‘Trio’ by Edwin Morgan explores the theme of everyday life. He gives a vivid description of the three party-goers and uses symbolism to suggest that ordinary lives can be full of beauty and meaning. In this essay I will show how the poet brings the Trio to life through a combination of setting, description, and allusions to history and the bible.
The title and setting of the poem are significant in themselves.
• ‘trio’ can simply be three people, or objects.
• also suggests people singing or playing together to create harmony - the three seem at one with each other and happy in the world.
• opens on Buchanan Street. Morgan is a poet based in Glasgow; this is a common shopping street which is busy at Christmas time.
• uses an everyday title and street to introduce the three.
• present tense emphasises that this is a snapshot of daily life.
At the start of the poem, they are depicted using simple descriptions of what they look like and their appearance. Yet the scene also carries a sense of religious iconography:
… under the Christmas lights -
The young man carries a new guitar in his arms,
the girl on the inside carries a very young baby,
and the girl on the outside carries a Chihuahua.
• simple description.
• ‘under’ the lights suggests they are being protected or watched over; and carrying presents, which belong under the lights of a Christmas tree.
• Guitar - which adds to the idea of a musical Trio
However, on a deeper level, this might be an allusion to the three wise men carrying presents for the baby Jesus.
• ‘very young baby’ supports this idea.
• ‘Christmas lights’ can also be seen as the star they followed.
• the three people have a sacred significance about them.
The poet continues to use sublime imagery as he describes the trio, enjoying their joyful moment:
And the three of them are laughing,
Their breath rises on a cloud of happiness
• A cloud is something in which there are no individuals.
• their breath has metaphorically become one thing: ‘cloud of happiness’.
idea of heaven, as being composed of clouds
emphasises warmth, as if their unity is in contrast to the cold weather.
As the poet describes the gifts, each of the details has a subtle importance, even though they are mainly commonplace things.
• Chihuahua - unusual in this context as it belongs to a foreign country.
• ‘Royal Stewart tartan coat like a teapot-holder’. - subtle allusion, to the Stewarts, who were kings of Scotland.
• teapot - suggests something cute and pleasant; qualities of furriness and warmth.
• the author combines important, sublime things with the small, wholesome and ordinary.
In the middle of the poem, Morgan uses a declamatory tone to highlight the significance of the details -
Orphean sprig! Melting baby! Warm chihuahua!
• alludes to Orpheus, the poet who rescued his lover from Hell in Greek legend.
• This is ironic because in this context he is describing ordinary things.
• sentence structure and exclamation marks suggest the poet is like a ‘bard’ from ancient times
From alluding to the bible and Greek legend, the poet goes on to use military imagery to describe how the Trio defeat the ‘Monsters of the year’ –
Go blank, are scattered back
Can’t bear this march of three
• bad feelings and misfortune of the year are powerless, and are ‘scattered’ like a defeated army.
• At the end the Trio leave the scene with laughter ‘ringing round them like a guard’
• fate ‘abdicates’, like a King in olden days.
If there is a meaning at the heart of this poem, it is that living our life is sacred. You can believe in the birth of Christ at Christmas or not, but you should celebrate the happy time of year no matter what your faith. The poet uses the ordinary scene with its exquisite details to suggest that we can truly be happy if only we live in the moment.
Showing posts with label higher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label higher. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Porphyria's Lover Essay Plan
At the start of the poem, the poet uses personification to create a furious, disturbing atmosphere:
* he thus prepares the reader for what is to come in the poem
* ‘Sullen’ and ‘spite’ suggest intense emotions - jilted lover destroying the countryside.
* contrast with the entrance of Porphyria -‘glided in’.
* raises the reader’s expectations that this will be a passionate love poem; makes her murder all the more shocking.
The poet uses understatement to create a sinister mood when the speaker kills his lover:
* ‘A thing to do’ rather than a cold blooded murder.
* ‘found’ this implies that he is not responsible.
* dispassionate language: he winds her hair three times around her little throat.
* either he fooled her by pretending this was a game; or, in reality, she struggled as he throttled her.
* ‘And strangled her.’ is the first sentence in the poem which ends in the middle of a line rather than at the end - creates a sense of shock for the reader; shows how the killer does not grasp what he has done.
The poet continues with an impassive tone when he reflects on her death, employing repetition for emphasis:
* follows ‘And strangled her.’ - as if he is justifying his actions
* Repetition of ‘pain’; and rephrases it as ‘I am quite sure …’ - in his heart, he has his doubts.
* he feels the need to try to persuade the reader he was sure
The poet uses romantic imagery to describe Porpyria after her death:
* the murder is not real to him.
