Literary Heritage Mark Scheme and Model Answers (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)

How does Shakespeare use time in the play?

• You must consider language, form and structure and refer to the context of the play in your answer

Time serves as a crucial structural device within the play. One striking feature of the temporal structure in Romeo and Juliet is that it is highly compressed. Instead of unfolding over several months as depicted in the original poem that served as Shakespeare’s source material (Arthur Brooke’s poem ‘The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet’), Shakespeare condenses the action into just four days: the lovers meet on Sunday, are married on Monday and are dead by Thursday. Indeed, the Prologue establishes the pressing time scale of the play: “the two hours’ traffic of our stage” which further adds to the urgency of the events that will unfold. The Prologue also signals the theme of fate right from the beginning of the play which perhaps denotes the irrelevance of time to the play's outcome. The recurring motif of star-crossed lovers destined for tragedy suggests a predetermined force shaping their fate. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love with great haste and their decision to marry is remarkably swift since they have only been acquainted for a few hours. This is perhaps used to underscore the impulsive and reckless behaviour of the young lovers as the haste in which this decision is made contributes to the play’s ultimate tragedy. Shakespeare uses the theme of time to emphasise the nature of their love. In Act 2, Scene 2, Juliet repeatedly uses hyperbole to express her agony of waiting to see Romeo again: “Tis twenty years till then”. Here she exaggerates the passage of time which conveys her intense longing and impatience. Later in Act 3, she also uses metaphorical language to again lament the slow passage of time as she awaits the arrival of Romeo at her chamber: “Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds”. Time is therefore used by Shakespeare to perhaps distort the idealised image of love depicted. 

How does the relationship between Pip and Estella develop as the novel progresses?

• You must consider language, form and structure and refer to the context of the novel in your answer.

The relationship between Pip and Estella in Great Expectations evolves significantly throughout the novel. Pip’s connection with Estella begins during their childhood when Mr Pumblechook takes him to Satis House to play with Estella, at the behest of Miss Havisham. He is immediately captivated by her beauty and feels self-conscious about his humble, working-class upbringing: “Miss Havisham and Estella never sat in a kitchen, but were far above the level of such common things”. At first, the relationship between Pip and Estella revolves primarily around social status with Pip being reminded of his humble origins as a “common labouring-boy”. This reflects Dickens’ era as society was extremely class conscious. This initial encounter shatters Pip’s innocence as Estella’s demeanour is characterised by condescension, cruelty, pride and arrogance. Her behaviour instils in Pip a sense of unease and discontent, which significantly alters his perspective. During their meeting, Pip’s language is hesitant and deferential and illustrates his feelings of inferiority: “I never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair. Her contempt was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it.” By agreeing with Estella's assessment of him, his conduct is one of passive acceptance: he not only denounces himself but also the environment that has moulded him into who he is: “I thought long after I laid me down, how common Estella would consider Joe, a mere blacksmith: how thick his boots, and how coarse his hands”. Pip’s relationship with Estella means that he now begins to harshly judge others through her conceited lens, rather than trusting his own. His aspiration to become an apprentice, which was previously cherished by both Pip and Joe, is now deemed unworthy. Having met Estella, Pip aspires intensely to adopt the manners and behaviour of a gentleman to prove himself worthy of her: “I want to be a gentleman” and as Volume 1 comes to a close, Pip's aspiration to become a gentleman is fulfilled.

IGCSE Edexcel English Literature Literary Heritage

Explore the theme of death in Macbeth. 

• You must consider language, form and structure and refer to the context of the play in your answer

Beginning with a battlefield and concluding with a massacre, death dominates most of the action of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. It’s a central theme of this compelling Jacobean tragedy, which concludes with the death of its central protagonists. 

