English Literature Revision
Tragedy Paper:
Section A & B
Othello
, AO1 essentially requires informed and relevant responses which are accurately written and use appropriate
concepts and terminology.
Kay Aspects of Tragedy:
1. Hamartia- tragic flaw (error in judgment and jealousy)
2. Perepetia- reversal of fortune
3. Catharsis- the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
4. Anagnorisis- making a critical discovery/ a revelation to main character
5. Pathos- audience feeling pity/fear at start/middle of play/novel
6. Hubris- excessive pride or self-confidence (vital in tragic hero/heroine)
7. Patriarchy- a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.
8. Manipulation- the action of manipulating someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.
9. Betrayal- the action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person; treachery.
10. Racism- prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that
one's own race is superior.
11. Natural order- the moral source from which natural law seeks to derive its authority. Natural order encompasses the
natural relations of beings to one another in the absence of law, which natural law attempts to reinforce.
12. Corruption- dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
13. External forces- External forces are forces caused by external agent outside of the system. Internal forces are forces
exchanged by the objects in the system.
14. Humanity/ Animalistic- characteristic of animals, particularly in being physical and instinctive.
15. Intertextuality- Shaping of texts meaning by/through other texts.
Essay Sentence Starter Examples:
1. Question: ‘In Othello, women are victims of a violent, repressive gender structure. The death of Emilia and Desdemona is
the rue tragedy of the play’. To what extent do you agree with this view?
Shakespeare’s characterisation of Desdemona as a sacrifice to restore Othello’s noble status emphasises her character’s
role as a victim in the play.
Moreover, through Iago’s destructive language, Shakespeare presents Emilia’s character as a highly significant victim.
× However, others may argue the true tragedy of Othello is not the deaths of Emilia and Desdemona, but their unjust
treatment by the cruel patriarchy.
× Arguably, Shakespeare crafting the play to end on Emilia’s revelation that Iago is the true villain increases her
significance as a defiant victim to patriarchy.
Vocabulary Sentence starters
Outcast/ castaway/ isolation/ desolation One dramatic method….
Deceit/ treachery/ fraudulence/ pretence/ dissimulation In this respect…
Downfall/ deterioration/ atrophy One prominent dramatic method/feature….
Dogma/ doctrine/ article of faith If one was to entertain the idea of….
Jealousy/ resentment/ animosity/ antagonism/ cynicism However, …
Fragmented/ disintegrate/ disunite/ distorted Alternatively, …
Dialect/ idiom Conversely…
Elaborate/ elegant/ sophisticated/ controlled/ clear On the other hand, …
Bestial/ brutish/ savage/ inhumane/ cruel Then again, …
Passivity/ inability/ dependence/ faith/ credence Significantly…
Alluded/ suggested/ implied/ insinuated Interestingly…
Imagination/ intellect/ artful/ scheming/ conniving/ skilled Conversely…
Manipulator/ brainwasher Equally, …
Obsession/ infatuation/ delusional/ hallucinations/ mirage
Tragedy Paper:
Section A & B
Othello
, AO1 essentially requires informed and relevant responses which are accurately written and use appropriate
concepts and terminology.
Kay Aspects of Tragedy:
1. Hamartia- tragic flaw (error in judgment and jealousy)
2. Perepetia- reversal of fortune
3. Catharsis- the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
4. Anagnorisis- making a critical discovery/ a revelation to main character
5. Pathos- audience feeling pity/fear at start/middle of play/novel
6. Hubris- excessive pride or self-confidence (vital in tragic hero/heroine)
7. Patriarchy- a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.
8. Manipulation- the action of manipulating someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.
9. Betrayal- the action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person; treachery.
10. Racism- prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that
one's own race is superior.
11. Natural order- the moral source from which natural law seeks to derive its authority. Natural order encompasses the
natural relations of beings to one another in the absence of law, which natural law attempts to reinforce.
12. Corruption- dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
13. External forces- External forces are forces caused by external agent outside of the system. Internal forces are forces
exchanged by the objects in the system.
14. Humanity/ Animalistic- characteristic of animals, particularly in being physical and instinctive.
15. Intertextuality- Shaping of texts meaning by/through other texts.
Essay Sentence Starter Examples:
1. Question: ‘In Othello, women are victims of a violent, repressive gender structure. The death of Emilia and Desdemona is
the rue tragedy of the play’. To what extent do you agree with this view?
Shakespeare’s characterisation of Desdemona as a sacrifice to restore Othello’s noble status emphasises her character’s
role as a victim in the play.
Moreover, through Iago’s destructive language, Shakespeare presents Emilia’s character as a highly significant victim.
× However, others may argue the true tragedy of Othello is not the deaths of Emilia and Desdemona, but their unjust
treatment by the cruel patriarchy.
× Arguably, Shakespeare crafting the play to end on Emilia’s revelation that Iago is the true villain increases her
significance as a defiant victim to patriarchy.
Vocabulary Sentence starters
Outcast/ castaway/ isolation/ desolation One dramatic method….
Deceit/ treachery/ fraudulence/ pretence/ dissimulation In this respect…
Downfall/ deterioration/ atrophy One prominent dramatic method/feature….
Dogma/ doctrine/ article of faith If one was to entertain the idea of….
Jealousy/ resentment/ animosity/ antagonism/ cynicism However, …
Fragmented/ disintegrate/ disunite/ distorted Alternatively, …
Dialect/ idiom Conversely…
Elaborate/ elegant/ sophisticated/ controlled/ clear On the other hand, …
Bestial/ brutish/ savage/ inhumane/ cruel Then again, …
Passivity/ inability/ dependence/ faith/ credence Significantly…
Alluded/ suggested/ implied/ insinuated Interestingly…
Imagination/ intellect/ artful/ scheming/ conniving/ skilled Conversely…
Manipulator/ brainwasher Equally, …
Obsession/ infatuation/ delusional/ hallucinations/ mirage