* personifies her blue eyes as ‘laughing’ - a sweet image
* sees her as a living person despite what he has done.
Finally, the poet uses an ironically upbeat tone in the last line of the poem:
* you would not expect God to speak.
* using the present tense – leaves the reader guessing what will happen next.
* by ending the poem at this point, we are left with the speaker’s intense feelings at this moment in time.
* we are not confronted with the consequences of her death.
* implies that there may a punishment waiting for him in the afterlife.
Therefore, Browning’s ironic use of romantic, upbeat and understated tones show the strange state of mind of the speaker in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’. He uses repetition, structure and personification to reveals the strange, obsessive emotions which cause the murder.
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite
* he thus prepares the reader for what is to come in the poem
* ‘Sullen’ and ‘spite’ suggest intense emotions - jilted lover destroying the countryside.
* contrast with the entrance of Porphyria -‘glided in’.
* raises the reader’s expectations that this will be a passionate love poem; makes her murder all the more shocking.
The poet uses understatement to create a sinister mood when the speaker kills his lover:
I found
A thing to do … And strangled her.
* ‘A thing to do’ rather than a cold blooded murder.
* ‘found’ this implies that he is not responsible.
* dispassionate language: he winds her hair three times around her little throat.
* either he fooled her by pretending this was a game; or, in reality, she struggled as he throttled her.
* ‘And strangled her.’ is the first sentence in the poem which ends in the middle of a line rather than at the end - creates a sense of shock for the reader; shows how the killer does not grasp what he has done.
The poet continues with an impassive tone when he reflects on her death, employing repetition for emphasis:
No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
* follows ‘And strangled her.’ - as if he is justifying his actions
* Repetition of ‘pain’; and rephrases it as ‘I am quite sure …’ - in his heart, he has his doubts.
* he feels the need to try to persuade the reader he was sure
The poet uses romantic imagery to describe Porpyria after her death:
again / Laugh’d the blue eyes without a stain
* the murder is not real to him.
* personifies her blue eyes as ‘laughing’ - a sweet image
* sees her as a living person despite what he has done.
Finally, the poet uses an ironically upbeat tone in the last line of the poem:
And yet God has not said a word!
* you would not expect God to speak.
* using the present tense – leaves the reader guessing what will happen next.
* by ending the poem at this point, we are left with the speaker’s intense feelings at this moment in time.
* we are not confronted with the consequences of her death.
* implies that there may a punishment waiting for him in the afterlife.
Therefore, Browning’s ironic use of romantic, upbeat and understated tones show the strange state of mind of the speaker in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’. He uses repetition, structure and personification to reveals the strange, obsessive emotions which cause the murder.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Porphyria's Lover Essay
This is a typical higher poetry question for the exam. It uses five quotes, from different points in the poem.
Question -
Choose a poem in which the poet blends form and content. Show how the form contributes to your understanding of the poem.
‘Porphyria’s Lover’ by Robert Browning is a poem in which the poet has created a perfect blend of form and content. The poem is about a man with untold insecurities who takes the life of his lover due to paranoia, or perhaps plain insanity. The focus of this essay is to show how Browning effectively makes use of techniques such as personification, word choice and structure to convey a sense of the speaker’s strange state of mind.
At the start of the poem, the poet uses personification to create a furious, disturbing atmosphere:
He thus prepares the reader for what is to come in the poem. ‘Sullen’ and ‘spite’ suggest intense emotions, and it is as if the wind is a jilted lover destroying the countryside. Yet this violence is contrasted by the entrance of Porphyria when he says she ‘glided in’. It raises the reader’s expectations that this will be a passionate love poem. This makes her murder all the more shocking.
The poet uses understatement to create a sinister mood when the speaker kills his lover:
Strangling Porphyria is simply ‘A thing to do’ rather than a cold blooded murder. The fact the man ‘found’ this implies that he is not responsible. The strangling itself is revealed in dispassionate language: he winds her hair three times around her little throat. This either means that he fooled her by pretending this was a game; or, in reality, she struggled as he throttled her. The phrase ‘And strangled her.’ is the first sentence in the poem which ends in the middle of a line rather than at the end. This creates a sense of shock for the reader and shows how the killer does not grasp the enormity of what he has done.
The poet continues with an impassive tone when he reflects on her death, employing repetition for emphasis:
This immediately follows ‘And strangled her.’, so it is as if he is justifying his actions, and cannot bear to think of the reality. He repeats the word ‘pain’ and rephrases when he says with ‘I am quite sure …’, as though, in his heart, he has his doubts. If he is sure of something, it is also strange that he feels the need to try to persuade the reader as well.
