A, the assessment objectives AO1, AO2 and AO3 are assessed. In this section, you must complete a two-part question. Part (a) is focused on close language analysis of an extract and assesses AO2. The extract will be approximately 30 lines in length. In part (b) you will be asked to respond to an essay question and make reference to the rest of the play you have studied. You are assessed on AO1 and AO3.
This means that the two questions in Section A assess three assessment objectives. These are the key skills you are expected to demonstrate in your responses to each question.
Assessment Objective | Definition | What this means |
|---|---|---|
AO1 | Read, understand and respond to texts, maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response, using textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations |
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AO2 | Analyse language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate |
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AO3 | Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written |
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It is important that you carefully read the exam instructions and ensure that you have chosen the appropriate questions and texts based on the text you have studied. This is a closed-book exam, which means you won’t have access to a copy of your Shakespeare play during the examination.
Command words and keywords
There are several command words and keywords used in this exam paper that you should be familiar with:
Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
Explore | This means your exploration of the question’s main idea should be in-depth |
How (does the writer…) | This means you should look closely at the methods Shakespeare has used to convey certain ideas or meanings |
Explain | This means you need to clarify meaning and demonstrate your comprehension of ideas |
Refer | This means you must use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate your interpretations |
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