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WalesEnglish LiteratureQuick questions
A2 Unit 4: Shakespeare
Quick questions on Shakespeare extract analysis (A2 Unit 4 Section A) - WJEC A-Level English Literature
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is read the extract as dramatic verse, not as a poem?Show answer
Work through the printed extract asking what Shakespeare is doing and to what effect. A switch from verse to prose can mark a change of register or a character unravelling; a shared line can show two minds locking together or clashing; a run of imagery can build a controlling idea (disease, light and dark, the natural order). Each observation should attach to a quoted word or phrase, since the extract is in front of you, and should end on the effect for an audience.
What is model approach?Show answer
Suppose the passage shows a ruler at a moment of collapse. A top-band answer reads it as theatre: the blank verse fractures into broken lines as the character's control fails; the imagery of disorder gathers around them; a shift to prose marks the breakdown; what they do not say (the subtext) is as telling as what they do. Each point is proven from the printed words and tied to the audience's experience.
What is bolted-on context?Show answer
Background that does not bear on the moment wastes AO3; tie every contextual point to the passage.
What is q1?Show answer
Name two features of Shakespeare's verse (beyond imagery) you could analyse in an extract. [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Why is the printed extract especially important in a closed-book Shakespeare answer? [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
With close reference to a printed extract from your set play, analyse how Shakespeare presents the central character at this moment. [20 marks]
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