2025 AQA A-LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE A Paper 1 Love
Through the Ages Question Paper & Mark Scheme (Merged)
Wednesday 14 May 2025 [VERIFIED]
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE A
Paper 1 Love through the ages
Wednesday 14 May 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 3 hours
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page Answer Book
a copy of each of the set texts you have studied for Section C. These texts must not be
annotated and must not contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7712/1.
In Section A you will answer one question about a Shakespeare play.
In Section B you will answer the one question about unseen poetry.
In Section C you will answer one question about two texts: one poetry text and one prose text,
one of which must be written pre-1900.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4009/V4 7712/1
, 2
Section A: Shakespeare
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 1 Othello – William Shakespeare
‘Audiences are more likely to sympathise with Othello as a victim than to condemn him
for his jealous suspicions towards his wife.’
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
[25 marks]
Enter Othello and Iago
IAGO
Will you think so?
OTHELLO Think so, Iago?
IAGO What!
To kiss in private?
OTHELLO An unauthorized kiss.
IAGO
Or to be naked with her friend in bed
An hour or more, not meaning any harm?
OTHELLO
Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm?
It is hypocrisy against the devil.
They that mean virtuously and yet do so,
The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.
IAGO
So they do nothing, ’tis a venial slip.
But if I give my wife a handkerchief –
OTHELLO
What then?
IAGO
Why, then, ’tis hers, my lord, and being hers,
She may, I think, bestow’t on any man.
OTHELLO
She is protectress of her honour too.
May she give that?
IAGO
Her honour is an essence that’s not seen:
They have it very oft that have it not.
But for the handkerchief –
OTHELLO
By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it!
Thou said’st – O, it comes o’er my memory
As doth the raven o’er the infected house,
Boding to all! – he had my handkerchief.
IAGO
Ay, what of that?
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
, 3
OTHELLO That’s not so good now.
IAGO What
If I had said, I had seen him do you wrong,
Or heard him say – as knaves be such abroad,
Who having by their own importunate suit
Or voluntary dotage of some mistress
Convincèd or supplied them, cannot choose
But they must blab –
OTHELLO Hath he said anything?
IAGO
He hath, my lord; but be you well assured,
No more than he’ll unswear.
OTHELLO What hath he said?
IAGO
Faith, that he did – I know not what he did.
OTHELLO
What? What?
IAGO
Lie –
OTHELLO With her?
IAGO With her, on her, what you will.
OTHELLO Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her
when they belie her. Lie with her! Zounds, that’s ful-
some! Handkerchief – confession – handkerchief! To
confess and be hanged for his labour. First to be hanged
and then to confess! I tremble at it. Nature would not
invest herself in such shadowing passion without some
instruction. It is not words that shakes me thus! Pish!
Noses, ears, and lips! Is’t possible? – Confess? Handker-
chief! O devil!
He falls
IAGO
Work on,
My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught,
And many worthy and chaste dames even thus,
All guiltless, meet reproach. What ho, my lord!
My lord, I say! Othello!
(Act 4, Scene 1)
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
, 4
or
0 2 The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare
‘Audiences enjoy the ways in which Petruchio takes charge.’
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Petruchio in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
[25 marks]
PETRUCHIO
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn,
For by this light whereby I see thy beauty,
Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well,
Thou must be married to no man but me.
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable as other household Kates.
Enter Baptista, Gremio, and Tranio
Here comes your father. Never make denial;
I must and will have Katherine to my wife.
BAPTISTA
Now, Signor Petruchio, how speed you with my daughter?
PETRUCHIO
How but well, sir? How but well?
It were impossible I should speed amiss.
BAPTISTA
Why, how now, daughter Katherine? In your dumps?
KATHERINA
Call you me daughter? Now I promise you
You have showed a tender fatherly regard
To wish me wed to one half lunatic,
A madcap ruffian and a swearing Jack,
That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
PETRUCHIO
Father, ’tis thus — yourself and all the world
That talked of her have talked amiss of her.
If she be curst, it is for policy,
For she’s not froward, but modest as the dove.
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn.
For patience she will prove a second Grissel,
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity.
And to conclude, we have ’greed so well together
That upon Sunday is the wedding-day.
KATHERINA
I’ll see thee hanged on Sunday first.
GREMIO
Hark, Petruchio, she says she’ll see thee hanged first.
TRANIO
Is this your speeding? Nay then, good night our part.
PETRUCHIO
Be patient, gentlemen, I choose her for myself.
If she and I be pleased, what’s that to you?
