2025 AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Question Paper with Marking Scheme Attached
GCSE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Monday 12 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use pencil.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 8702/1.
• Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 64.
• AO4 will be assessed in Section A. There are 4 marks available for AO4 in Section A in addition to
30 marks for answering the question. AO4 assesses the following skills: use a range of vocabulary
and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.
• There are 30 marks for Section B.
, 2
There are no questions printed on this page
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
, 3
SECTION A
Shakespeare Question Page
Macbeth 1 4–5
Romeo and Juliet 2 6
The Tempest 3 7
The Merchant of Venice 4 8
Much Ado About Nothing 5 9
Julius Caesar 6 10
SECTION B
The 19th-century novel Question Page
Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll 7 12–13
and Mr. Hyde
Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol 8 14–15
Charles Dickens Great Expectations 9 16–17
Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre 10 18–19
Mary Shelley Frankenstein 11 20–21
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice 12 22–23
Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of Four 13 24–25
Turn over for Section A
Turn over ►
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
, 4
Section A: Shakespeare
Answer one question from this section on your chosen text.
Either
0 1 Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth and then answer the question
that follows.
At this point in the play, Macbeth is alone. He is thinking about the plan to murder
King Duncan.
MACBETH If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If th’assassination
Could trammel up the consequence and catch
With his surcease, success, that but this blow
5 Might be the be-all and the end-all – here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases,
We still have judgement here that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which being taught, return
10 To plague th’inventor. This even-handed justice
Commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
15 Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against
20 The deep damnation of his taking-off.
And pity, like a naked newborn babe
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
25 That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other –
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Question Paper with Marking Scheme Attached
GCSE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Paper 1 Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel
Monday 12 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use pencil.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 8702/1.
• Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
• You must not use a dictionary.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 64.
• AO4 will be assessed in Section A. There are 4 marks available for AO4 in Section A in addition to
30 marks for answering the question. AO4 assesses the following skills: use a range of vocabulary
and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.
• There are 30 marks for Section B.
, 2
There are no questions printed on this page
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
, 3
SECTION A
Shakespeare Question Page
Macbeth 1 4–5
Romeo and Juliet 2 6
The Tempest 3 7
The Merchant of Venice 4 8
Much Ado About Nothing 5 9
Julius Caesar 6 10
SECTION B
The 19th-century novel Question Page
Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll 7 12–13
and Mr. Hyde
Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol 8 14–15
Charles Dickens Great Expectations 9 16–17
Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre 10 18–19
Mary Shelley Frankenstein 11 20–21
Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice 12 22–23
Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of Four 13 24–25
Turn over for Section A
Turn over ►
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
, 4
Section A: Shakespeare
Answer one question from this section on your chosen text.
Either
0 1 Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth and then answer the question
that follows.
At this point in the play, Macbeth is alone. He is thinking about the plan to murder
King Duncan.
MACBETH If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If th’assassination
Could trammel up the consequence and catch
With his surcease, success, that but this blow
5 Might be the be-all and the end-all – here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases,
We still have judgement here that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which being taught, return
10 To plague th’inventor. This even-handed justice
Commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
15 Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against
20 The deep damnation of his taking-off.
And pity, like a naked newborn babe
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
25 That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other –
IB/M/Jun25/8702/1
