AQA_2024: AS English Literature B - Paper 2A
Literary Genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of Tragedy.
(Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)
AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy
Friday 24 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. 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 7716/2A.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
You must 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 the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
,For AS English Literature B Paper 2A: Literary Genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of Tragedy,
focus on the following key areas:
1. Key Themes of Tragedy:
The Downfall of the Protagonist: Central to tragedy is the protagonist’s decline due to flaws or
external forces. In Death of a Salesman (Miller), Willy Loman’s obsession with success leads to
his tragic end. In Macbeth (Shakespeare), Macbeth’s ambition drives him to murder and
madness.
Fatal Flaws (Hamartia): Many tragic heroes possess flaws that lead to their downfall. In Othello
(Shakespeare), Othello’s jealousy becomes his tragic flaw, while in Frankenstein (Shelley), Victor
Frankenstein's unchecked ambition leads to his destruction.
Conflict: Tragedy often involves a struggle between the protagonist and forces they cannot
overcome, such as fate, society, or their own nature. In King Lear (Shakespeare), Lear’s internal
conflict with his daughters leads to his tragic fate.
Catharsis: The audience experiences emotional purging through the protagonist’s suffering. In
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), Oedipus’ recognition of his fate evokes pity and fear from the
audience.
Revenge and Justice: In some tragedies, the quest for revenge drives the plot. In The Duchess
of Malfi (Webster), vengeance plays a central role, leading to the downfall of characters.
2. Key Texts:
Death of a Salesman (Miller): Focus on Willy Loman’s pursuit of the American Dream and the
impact of this on his family and himself.
Macbeth (Shakespeare): Explore how Macbeth’s ambition and his wife’s influence lead to his
tragic downfall.
Othello (Shakespeare): Analyze Othello’s internal jealousy and manipulation by Iago, leading to
his tragic end.
Frankenstein (Shelley): Study how Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with creation and control
leads to tragic consequences.
King Lear (Shakespeare): Investigate Lear’s relationship with his daughters and his tragic
misjudgment of their loyalty.
The Duchess of Malfi (Webster): Focus on the tragic nature of the Duchess’s defiance against
her brothers and the consequences of her actions.
3. Literary Techniques:
Characterization: Look at how the tragic hero is presented, particularly their flaws, which lead to
their downfall. Analyze how secondary characters influence the tragedy.
Dramatic Irony: In tragedies like Oedipus Rex, the audience knows more about the character’s
fate than the characters themselves, heightening the emotional impact.
Symbolism: Objects, settings, or events in tragedies often symbolize larger themes, such as
ambition, fate, or justice.
Foreshadowing: In texts like Macbeth, foreshadowing is used to hint at the tragic events to
come, creating suspense and inevitability.
4. Exam Strategy:
Compare Tragic Elements: Be prepared to compare how different texts handle key tragic
themes like the hero’s downfall, fatal flaws, and the impact of their actions.
Focus on Key Passages: Identify and analyze key moments where the protagonist’s fate is
sealed, such as Macbeth’s soliloquy on ambition or Othello’s jealousy-driven actions.
Contextual Awareness: Understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the texts (e.g.,
postwar America in Death of a Salesman, or Elizabethan views on kingship and fate in Macbeth).
IB/G/Jun24/G4001/E3 7716/2A
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 John Keats selection
Explore the significance of the openings of Keats’ poems to the tragic experiences that
follow.
You must refer to Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Keats’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil
l
Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel!
Lorenzo, a young palmer in Love’s eye!
They could not in the self-same mansion dwell
Without some stir of heart, some malady;
They could not sit at meals but feel how well
It soothed each to be the other by;
They could not, sure, beneath the same roof sleep
But to each other dream, and nightly weep.
ll
With every morn their love grew tenderer,
With every eve deeper and tenderer still;
He might not in house, field, or garden stir,
But her full shape would all his seeing fill;
And his continual voice was pleasanter
To her than noise of trees or hidden rill;
Her lute-string gave an echo of his name,
She spoilt her half-done broidery with the same.
lll
He knew whose gentle hand was at the latch
Before the door had given her to his eyes;
And from her chamber-window he would catch
Her beauty farther than the falcon spies;
And constant as her vespers would he watch,
Because her face was turned to the same skies;
And with sick longing all the night outwear,
To hear her morning-step upon the stair.
IB/G/Jun24/7716/2A
, 3
or
0 2 Thomas Hardy selection
Explore the significance of the openings of Hardy’s poems to the tragic experiences that
follow.
You must refer to The Mock Wife and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Hardy’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Mock Wife
It’s a dark drama, this; and yet I know the house, and date;
That is to say, the where and when John Channing met his fate.
The house was one in High Street, seen of burghers still alive,
The year was some two centuries bygone; seventeen-hundred and five.
And dying was Channing the grocer. All the clocks had struck eleven,
And the watchers saw that ere the dawn his soul would be in Heaven;
When he said on a sudden: ‘I should like to kiss her before I go, –
For one last time!’ They looked at each other and murmured, ‘Even so.’
She’d just been haled to prison, his wife; yea, charged with shaping
his death:
By poison, ’twas told; and now he was nearing the moment of
his last breath:
He, witless that his young housemate was suspect of such a crime,
Lay thinking that his pangs were but a malady of the time.
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun24/7716/2A
Literary Genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of Tragedy.
(Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)
AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy
Friday 24 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. 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 7716/2A.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
You must 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 the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
,For AS English Literature B Paper 2A: Literary Genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of Tragedy,
focus on the following key areas:
1. Key Themes of Tragedy:
The Downfall of the Protagonist: Central to tragedy is the protagonist’s decline due to flaws or
external forces. In Death of a Salesman (Miller), Willy Loman’s obsession with success leads to
his tragic end. In Macbeth (Shakespeare), Macbeth’s ambition drives him to murder and
madness.
Fatal Flaws (Hamartia): Many tragic heroes possess flaws that lead to their downfall. In Othello
(Shakespeare), Othello’s jealousy becomes his tragic flaw, while in Frankenstein (Shelley), Victor
Frankenstein's unchecked ambition leads to his destruction.
Conflict: Tragedy often involves a struggle between the protagonist and forces they cannot
overcome, such as fate, society, or their own nature. In King Lear (Shakespeare), Lear’s internal
conflict with his daughters leads to his tragic fate.
Catharsis: The audience experiences emotional purging through the protagonist’s suffering. In
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), Oedipus’ recognition of his fate evokes pity and fear from the
audience.
Revenge and Justice: In some tragedies, the quest for revenge drives the plot. In The Duchess
of Malfi (Webster), vengeance plays a central role, leading to the downfall of characters.
2. Key Texts:
Death of a Salesman (Miller): Focus on Willy Loman’s pursuit of the American Dream and the
impact of this on his family and himself.
Macbeth (Shakespeare): Explore how Macbeth’s ambition and his wife’s influence lead to his
tragic downfall.
Othello (Shakespeare): Analyze Othello’s internal jealousy and manipulation by Iago, leading to
his tragic end.
Frankenstein (Shelley): Study how Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with creation and control
leads to tragic consequences.
King Lear (Shakespeare): Investigate Lear’s relationship with his daughters and his tragic
misjudgment of their loyalty.
The Duchess of Malfi (Webster): Focus on the tragic nature of the Duchess’s defiance against
her brothers and the consequences of her actions.
3. Literary Techniques:
Characterization: Look at how the tragic hero is presented, particularly their flaws, which lead to
their downfall. Analyze how secondary characters influence the tragedy.
Dramatic Irony: In tragedies like Oedipus Rex, the audience knows more about the character’s
fate than the characters themselves, heightening the emotional impact.
Symbolism: Objects, settings, or events in tragedies often symbolize larger themes, such as
ambition, fate, or justice.
Foreshadowing: In texts like Macbeth, foreshadowing is used to hint at the tragic events to
come, creating suspense and inevitability.
4. Exam Strategy:
Compare Tragic Elements: Be prepared to compare how different texts handle key tragic
themes like the hero’s downfall, fatal flaws, and the impact of their actions.
Focus on Key Passages: Identify and analyze key moments where the protagonist’s fate is
sealed, such as Macbeth’s soliloquy on ambition or Othello’s jealousy-driven actions.
Contextual Awareness: Understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the texts (e.g.,
postwar America in Death of a Salesman, or Elizabethan views on kingship and fate in Macbeth).
IB/G/Jun24/G4001/E3 7716/2A
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 John Keats selection
Explore the significance of the openings of Keats’ poems to the tragic experiences that
follow.
You must refer to Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Keats’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil
l
Fair Isabel, poor simple Isabel!
Lorenzo, a young palmer in Love’s eye!
They could not in the self-same mansion dwell
Without some stir of heart, some malady;
They could not sit at meals but feel how well
It soothed each to be the other by;
They could not, sure, beneath the same roof sleep
But to each other dream, and nightly weep.
ll
With every morn their love grew tenderer,
With every eve deeper and tenderer still;
He might not in house, field, or garden stir,
But her full shape would all his seeing fill;
And his continual voice was pleasanter
To her than noise of trees or hidden rill;
Her lute-string gave an echo of his name,
She spoilt her half-done broidery with the same.
lll
He knew whose gentle hand was at the latch
Before the door had given her to his eyes;
And from her chamber-window he would catch
Her beauty farther than the falcon spies;
And constant as her vespers would he watch,
Because her face was turned to the same skies;
And with sick longing all the night outwear,
To hear her morning-step upon the stair.
IB/G/Jun24/7716/2A
, 3
or
0 2 Thomas Hardy selection
Explore the significance of the openings of Hardy’s poems to the tragic experiences that
follow.
You must refer to The Mock Wife and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Hardy’s authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Mock Wife
It’s a dark drama, this; and yet I know the house, and date;
That is to say, the where and when John Channing met his fate.
The house was one in High Street, seen of burghers still alive,
The year was some two centuries bygone; seventeen-hundred and five.
And dying was Channing the grocer. All the clocks had struck eleven,
And the watchers saw that ere the dawn his soul would be in Heaven;
When he said on a sudden: ‘I should like to kiss her before I go, –
For one last time!’ They looked at each other and murmured, ‘Even so.’
She’d just been haled to prison, his wife; yea, charged with shaping
his death:
By poison, ’twas told; and now he was nearing the moment of
his last breath:
He, witless that his young housemate was suspect of such a crime,
Lay thinking that his pangs were but a malady of the time.
Turn over for the next question
Turn over ►
IB/G/Jun24/7716/2A
