AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE A Paper 1 Love through the ages: Shakespeare and poetry Thursday 18 May 2023

AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE A Paper 1 Love through the ages: Shakespeare and poetry Thursday 18 May 2023 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 12-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7711/1. • Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. • Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B. Information • The maximum mark for this paper is 50. • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • 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. Section A: Shakespeare Answer one question from this section. Either 0 1 Othello – William Shakespeare Read the extract from Othello, provided below, and respond to the following: • How does Shakespeare present aspects of love in this extract? • Examine the view that, in this extract and elsewhere in the play, Shakespeare presents Iago as a character whose intelligence makes us like him rather than condemn him. [25 marks] IAGO Come on, come on: you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. DESDEMONA O, fie upon thee, slanderer! IAGO Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk: You rise to play and go to bed to work. EMILIA You shall not write my praise. IAGO No, let me not. DESDEMONA What wouldst thou write of me, if thou shouldst praise me? IAGO O, gentle lady, do not put me to’t, For I am nothing if not critical. DESDEMONA Come on, assay. There’s one gone to the harbour? IAGO Ay, madam. DESDEMONA (aside) I am not merry, but I do beguile The thing I am by seeming otherwise. Come, how wouldst thou praise me? IAGO I am about it, but indeed my invention Comes from my pate as birdlime does from frieze – It plucks out brains and all. But my muse labours, And thus she is delivered. If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit, The one’s for use, the other useth it. DESDEMONA Well praised! How if she be black and witty? IAGO If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She’ll find a white that shall her blackness fit. DESDEMONA Worse and worse. EMILIA How if fair and foolish? IAGO She never yet was foolish that was fair, For even her folly helped her to an heir. DESDEMONA These are old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh i’th’alehouse. What miserable praise hast thou for her that’s foul and foolish? IAGO There’s none so foul and foolish thereunto, But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones do. DESDEMONA O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed? One that in the authority of her merit did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself? IAGO She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud; Never lacked gold, and yet went never gay; Fled from her wish, and yet said ‘Now I may’; She that being angered, her revenge being nigh, Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly; She that in wisdom never was so frail To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail; She that could think and ne’er disclose her mind: See suitors following and not look behind: She was a wight, if ever such wight were – DESDEMONA To do what? IAGO To suckle fools and chronicle small beer. DESDEMONA O, most lame and impotent conclusion! Do not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband. How say you, Cassio, is he not a most profane and liberal counsellor? CASSIO He speaks home, madam; you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar. (Act 2, Scene 1) Turn over for the next question Turn over ► or The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare Read the extract from The Taming of the Shrew, provided below, and respond to the following: • How does Shakespeare present aspects of love in this extract? • Examine the view that, in this extract and elsewhere in the play, Shakespeare presents love as a silly game. [25 marks] Enter Tranio as Lucentio, and Hortensio as Licio TRANIO Is’t possible, friend Licio, that Mistress Bianca Doth fancy any other but Lucentio? I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand. HORTENSIO Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said, Stand by and mark the manner of his teaching. They stand aside Enter Bianca, and Lucentio as Cambio LUCENTIO Now, mistress, profit you in what you read? BIANCA What, master, read you? First resolve me that. LUCENTIO I read that I profess, The Art to Love. BIANCA And may you prove, sir, master of your art. LUCENTIO While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of my heart. They court each other HORTENSIO Quick proceeders, marry! Now tell me, I pray, You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca Loved none in the world so well as Lucentio. TRANIO O despiteful love, unconstant womankind! I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful. HORTENSIO Mistake no more, I am not Licio, Nor a musician as I seem to be, But one that scorn to live in this disguise For such a one as leaves a gentleman And makes a god of such a cullion. Know, sir, that I am called Hortensio. TRANIO Signor Hortensio, I have often heard Of your entire affection to Bianca, And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness, I will with you, if you be so contented, Forswear Bianca and her love for ever. HORTENSIO See how they kiss and court! Signor Lucentio, Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow Never to woo her more, but do forswear her, As one unworthy all the former favours That I have fondly flattered her withal. TRANIO And here I take the like unfeignèd oath, Never to marry with her though she would entreat. Fie on her! See how beastly she doth court him. HORTENSIO Would all the world but he had quite forsworn! For me, that I may surely keep mine oath, I will be married to a wealthy widow Ere three days pass, which hath as long loved me As I have loved this proud disdainful haggard. And so farewell, Signor Lucentio. Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, Shall win my love – and so I take my leave, In resolution as I swore before. Exit (Act 4, Scene 2) Turn over for the next question