The poet uses romantic imagery to describe Porpyria after her death:
By showing his affection for her after her death, he shows how the murder is not real to him. He personifies her blue eyes as laughing, which would be a sweet image if it did not describe part of a dead body. He still sees her as a living person despite what he has done.
Finally, the poet uses an ironically upbeat tone in the last line of the poem:
Even if you were a devout Christian, you would not expect God to speak. This ends the poem with a final self-justification from the killer. By using the present tense, the poet ends the poem in a dramatic way. The reader does not know what will happen next. The speaker might realise what he has done, or be arrested. By ending the poem at this point, we are left with the speaker’s intense feelings at this moment in time. Like him, we are not confronted with the consequences of her death. However, this implies that there may a punishment waiting for him in the afterlife.
Therefore, Browning’s ironic use of romantic, upbeat and understated tones show the strange state of mind of the speaker in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’. He uses repetition, structure and personification to reveals the strange, obsessive emotions which cause the murder. In this way, it has an excellent blend of form and content.
Question -
Choose a poem in which the poet blends form and content. Show how the form contributes to your understanding of the poem.
‘Porphyria’s Lover’ by Robert Browning is a poem in which the poet has created a perfect blend of form and content. The poem is about a man with untold insecurities who takes the life of his lover due to paranoia, or perhaps plain insanity. The focus of this essay is to show how Browning effectively makes use of techniques such as personification, word choice and structure to convey a sense of the speaker’s strange state of mind.
At the start of the poem, the poet uses personification to create a furious, disturbing atmosphere:
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite
He thus prepares the reader for what is to come in the poem. ‘Sullen’ and ‘spite’ suggest intense emotions, and it is as if the wind is a jilted lover destroying the countryside. Yet this violence is contrasted by the entrance of Porphyria when he says she ‘glided in’. It raises the reader’s expectations that this will be a passionate love poem. This makes her murder all the more shocking.
The poet uses understatement to create a sinister mood when the speaker kills his lover:
I found
A thing to do … And strangled her.
Strangling Porphyria is simply ‘A thing to do’ rather than a cold blooded murder. The fact the man ‘found’ this implies that he is not responsible. The strangling itself is revealed in dispassionate language: he winds her hair three times around her little throat. This either means that he fooled her by pretending this was a game; or, in reality, she struggled as he throttled her. The phrase ‘And strangled her.’ is the first sentence in the poem which ends in the middle of a line rather than at the end. This creates a sense of shock for the reader and shows how the killer does not grasp the enormity of what he has done.
The poet continues with an impassive tone when he reflects on her death, employing repetition for emphasis:
No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
This immediately follows ‘And strangled her.’, so it is as if he is justifying his actions, and cannot bear to think of the reality. He repeats the word ‘pain’ and rephrases when he says with ‘I am quite sure …’, as though, in his heart, he has his doubts. If he is sure of something, it is also strange that he feels the need to try to persuade the reader as well.
The poet uses romantic imagery to describe Porpyria after her death:
again / Laugh’d the blue eyes without a stain
By showing his affection for her after her death, he shows how the murder is not real to him. He personifies her blue eyes as laughing, which would be a sweet image if it did not describe part of a dead body. He still sees her as a living person despite what he has done.
Finally, the poet uses an ironically upbeat tone in the last line of the poem:
And yet God has not said a word!
Even if you were a devout Christian, you would not expect God to speak. This ends the poem with a final self-justification from the killer. By using the present tense, the poet ends the poem in a dramatic way. The reader does not know what will happen next. The speaker might realise what he has done, or be arrested. By ending the poem at this point, we are left with the speaker’s intense feelings at this moment in time. Like him, we are not confronted with the consequences of her death. However, this implies that there may a punishment waiting for him in the afterlife.
Therefore, Browning’s ironic use of romantic, upbeat and understated tones show the strange state of mind of the speaker in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’. He uses repetition, structure and personification to reveals the strange, obsessive emotions which cause the murder. In this way, it has an excellent blend of form and content.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Close Reading Round-up
In the close reading section of the higher exam paper, you will be given a piece of writing you will not have seen before and asked to answer a set of questions.
U questions ask you to find out a piece of information from a particular paragraph or line. It may ask you to interpret what the author has said; suggest why they had said it or put it into your own words.
Decide on the meaning of 'in terrorem' by the words before it:
The narrator is going to kill the elephant but his gun is too small. If the noise might be useful ‘in terrorem’ means ‘to scare’.
'Show how the underlined sentence acts as a link between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2.'
‘Enemy colours’ refers to paragraph one, which is about people treating sports like a ‘war’. ‘torrid reception’ refers to paragraph two, which is about Sol Campbell returning to White Hart Lane. The phrase ‘For this reason’ shows that the second paragraph will continue the subject of the first, about fanatical football supporters.