The theme of death emerges at the very beginning of the play as evidenced by the Captain’s description of Macbeth and Banquo’s courage on the battlefield against the Norwegians. He describes Macbeth’s sword which “smoked with bloody execution” which alludes to the carnage on the battlefield. At this point of the play, Macbeth is hailed as “noble Macbeth” and “brave Macbeth” which presents him as a courageous warrior. However, when he encounters the witches, he becomes “rapt withall” and immediately begins to plot the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth profits from the death of the Thane of Cawdor and is rewarded with the title in appreciation for his loyal service to Duncan and becomes disconcerted when Duncan announces Malcolm as his heir. In his soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth reflects on the consequences of using Duncan’s murder as a means to advance his position. This scene reveals his internal conflict and foreshadows the moral turmoil that will later plague him: “I am settled …  to this terrible feat./… False face must hide what the false heart doth know”. This quotation reflects his decision to proceed with murder while acknowledging the need to conceal his true intentions behind a “False face”, a deceptive façade. In his soliloquy, Macbeth also refers to his “vaulting ambition”, his tragic hubris. He states that his ambition “overleaps itself” suggesting he is aware on some level that he is doomed if he commits regicide. His ambition is not a gradual ascent but a reckless vault into a world of death. AO1

Shakespeare continues to explore the theme of death with the murder of Duncan, a turning point in the play which symbolises a disruption in the natural order against the Divine Right of Kings. This Jacobean belief was pervasive, so the theme of regicide would have resonated strongly with Shakespeare’s audience, especially after the treasonous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. AO4 King Duncan’s murder deliberately takes place off stage to enable Shakespeare to create dramatic tension. Macbeth’s act of regicide is also depicted as cowardly as Duncan is murdered while he is defenceless and asleep. This further serves to deepen the audience’s condemnation of Macbeth’s act. The theme of death through the unlawful act of murder is presented as one which destroys Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s sanity. Shakespeare uses the motif of blood, which can be interpreted as a symbol of guilt and death, throughout the play and is particularly associated with Lady Macbeth. In the sleepwalking scene in Act 5 Scene 1, Lady Macbeth frantically attempts to wash away imaginary bloodstains from her hands: “Out, damned spot! Out I say!” Her use of imperative verbs is ironic here. In contrast to her previous use of imperatives to command evil spirits in Act 1, Scene 5, her commands are now transformed into desperate pleas. Her fragmented speech and use of repetition also reflect her desperate attempt to cleanse herself of this deathly stain on her conscience. AO2

Shakespeare also explores the theme of death through its impact on the central character. Macbeth abstains from carrying out the murder of Banquo himself, perhaps in an attempt to avoid further guilt. Macbeth falsely hopes that he will be “safe” with Banquo dead and yet he is haunted by Banquo’s ghost in Act 3, Scene 4. In this scene, Macbeth is consumed by guilt which leads to hallucinations and psychological torment. Upon seeing Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth pleads “Never shake/Thy gory locks at me”. The words “gory locks” refers to Banquo’s blood-stained hair and illustrates the brutal and violent nature of his death. Macbeth’s plea to the ghost reveals the haunting impact of Macbeth’s actions on his conscience. Moreover, the deaths of the Macduff family illustrate the escalating power and fear of Macbeth as he tries to eliminate his enemies. Their deaths are reported to Macduff in stark simplicity with sibilance adding to the horror of the description: “Your castle is surprised – your wife and babes / Savagely slaughtered”. Indeed, Shakespeare ensures that Macduff’s grief at the deaths of his family is used by Malcolm as a means of driving his hatred and vengeance against Macbeth. AO2 As Macbeth resorts to increasingly violent and desperate measures to maintain his grip on power, the presence of death becomes more pronounced and each death becomes a reminder to him of the meaninglessness of existence. This is evident in Macbeth’s final soliloquy where death is explored through his despair and nihilism: “Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow”. The repetition of the word “tomorrow” illustrates the relentless passage of time. Here Macbeth reflects on the futility and meaninglessness of life in the face of inevitable death. AO1

In the final act of the play, the theme of death is demonstrated through the play’s dramatic climax, with Macbeth’s death at Macduff’s sword. Macbeth’s belief in his invulnerability makes his demise more poignant. Malcolm characterises Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as “The dead butcher and his fiend-like queen” and Malcolm’s deliberate omission of their names underscores their rapid fall in status. Describing Lady Macbeth as a “fiend” also aligns her with the witches who have sought to bring death and chaos to Scotland. Fundamentally, Macbeth’s death represents the restoration of order and justice in Scotland. AO1

Throughout the play, Shakespeare explores the theme of death through different characters and events. Death manifests itself in various forms, from the calculated murder of King Duncan to the brutal slaughter of Macduff’s innocent family. Shakespeare uses this theme to explore the consequences of regicide, unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power.