AQA_2024: AS English Literature B - Paper 1B Literary Genres: Drama: Aspects of Comedy. (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: AS English Literature B - Paper 1B Literary Genres: Drama: Aspects of Comedy. (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 1B Literary genres: Drama: Aspects of comedy Thursday 16 May 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 12-page answer book. Instructions Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7716/1B.  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 1B: Literary Genres: Drama: Aspects of Comedy, focus on the following key areas: 1. Key Themes of Comedy:  Social Critique and Satire: Comedies often use humor to critique society, social conventions, and human folly. In The Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde), the play satirizes Victorian society’s obsession with marriage and class, while in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare), the comedy exposes the absurdities of social roles and identities.  Mistaken Identity and Disguise: A common comedic device that creates confusion and humor. In Twelfth Night, Viola’s disguise as Cesario leads to romantic misunderstandings and comic situations. Similarly, in The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare), mistaken identities result in farcical events.  Romantic Comedy and Courtship: Comedies often explore love and courtship, usually with humorous obstacles. In Pride and Prejudice (Austen), Elizabeth and Darcy’s witty interactions are central to the comedy, with miscommunications leading to eventual romantic resolution. 2. Key Texts:  The Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde): Focus on Wilde’s use of wit, irony, and absurd situations to critique Victorian society’s social conventions, especially regarding marriage.  Twelfth Night (Shakespeare): Analyze the role of disguise, mistaken identities, and the humor arising from love and gender roles.  Pride and Prejudice (Austen): Study the humor in Elizabeth and Darcy’s evolving relationship, and how Austen critiques class and societal expectations.  The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare): Explore how mistaken identities and misunderstandings create a farcical plot with comedic results.  Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare): Examine the play’s witty dialogue, particularly between Beatrice and Benedick, and how humor is used to resolve serious issues like honor and deception. 3. Literary Techniques:  Wordplay and Wit: Comedies often rely on clever dialogue and puns. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde uses sharp wit and epigrams to highlight the absurdity of social conventions.  Irony and Satire: Comedies frequently use irony to expose human folly. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses ironic narration to critique social norms regarding marriage and gender.  Character Types: Comedies often feature stock characters, such as the foolish suitor, the witty heroine, or the trickster. In Twelfth Night, characters like Feste and Malvolio contribute to the comedic tension.  Exaggeration and Farce: Farcical situations often involve exaggerated characters and improbable events, as seen in The Comedy of Errors, where the absurdity of the mistaken identities drives the humor.  Reversal of Fortune: Many comedies involve characters experiencing a shift in status, such as Twelfth Night, where characters like Malvolio go from high to low, and others experience upward mobility. 4. Exam Strategy:  Compare Key Themes: Practice comparing how different comedies treat common themes like love, mistaken identity, and social critique. For instance, compare how Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest address class and gender roles.  Focus on Key Scenes: Identify key comedic moments, such as Beatrice and Benedick’s banter in Much Ado About Nothing or the double identities in The Comedy of Errors.  Character Analysis: Explore how humor is generated through character dynamics. For example, how do Beatrice and Benedick’s witty exchanges create comedy in Much Ado About Nothing, or how does Wilde use characters like Algernon and Jack to satirize social norms? 7716/1B IB/G/Jun24/G4001/E4 2 Section A Answer one question from this section. Either 0 1 The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare Explore the significance of aspects of dramatic comedy in the following passage in relation to the play as a whole. You should consider the following in your answer:  the setting and mood of the banquet  the roles of the women  other relevant aspects of dramatic comedy. Enter Baptista with Vincentio, Gremio with the Pedant, Lucentio with Bianca, Petruchio with Katherina, Hortensio with the Widow; followed by Tranio, Biondello, and Grumio, with the Servingmen bringing in a banquet LUCENTIO At last, though long, our jarring notes agree, And time it is when raging war is done To smile at scapes and perils overblown. My fair Bianca, bid my father welcome, While I with self-same kindness welcome thine. Brother Petruchio, sister Katherina, And thou, Hortensio, with thy loving widow, Feast with the best, and welcome to my house. My banquet is to close our stomachs up After our great good cheer. Pray you, sit down, For now we sit to chat as well as eat. They sit PETRUCHIO Nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat! BAPTISTA Padua affords this kindness, son Petruchio. PETRUCHIO Padua affords nothing but what is kind. HORTENSIO For both our sakes I would that word were true. PETRUCHIO Now, for my life, Hortensio fears his widow. WIDOW Then never trust me if I be afeard. PETRUCHIO You are very sensible, and yet you miss my sense: I mean Hortensio is afeard of you. WIDOW He that is giddy thinks the world turns round. [25 marks] IB/G/Jun24/7716/1B 3 PETRUCHIO Roundly replied. KATHERINA WIDOW Mistress, how mean you that? Thus I conceive by him. PETRUCHIO Conceives by me! How likes Hortensio that? HORTENSIO My widow says thus she conceives her tale. PETRUCHIO Very well mended. Kiss him for that, good widow. KATHERINA ‘He that is giddy thinks the world turns round’ – I pray you tell me what you meant by that. WIDOW Your husband, being troubled with a shrew, Measures my husband’s sorrow by his woe. And now you know my meaning. KATHERINA A very mean meaning. WIDOW KATHERINA Right, I mean you. And I am mean, indeed, respecting you. PETRUCHIO To her, Kate! HORTENSIO To her, widow! PETRUCHIO A hundred marks, my Kate does put her down. HORTENSIO That’s my office. PETRUCHIO Spoke like an officer – ha’ to thee, lad. He drinks to Hortensio BAPTISTA How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks? GREMIO Believe me, sir, they butt together well. BIANCA Head and butt! An hasty-witted body Would say your head and butt were head and horn. VINCENTIO Ay, mistress bride, hath that awakened you? BIANCA Ay, but not frighted me, therefore I’ll sleep again. PETRUCHIO Nay, that you shall not. Since you have begun, Have at you for a bitter jest or two. BIANCA Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush, And then pursue me as you draw your bow. You are welcome all. Exeunt Bianca, Katherina, and Widow (Act 5, Scene 2) IB/G/Jun24/7716/1B Turn over ► 4 or 0 2 Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare Explore the significance of aspects of dramatic comedy in the following passage in relation to the play as a whole. You should consider the following in your answer:  the presentation of Viola  the role of Feste  other relevant aspects of dramatic comedy.