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Glossary

Persona: GCSE English Definition

Deb Orrock

Written by: Deb Orrock

Reviewed by: Nick Redgrove

Last updated

Contents

  1. 1. What is a persona?
  2. 2. Why do writers use personas?
  3. 3. Example of a persona
  4. 4. Revision resources to ace your exams

What is a persona?

In GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language, a persona is the voice or character adopted by a writer to narrate a story or poem. It may be different from the writer's own voice and is used to present a particular perspective, personality or attitude.

Why do writers use personas?

Writers use personas for a variety of reasons. A persona allows the writer to present a unique perspective that may be different from their own, or to express opinions, emotions or experiences from another character's perspective. A well-crafted persona can make a story or poem more compelling for the reader, and they can be used to highlight social issues, moral dilemmas or philosophical ideas in a way that feels more natural.

Example of a persona

An example of a strong persona can be found in the poem 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning. The poem is in the form of a dramatic monologue, in which the Duke of Ferrara is the speaker. The Duke is not Robert Browning himself; he is a fictional persona created by the poet to explore ideas of power, control and gender roles.

Revision resources to ace your exams

Learn how to explore a writer's use of personas by using our detailed GCSE revision notes.

GCSE English Literature Revision Notes

For more literary techniques, check out our list of 127 top literary devices, complete with student-friendly definitions.

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Author
Reviewer
Deb Orrock

Author: Deb Orrock

Expertise: English Content Creator

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She most recently managed a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.

Nick Redgrove

Author: Nick Redgrove

Expertise: English Senior Content Creator

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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