AQA_2024: AS English Literature A - Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Shakespeare and Poetry. (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: AS English Literature A - Paper 1 Love Through the Ages: Shakespeare and Poetry. (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) AS ENGLISH LITERATURE A Paper 1 Love through the ages: Shakespeare and poetry Thursday 16 May 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes  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. IB/H/Jun24/G4002/E8 7711/1 For AS English Literature A Paper 1: Love Through the Ages: Shakespeare and Poetry, here's a concise revision guide focusing on the key areas: 1. Key Themes of Love:  Romantic Love: Love between couples, often marked by passion, devotion, and sacrifice. Key examples are found in Shakespeare’s plays like Romeo and Juliet and in poetry like Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare.  Unrequited Love: One-sided love that causes pain and emotional turmoil (e.g., in Twelfth Night, Viola's love for Orsino).  Platonic Love: Love not based on romantic or physical attraction, but on friendship or intellectual connection (e.g., in some of Shakespeare's sonnets).  Love as Conflict: Love often leads to tensions or conflict, whether internal (as in Hamlet) or external (as in Romeo and Juliet where family feuds interfere with love).  Idealized vs. Real Love: Some love is portrayed as perfect and unattainable, while others are more grounded in reality, with flaws and imperfections (compare Sonnet 18 with Othello). 2. Shakespeare's Exploration of Love:  Love in Tragedies: In works like Romeo and Juliet and Othello, love often leads to tragic consequences. Themes of jealousy, misunderstandings, and impulsive actions dominate.  Love in Comedies: In comedies like Twelfth Night, love is often portrayed more light-heartedly, with mistaken identities and humorous misunderstandings. Yet, it also explores deeper themes of desire and emotional complexity.  Complex Characters: Shakespeare often portrays love through complex characters, such as the innocent love in Romeo and Juliet or the manipulative love in Othello. 3. Shakespeare's Sonnet Sequence:  Themes in the Sonnets: Explore themes such as the passage of time (Sonnet 18), the beauty of youth (Sonnet 12), the destructive nature of love (Sonnet 129), and the speaker’s devotion to the "Fair Youth" and the "Dark Lady".  Language and Structure: Shakespeare’s sonnets use vivid imagery, metaphors, and structured form (e.g., the ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme). The tone shifts from adoration to despair and often reflects a philosophical approach to love and time. 4. Key Poets and Poems:  Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese: These sonnets explore intense, personal love. Themes of longing, desire, and emotional depth are prevalent, often contrasting love with loneliness and yearning.  John Keats: In poems like La Belle Dame sans Merci, Keats explores the theme of love through a blend of beauty, seduction, and tragedy.  William Blake: His poems, such as The Clod and the Pebble, explore the conflict in the concept of love, contrasting selfless and selfish love.  Christina Rossetti: In poems like Goblin Market, Rossetti deals with love, temptation, and the idea of self-sacrifice. 5. Literary Techniques in Poetry and Shakespeare:  Imagery and Symbolism: Poets and Shakespeare use vivid imagery (e.g., light/dark contrasts in Romeo and Juliet) to represent love’s complexities. Look for natural imagery in poetry (e.g., the sun, flowers) to symbolize romantic emotions.  Form and Structure: Pay attention to sonnet forms in both Shakespeare's sonnets and other poetic works. The regular structure can highlight the tension between control and emotion. In plays, soliloquies often express a character's internal conflict about love. IB/H/Jun24/G4002/E8 7711/1 2 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, lago easily turns Othello from a loving husband into a suspicious fool. OTHELLO IAGO By heaven, I’ll know thy thoughts. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand, Nor shall not, whilst ’tis in my custody. OTHELLO Ha! IAGO O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss Who certain of his fate loves not his wronger, But O, what damnèd minutes tells he o’er, Who dotes yet doubts, suspects yet fondly loves! OTHELLO O misery! IAGO Poor and content is rich, and rich enough; But riches fineless is as poor as winter, To him that ever fears he shall be poor. Good God, the souls of all my tribe defend From jealousy! OTHELLO Why, why is this? Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy, To follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions? No, to be once in doubt Is once to be resolved. Exchange me for a goat, When I shall turn the business of my soul To such exsufflicate and blown surmises, Matching thy inference. ’Tis not to make me jealous To say my wife is fair, loves company, Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well: Where virtue is, these are more virtuous. Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, For she had eyes and chose me. No, Iago, I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy! [25 marks] IB/H/Jun24/7711/1 3 IAGO I am glad of this: for now I shall have reason To show the love and duty that I bear you With franker spirit. Therefore, as I am bound, Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio. Wear your eye thus: not jealous, nor secure. I would not have your free and noble nature, Out of self-bounty, be abused. Look to’t. I know our country disposition well: In Venice they do let God see the pranks They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience Is not to leave’t undone, but keep’t unknown. OTHELLO Dost thou say so? IAGO She did deceive her father, marrying you, And when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks, She loved them most. OTHELLO IAGO And so she did. Why, go to, then! She that so young could give out such a seeming, To seel her father’s eyes up close as oak – He thought ’twas witchcraft. – But I am much to blame, I humbly do beseech you of your pardon For too much loving you. OTHELLO IAGO I am bound to thee for ever. I see this hath a little dashed your spirits. OTHELLO Not a jot, not a jot. IAGO In faith, I fear it has. I hope you will consider what is spoke Comes from my love. But I do see you’re moved. I am to pray you, not to strain my speech To grosser issues, nor to larger reach Than to suspicion. OTHELLO I will not. IAGO Should you do so, my lord, My speech should fall into such vile success Which my thoughts aimed not at. Cassio’s my worthy friend. My lord, I see you’re moved. OTHELLO No, not much moved. I do not think but Desdemona’s honest. Turn over for the next question (Act 3, Scene 3) IB/H/Jun24/7711/1 Turn over ► 4 or 0 2 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, a modern audience would be more disgusted than amused by Katherina’s ordeal. GRUMIO No, no, forsooth, I dare not for my life. KATHERINA The more my wrong, the more his spite appears. What, did he marry me to famish me? Beggars that come unto my father’s door Upon entreaty have a present alms, If not, elsewhere they meet with charity. But I, who never knew how to entreat, Nor never needed that I should entreat, Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep, With oaths kept waking, and with brawling fed. And that which spites me more than all these wants, He does it under name of perfect love, As who should say, if I should sleep or eat, ’Twere deadly sickness or else present death. I prithee go and get me some repast, I care not what, so it be wholesome food. GRUMIO What say you to a neat’s foot? KATHERINA ’Tis passing good, I prithee let me have it. GRUMIO I fear it is too choleric a meat. How say you to a fat tripe finely broiled? KATHERINA I like it well. Good Grumio, fetch it me. GRUMIO I cannot tell, I fear ’tis choleric. What say you to a piece of beef and mustard? KATHERINA A dish that I do love to feed upon. GRUMIO Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little. KATHERINA Why then, the beef, and let the mustard rest. GRUMIO Nay then, I will not. You shall have the mustard, Or else you get no beef of Grumio. KATHERINA Then both, or one, or anything thou wilt. [25 marks] IB/H/Jun24/7711/1 5 GRUMIO Why then, the mustard without the beef. KATHERINA Go, get thee gone, thou false deluding slave, She beats him That feed’st me with the very name of meat. Sorrow on thee and all the pack of you That triumph thus upon my misery! Go, get thee gone, I say. Enter Petruchio and Hortensio with meat PETRUCHIO How fares my Kate? What, sweeting, all amort? HORTENSIO Mistress, what cheer? KATHERINA PETRUCHIO Faith, as cold as can be. Pluck up thy spirits, look cheerfully upon me. Here, love, thou seest how diligent I am, To dress thy meat myself, and bring it thee. He sets the dish down I am sure, sweet Kate, this kindness merits thanks. What, not a word? Nay then, thou lov’st it not, And all my pains is sorted to no proof. Here, take away this dish. KATHERINA PETRUCHIO I pray you, let it stand. The poorest service is repaid with thanks, And so shall mine before you touch the meat. KATHERINA I thank you, sir. HORTENSIO Signor Petruchio, fie, you are to blame.