AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 120+ Key Terms & Answers (ENG401) 2025/2026 – Romeo and Juliet, Jekyll and Hyde, Literary Devices

This document provides a structured and comprehensive collection of over 120 key terms, definitions, characters, and thematic concepts for AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1, covering essential areas such as literary devices, dramatic techniques, and core texts including Romeo and Juliet and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (see page 1 for the Q&A format ). It is designed to help students build a strong foundation in terminology, context, and textual understanding required for high-level exam responses. The material explores literary techniques such as dramatic irony, foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, and iambic pentameter, alongside key structural forms like sonnets, monologues, and soliloquies. It also provides detailed character profiles (e.g., Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde) and examines major themes including love, conflict, fate, duality, secrecy, and the supernatural. Contextual knowledge is covered extensively, including Victorian society, Darwinism, urbanisation, and social values, which are essential for higher-grade analysis and evaluation in exam essays. This content is closely aligned with widely used GCSE English Literature textbooks such as the AQA GCSE English Literature Student Book (Oxford University Press) and set texts including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The structure and depth of the material make it highly effective for revision, essay planning, and improving analytical writing skills. This document is ideal for students enrolled in AQA GCSE English Literature, Combined English courses, and secondary school literature programs. It is particularly suitable for Year 10–11 students preparing for exams, as well as private candidates, homeschool learners, and resit students. It also serves as a valuable resource for tutors and teachers supporting exam preparation, essay writing, and literary analysis skills development. Keywords: AQA English literature paper 1, GCSE English revision, Romeo and Juliet themes, Jekyll and Hyde analysis, literary devices, dramatic techniques, Shakespeare revision, Victorian context, duality theme, fate and conflict, character analysis Romeo Juliet, Hyde Jekyll characters, poetic devices, essay writing English, GCSE exam preparation, literature terminology, tragedy definition, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, English literature notes