A questions ask you about the author’s style or techniques, including:
Quote words from the text and explain their connotations; show how they might affect the reader.
The tone of a passage comes from the emotion created by the words. If a paragraph contains the words ‘sunny’, ‘beach’ and ‘laughter’ it will probably have a happy tone. Try entering these words on a Google search and you may get:
Explain how the word choice creates the tone of this passage:
The expressions ‘out of place’, ‘too late’ and ‘out of use’ are associated with failure and age, and create a tone of bitterness or sadness.
'Show how the author’s use of punctuation; parenthesis; long and short sentences; and list / repetition / climax enable them to get a point across.'
To answer a sentence structure question, explain what the author’s choice of structure emphasises, suggests or implies.
Comment on the following sentence structure:
Types of sentences
A sentence can be simple: ‘The boy kicks a ball’
Or complex: ‘The boy kicks the ball, runs across the pitch, passes, trips, gets back up, charges forward, intercepts, dummies … scores!’
…this example contains a list…
A complex sentence often contains a list, repetition or a climax: ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’.
A sentence may be incomplete: ‘That damn boy!’
Or contain a parenthesis: ‘The boy (Sid, I think) kicks the ball’ – this adds extra information.
Or use inversion: ‘The ball was kicked by the boy’.
You can gain marks by describing how the punctuation works: this sentence has been split up into two halves using a colon.
An image can be a simile, a metaphor or personification. In each case, something is being compared to something else.
When answering questions about imagery:
Is it kind or unkind to compare someone to a tiger? Or both?
Is the writer trying to make you admire something, feel pity towards it, hate it, fear it, laugh at it?
Explain how the following image is effective:
Or …
A simile is used to describe how the dwarf is sitting: ‘like a half-filled sack’. This shows he could not sit properly.
And …
It also suggests he felt sad. The associations of a ‘half-filled sack’ are of something missing, because a sack which is not full might have had something taken from it.
Words to describe tone
You will almost certainly be asked to identify a writer's tone in an expression from the passage. At least half the time, the answer is 'ironic'.
ironic – when the writer means the opposite of what they say
tongue-in-cheek – when irony is used for humour
satirical – when a writer uses irony and sometimes humour to attack or ridicule something
argumentative – when the writer is making a serious point
flippant – when the writer is dismissive or disrespectful of a subject or thing
effusive – enthusiastic or excited
Onomatopoeia: pop, bang, crash etc
Alliteration: the best buy in beer.
Think you understand? Try:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/higher/english/index.shtml
for some useful interactive quizzes th
Understanding (U) Questions
U questions ask you to find out a piece of information from a particular paragraph or line. It may ask you to interpret what the author has said; suggest why they had said it or put it into your own words.
Context
Decide on the meaning of 'in terrorem' by the words before it:
Early one morning the sub-inspector at a police station the other end of the town rang me up on the phone and said that an elephant was ravaging the bazaar. Would I please come and do something about it? I did not know what I could do, but I wanted to see what was happening and I got on to a pony and started out. I took my rifle, an old .44 Winchester and much too small to kill an elephant, but I thought the noise might be useful in terrorem.
The narrator is going to kill the elephant but his gun is too small. If the noise might be useful ‘in terrorem’ means ‘to scare’.
Link
'Show how the underlined sentence acts as a link between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2.'
George Orwell said that sport was 'war minus the shooting' - presumably before shooting became an Olympic event. Orwell's famous phrase captures well the passion and hatred that animates the great football rivalries - Rangers and Celtic, Barcelona and Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United. Remove the hostility between these rivals and the sporting contest is diminished.
For this reason, Spurs fans were not only justified but duty-bound to give Sol Campbell a torrid reception on his return to White Hart Lane in enemy colours. Supporters held up balloons and posters bearing the word 'Judas', booed Campbell's every touch, and pelted Arsenal's team bus with beer cans and bottles.
‘Enemy colours’ refers to paragraph one, which is about people treating sports like a ‘war’. ‘torrid reception’ refers to paragraph two, which is about Sol Campbell returning to White Hart Lane. The phrase ‘For this reason’ shows that the second paragraph will continue the subject of the first, about fanatical football supporters.
Analysis (A) Questions
A questions ask you about the author’s style or techniques, including:
- Word choice
- Figures of speech – imagery or sound
- Sentence Structure
Word Choice
Quote words from the text and explain their connotations; show how they might affect the reader.
