Grade 9 Romeo and Juliet Essay Question Model Answer (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Grade 9 Romeo and Juliet Essay Question Model Answer
Component 1 of the Eduqas GCSE asks you to write two essays on the Shakespeare play you have been studying.
Question 1 is an essay based on an extract from the play you have studied
Question 2 is what’s known as a “discursive” essay question, and the question does not give you an extract to work from
Here you will find an annotated model answer for Question 2, the discursive essay question. “Discursive” can be interpreted as a discussion on wider ideas, so examiners are looking for a sustained argument that thoroughly covers a range of points. This means you will need to refer to different parts of the play throughout your answer to explore the development of Shakespeare’s themes or ideas.
How am I assessed?
The discursive essay is marked out of 25. You are offered 5 marks for spelling and grammar. Here is how the marks are divided:
Assessment objective | Number of marks | What you need to do to show this |
---|---|---|
AO1 | 10 |
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AO2 | 10 |
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AO4 | 5 |
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Grade 9 Romeo and Juliet essay question model answer
Below you will find an example answer for a past Eduqas GCSE Romeo and Juliet essay question. This Romeo and Juliet model answer includes annotations that show where and how this answer has met the above assessment objectives. It’s a sample answer to the following question:
Write about Juliet and how she is presented at different points in the play. [25] |
Annotated Grade 9 Model Answer
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the character of Juliet, the sensible and innocent true love of his tragic hero, to illustrate how both young men and women are subject to powerful external forces (AO1). Shakespeare’s presentation of Juliet as a force for justice and equality is illustrated in her alliance with the enemy. However, her desperate need to find peace and agency in her limited world compels her to a brave and sacrificial act. In this way, Juliet’s role in the play becomes one of an innocent and martyred victim (AO1).
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Sources
Shakespeare, William. Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Edited by Peter Alexander, HarperCollins, 1994. Accessed 26 March 2024.
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