’Tis bargained ’twixt us twain, being alone,
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
Through the Ages Question Paper & Mark Scheme (Merged)
Wednesday 14 May 2025 [VERIFIED]
A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE A
Paper 1 Love through the ages
Wednesday 14 May 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 3 hours
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page Answer Book
a copy of each of the set texts you have studied for Section C. These texts must not be
annotated and must not contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7712/1.
In Section A you will answer one question about a Shakespeare play.
In Section B you will answer the one question about unseen poetry.
In Section C you will answer one question about two texts: one poetry text and one prose text,
one of which must be written pre-1900.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4009/V4 7712/1
, 2
Section A: Shakespeare
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 1 Othello – William Shakespeare
‘Audiences are more likely to sympathise with Othello as a victim than to condemn him
for his jealous suspicions towards his wife.’
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
[25 marks]
Enter Othello and Iago
IAGO
Will you think so?
OTHELLO Think so, Iago?
IAGO What!
To kiss in private?
OTHELLO An unauthorized kiss.
IAGO
Or to be naked with her friend in bed
An hour or more, not meaning any harm?
OTHELLO
Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm?
It is hypocrisy against the devil.
They that mean virtuously and yet do so,
The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.
IAGO
So they do nothing, ’tis a venial slip.
But if I give my wife a handkerchief –
OTHELLO
What then?
IAGO
Why, then, ’tis hers, my lord, and being hers,
She may, I think, bestow’t on any man.
OTHELLO
She is protectress of her honour too.
May she give that?
IAGO
Her honour is an essence that’s not seen:
They have it very oft that have it not.
But for the handkerchief –
OTHELLO
By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it!
Thou said’st – O, it comes o’er my memory
As doth the raven o’er the infected house,
Boding to all! – he had my handkerchief.
IAGO
Ay, what of that?
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
, 3
OTHELLO That’s not so good now.
IAGO What
If I had said, I had seen him do you wrong,
Or heard him say – as knaves be such abroad,
Who having by their own importunate suit
Or voluntary dotage of some mistress
Convincèd or supplied them, cannot choose
But they must blab –
OTHELLO Hath he said anything?
IAGO
He hath, my lord; but be you well assured,
No more than he’ll unswear.
OTHELLO What hath he said?
IAGO
Faith, that he did – I know not what he did.
OTHELLO
What? What?
IAGO
Lie –
OTHELLO With her?
IAGO With her, on her, what you will.
OTHELLO Lie with her? Lie on her? We say lie on her
when they belie her. Lie with her! Zounds, that’s ful-
some! Handkerchief – confession – handkerchief! To
confess and be hanged for his labour. First to be hanged
and then to confess! I tremble at it. Nature would not
invest herself in such shadowing passion without some
instruction. It is not words that shakes me thus! Pish!
Noses, ears, and lips! Is’t possible? – Confess? Handker-
chief! O devil!
He falls
IAGO
Work on,
My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught,
And many worthy and chaste dames even thus,
All guiltless, meet reproach. What ho, my lord!
My lord, I say! Othello!
(Act 4, Scene 1)
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
, 4
or
0 2 The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare
‘Audiences enjoy the ways in which Petruchio takes charge.’
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Petruchio in this extract and
elsewhere in the play.
[25 marks]
PETRUCHIO
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn,
For by this light whereby I see thy beauty,
Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well,
Thou must be married to no man but me.
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable as other household Kates.
Enter Baptista, Gremio, and Tranio
Here comes your father. Never make denial;
I must and will have Katherine to my wife.
BAPTISTA
Now, Signor Petruchio, how speed you with my daughter?
PETRUCHIO
How but well, sir? How but well?
It were impossible I should speed amiss.
BAPTISTA
Why, how now, daughter Katherine? In your dumps?
KATHERINA
Call you me daughter? Now I promise you
You have showed a tender fatherly regard
To wish me wed to one half lunatic,
A madcap ruffian and a swearing Jack,
That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
PETRUCHIO
Father, ’tis thus — yourself and all the world
That talked of her have talked amiss of her.
If she be curst, it is for policy,
For she’s not froward, but modest as the dove.
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn.
For patience she will prove a second Grissel,
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity.
And to conclude, we have ’greed so well together
That upon Sunday is the wedding-day.
KATHERINA
I’ll see thee hanged on Sunday first.
GREMIO
Hark, Petruchio, she says she’ll see thee hanged first.
TRANIO
Is this your speeding? Nay then, good night our part.
PETRUCHIO
Be patient, gentlemen, I choose her for myself.
If she and I be pleased, what’s that to you?
’Tis bargained ’twixt us twain, being alone,
IB/G/Jun25/7712/1