The tone of a passage comes from the emotion created by the words. If a paragraph contains the words ‘sunny’, ‘beach’ and ‘laughter’ it will probably have a happy tone. Try entering these words on a Google search and you may get:
From Sunny Beach, it is a forty-minute cruise by boat to the deserted bay beach of Robinson Crusoe and his Man Friday. The two castaways can be found there, welcoming. Games are held on land and in the water throughout the day, with a free show for children and adults. Expect plenty of laughter and ice-cream.
Explain how the word choice creates the tone of this passage:
Sunny Beach was a place where fun and laughter felt out of place. We felt as if we had turned up too early for the party – or too late. For half a year the intended function of Sunny Beach is temporarily out of use.
The expressions ‘out of place’, ‘too late’ and ‘out of use’ are associated with failure and age, and create a tone of bitterness or sadness.
Sentence structure
'Show how the author’s use of punctuation; parenthesis; long and short sentences; and list / repetition / climax enable them to get a point across.'
To answer a sentence structure question, explain what the author’s choice of structure emphasises, suggests or implies.
Comment on the following sentence structure:
‘He doesn’t know what to do. He looks around. He’s been seen!’
- The writer uses repetition of the word ‘He’ at the start of each sentence.
- Each sentence is short as it describes the person’s thoughts and actions. This suggests the person is worried and thinking quickly.
Types of sentences
A sentence can be simple: ‘The boy kicks a ball’
Or complex: ‘The boy kicks the ball, runs across the pitch, passes, trips, gets back up, charges forward, intercepts, dummies … scores!’
…this example contains a list…
A complex sentence often contains a list, repetition or a climax: ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’.
A sentence may be incomplete: ‘That damn boy!’
Or contain a parenthesis: ‘The boy (Sid, I think) kicks the ball’ – this adds extra information.
Or use inversion: ‘The ball was kicked by the boy’.
You can gain marks by describing how the punctuation works: this sentence has been split up into two halves using a colon.
Imagery
An image can be a simile, a metaphor or personification. In each case, something is being compared to something else.
‘He was a tiger in battle’
‘It was as cold as a polar bear’s nose’
When answering questions about imagery:
- What picture does the image create in your mind?
- Does the writer think the thing being described is good or bad?
Is it kind or unkind to compare someone to a tiger? Or both?
Is the writer trying to make you admire something, feel pity towards it, hate it, fear it, laugh at it?
Explain how the following image is effective:
‘The dwarf with his hands on backwardsThe writer uses a metaphor to describe the dwarf’s hands: ‘hands on backwards’. This suggests the dwarf is deformed and makes me feel pity towards him.
Sat slumped like a half-filler sack’
Or …
A simile is used to describe how the dwarf is sitting: ‘like a half-filled sack’. This shows he could not sit properly.
And …
It also suggests he felt sad. The associations of a ‘half-filled sack’ are of something missing, because a sack which is not full might have had something taken from it.
Words to describe tone
You will almost certainly be asked to identify a writer's tone in an expression from the passage. At least half the time, the answer is 'ironic'.
ironic – when the writer means the opposite of what they say
tongue-in-cheek – when irony is used for humour
satirical – when a writer uses irony and sometimes humour to attack or ridicule something
argumentative – when the writer is making a serious point
flippant – when the writer is dismissive or disrespectful of a subject or thing
effusive – enthusiastic or excited
Sound
The two common sound effects used by writers are:Onomatopoeia: pop, bang, crash etc
Alliteration: the best buy in beer.
Revision
Think you understand? Try:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/higher/english/index.shtml
for some useful interactive quizzes th
Sunday, 5 April 2009
How To Revise For An English Exam
The Standard Grade, Intermediate and Higher exams are coming up, and the Easter holidays are about to start. Fun fun fun! As a tutor I get quite a lot of calls in this period. Some pupils and parents want a bit of extra help just to make sure they get an English pass, and some are genuinely struggling.
You will probably find that most tutors are too busy to take on new pupils at the moment, but you can also check at your local schools and colleges for supported study, especially during the Easter holidays.
Some say you can't revise for English, but this isn't true. Make sure you own a copy of the past papers for the exam you are about to take. You will cover most of them in class, but it's worth doing any which are left over. If you have missed any marks, go back and check the answers to find out what you did wrong.
If you've run out of past papers to do, invest in a book. Waterstones and Borders both have some good books including 'Close Reading' by Mary Firth and 'Higher English Revision Notes' by Larry Flanaghan.
If you're sitting Standard Grade, take a look at the past papers. The most common exam essays will ask you to write one of the following -
The last two types of essay are easier. You can practice writing an essay on a personal experience, a sport or a hobby. When you have written a few examples, show them to your class teacher or email them to me and I can let you know what I think. I'm always nosey about what people are planning to write for their English exam.
Go over the questions for previous years and see what they have asked. By now you will have completed a couple of essays in class. Now see if you can use your notes and quotes to answer a different exam question. If you have written an essay about the character of Romeo, try writing a question about the theme of love and violence, or an essay about a key scene.
Again, email me and I can give you some advice on the essay you're planning to write in your exam.
Visit the Scottish Qualifications Authority site to download past papers:
http://www.sqa.org.uk
BBC Bitesize will give you practice questions and answers with detailed help and advice:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/higher/
National Qualifications online has many free resources for exams:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/
Look for a tutor at:
http://www.aplustutors.co.uk/
English tutors
You will probably find that most tutors are too busy to take on new pupils at the moment, but you can also check at your local schools and colleges for supported study, especially during the Easter holidays.
Revise for close reading
Some say you can't revise for English, but this isn't true. Make sure you own a copy of the past papers for the exam you are about to take. You will cover most of them in class, but it's worth doing any which are left over. If you have missed any marks, go back and check the answers to find out what you did wrong.
If you've run out of past papers to do, invest in a book. Waterstones and Borders both have some good books including 'Close Reading' by Mary Firth and 'Higher English Revision Notes' by Larry Flanaghan.
Revise for your Standard Grade writing paper
If you're sitting Standard Grade, take a look at the past papers. The most common exam essays will ask you to write one of the following -
- a short story
- an essay on an important issue, such as abortion or capital punishment
- an essay on your favourite hobby or sport, or an ambition you have
- a special memory, including a holiday
The last two types of essay are easier. You can practice writing an essay on a personal experience, a sport or a hobby. When you have written a few examples, show them to your class teacher or email them to me and I can let you know what I think. I'm always nosey about what people are planning to write for their English exam.
Revise for your Higher or Intermediate essay paper
Go over the questions for previous years and see what they have asked. By now you will have completed a couple of essays in class. Now see if you can use your notes and quotes to answer a different exam question. If you have written an essay about the character of Romeo, try writing a question about the theme of love and violence, or an essay about a key scene.
Again, email me and I can give you some advice on the essay you're planning to write in your exam.
Revise online
Visit the Scottish Qualifications Authority site to download past papers:
http://www.sqa.org.uk
BBC Bitesize will give you practice questions and answers with detailed help and advice:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/higher/
National Qualifications online has many free resources for exams:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/
Look for a tutor at:
http://www.aplustutors.co.uk/
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
An Inspector Calls Essay
‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley is a play which tackles the theme of social responsibility. This theme is important to our generation in the sense that most of us don’t want to take any responsibility when they are wrong. Priestley shows that it is only the younger generation who are able to take the responsibility of Eva’s death and this is shown towards the end of the play.
The setting is one of the ways in which Priestly introduces this theme. It is set in the past before the First World War. It is about a family who all play a part in a girl committing suicide, although they are unaware that they played any part in the girl’s death. He effectively shows us that throughout the play the characters start to change their personalities. Birling & Sheila are very much the opposite of each other in their attitudes towards this girl’s death. Inspector Goole comes to question the family about the part each member played in the girl’s death. Sheila feels that she is responsible for this but she and Eric seem to be the only members of the family who are able to take responsibility as Birling is too concerned about his reputation. In the end we find out that all members of the family had a part to play in the girl’s death and each member has a different reaction to this. Inspector Goole came in to question the family and knew what he was talking about, he knew somehow that each member of the Birling family had a part to play.
At the start of the play Sheila is shown to be happy as she is celebrating her engagement. Priestley skilfully shows that the theme in the early parts of the play is about social responsibility.:
“ … a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.”
He shows that she is looking forward to the future with her engagement. However, over the course of the play, Goole’s questioning reveal the suffering of those who work for her father. Sheila is happy because she comes from a wealthy family.
However, Sheila’s sense of well being is shattered by the arrival of Goole. Her reaction to his questioning her telling. This is the point in the play where the theme of social responsibility really is shown. Sheila is shown to be jealous and vindictive by lying and getting Eva sacked for no reason. She realises that she did have a part o play in the many reasons why Eva Smith
committed suicide:
“If I could help her now, I would.”
By using ‘if’ Priestley shows that Sheila knows she was in the wrong and wishes that she hadn’t done what she did. Sheila clearly abused her power as she came from a rich family which was well-known in the area, but she does accept that she was partly responsible for this girl’s death and realises that she has a part to play in other peoples lives. If she does something out of spite there can be consequences for those people she hardly knows.
Again Sheila knows that she had a massive part to play in Eva’s death. She also recognizes that her father ‘Mr Birling’ had a massive part to play. He owns a successful business and Eva Smith worked there. The woman went on strike as they felt they weren’t getting paid enough money for doing a good job. Sheila feels her dad should take responsibility aswell as her as he decided that he wasn’t going to give the woman a pay rise, he decided to just sack Eva instead. Sheila was appalled at her father’s treatment of the workers and in particular Eva Smith. The playwright uses sentence structure to show effectively what Sheila feels of her dads decision; she is shown again to have a change in personality as she thinks these girls should have been treated better:
“But these girl’s aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Priestley shows the change in Sheila again. She was a happy girl at the start of the evening now she is really feeling her family are responsible for Eva’s death and thinks that her father should stand up and take some of the responsibility, but he’s isn’t capable of doing this. He is selfish and doesn’t see anything wrong with what he has done. Sheila is ashamed to hear what her father did to this girl.
In contrast to Sheila, Mr Birling is pompous and self-centred. Mr Birling only wants one thing and that is for him to be knighted by the Queen. He feels any involvement in such a tragic thing would threaten his chances of getting a knighthood. He is unconcerned about how he treats his workers and only seems to care about himself. He thinks that he is better than others because he owns the company. He wants to get higher in life and get respected for his work. He thinks he’s the ‘man’ but he isn’t and Priestley shows this when he describes his reaction to being accused of having some responsibility in the girl’s death:
“Haven’t I already said there’ll be a public scandal … and who here will suffer from that more than I will?”
Here Priestley shows Birling to be pompous and to be a man who only cares about himself and no-one else. Clearly Birling doesn’t want any responsibility to fall on him as it will maybe threaten his chances of a knighthood. He doesn’t want anybody to know that he had a part to play. Priestley uses sentence structure and word choice here to show Birling’s selfishness. ‘I’ shows he is only thinking about himself not even the family. He wasn’t thinking of anyone else people like Eva Smith when he played a selfish part in her death. He is unable to take responsibility and by only talking about himself Priestley shows us this effectively.
Despite Birling not taking any responsibility Sheila knows her father is in the wrong; and when Inspector Goole leaves the house Sheila shows that she wants the whole family to take some responsibility; she knows they are all in the wrong. But most of all the fact that it was herself and her father that were mostly responsible for Eva being sacked from both jobs; and all other events that lead on from that. Sheila’s reaction has changed over the course of the play and it just shows the difference between her and her father as they were the same at the start but now it’s only the younger generation of the family who wants to take responsibility. Sheila’s personality changed through the play and this is a good use of characterisation to show her change and to show how she feels about the family’s unwillingness to accept responsibility.
I would therefore argue that this is an important play for my generation because it shows that you can take responsibility even when the older generation refuse to. At the end of Act 2 she says to her family:
“Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.”
This shows that her character is strong enough to deal with this but Birling and the older generation are unable to accept that they are partly responsible. Unlike her father she now knows the consequences of her actions and will now think of others before speaking or doing anything that affects others. Priestley uses characterisation to show that Sheila is able to take some of the responsibility unlike her father but shows that her character is strong enough to get over it and move on. She didn’t literally kill Eva Smith but her actions put her well on Eva way to killing herself.
The play has an ironic ending in that the audience learns that there is no Inspector Goole on the police force. They also learn that ‘Eva Smith’ may not have been one girl but five different girls that each member of the family mistreated in a different way, it shows that each girl was treated disgracefully by the powerful and irresponsible Birlings.
In conclusion, in ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley, the playwright shows that Sheila and Eric are the only members of the family which take responsibility which shows that the younger generation are willing to accept responsibility unlike the older generation who are not. Sheila is the most admirable character in the play and Priestley shows us that her character is the strongest of all five. She shows jealousy to get Eva fired but she knows that she was wrong to do what she did. Birling on the other hand knows he did wrong but doesn’t want to admit it; he just cares about himself and his reputation. He wants a knighthood and will do whatever it takes to be recognized in the business world. This is a very effective play as it encourages the reader to get involved, become on of the characters and take the same responsibility. The theme concerned is important to our generation as it looks at taking responsibility, something that not a lot of people do in the present day. Most of us nowadays will try to put the blame on others; but this play shows that we should all take responsibility for our own actions.
The setting is one of the ways in which Priestly introduces this theme. It is set in the past before the First World War. It is about a family who all play a part in a girl committing suicide, although they are unaware that they played any part in the girl’s death. He effectively shows us that throughout the play the characters start to change their personalities. Birling & Sheila are very much the opposite of each other in their attitudes towards this girl’s death. Inspector Goole comes to question the family about the part each member played in the girl’s death. Sheila feels that she is responsible for this but she and Eric seem to be the only members of the family who are able to take responsibility as Birling is too concerned about his reputation. In the end we find out that all members of the family had a part to play in the girl’s death and each member has a different reaction to this. Inspector Goole came in to question the family and knew what he was talking about, he knew somehow that each member of the Birling family had a part to play.
At the start of the play Sheila is shown to be happy as she is celebrating her engagement. Priestley skilfully shows that the theme in the early parts of the play is about social responsibility.:
“ … a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.”
He shows that she is looking forward to the future with her engagement. However, over the course of the play, Goole’s questioning reveal the suffering of those who work for her father. Sheila is happy because she comes from a wealthy family.
However, Sheila’s sense of well being is shattered by the arrival of Goole. Her reaction to his questioning her telling. This is the point in the play where the theme of social responsibility really is shown. Sheila is shown to be jealous and vindictive by lying and getting Eva sacked for no reason. She realises that she did have a part o play in the many reasons why Eva Smith
committed suicide:
“If I could help her now, I would.”
By using ‘if’ Priestley shows that Sheila knows she was in the wrong and wishes that she hadn’t done what she did. Sheila clearly abused her power as she came from a rich family which was well-known in the area, but she does accept that she was partly responsible for this girl’s death and realises that she has a part to play in other peoples lives. If she does something out of spite there can be consequences for those people she hardly knows.
Again Sheila knows that she had a massive part to play in Eva’s death. She also recognizes that her father ‘Mr Birling’ had a massive part to play. He owns a successful business and Eva Smith worked there. The woman went on strike as they felt they weren’t getting paid enough money for doing a good job. Sheila feels her dad should take responsibility aswell as her as he decided that he wasn’t going to give the woman a pay rise, he decided to just sack Eva instead. Sheila was appalled at her father’s treatment of the workers and in particular Eva Smith. The playwright uses sentence structure to show effectively what Sheila feels of her dads decision; she is shown again to have a change in personality as she thinks these girls should have been treated better:
“But these girl’s aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.”
Priestley shows the change in Sheila again. She was a happy girl at the start of the evening now she is really feeling her family are responsible for Eva’s death and thinks that her father should stand up and take some of the responsibility, but he’s isn’t capable of doing this. He is selfish and doesn’t see anything wrong with what he has done. Sheila is ashamed to hear what her father did to this girl.
In contrast to Sheila, Mr Birling is pompous and self-centred. Mr Birling only wants one thing and that is for him to be knighted by the Queen. He feels any involvement in such a tragic thing would threaten his chances of getting a knighthood. He is unconcerned about how he treats his workers and only seems to care about himself. He thinks that he is better than others because he owns the company. He wants to get higher in life and get respected for his work. He thinks he’s the ‘man’ but he isn’t and Priestley shows this when he describes his reaction to being accused of having some responsibility in the girl’s death:
“Haven’t I already said there’ll be a public scandal … and who here will suffer from that more than I will?”
Here Priestley shows Birling to be pompous and to be a man who only cares about himself and no-one else. Clearly Birling doesn’t want any responsibility to fall on him as it will maybe threaten his chances of a knighthood. He doesn’t want anybody to know that he had a part to play. Priestley uses sentence structure and word choice here to show Birling’s selfishness. ‘I’ shows he is only thinking about himself not even the family. He wasn’t thinking of anyone else people like Eva Smith when he played a selfish part in her death. He is unable to take responsibility and by only talking about himself Priestley shows us this effectively.
Despite Birling not taking any responsibility Sheila knows her father is in the wrong; and when Inspector Goole leaves the house Sheila shows that she wants the whole family to take some responsibility; she knows they are all in the wrong. But most of all the fact that it was herself and her father that were mostly responsible for Eva being sacked from both jobs; and all other events that lead on from that. Sheila’s reaction has changed over the course of the play and it just shows the difference between her and her father as they were the same at the start but now it’s only the younger generation of the family who wants to take responsibility. Sheila’s personality changed through the play and this is a good use of characterisation to show her change and to show how she feels about the family’s unwillingness to accept responsibility.
I would therefore argue that this is an important play for my generation because it shows that you can take responsibility even when the older generation refuse to. At the end of Act 2 she says to her family:
“Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.”
This shows that her character is strong enough to deal with this but Birling and the older generation are unable to accept that they are partly responsible. Unlike her father she now knows the consequences of her actions and will now think of others before speaking or doing anything that affects others. Priestley uses characterisation to show that Sheila is able to take some of the responsibility unlike her father but shows that her character is strong enough to get over it and move on. She didn’t literally kill Eva Smith but her actions put her well on Eva way to killing herself.
The play has an ironic ending in that the audience learns that there is no Inspector Goole on the police force. They also learn that ‘Eva Smith’ may not have been one girl but five different girls that each member of the family mistreated in a different way, it shows that each girl was treated disgracefully by the powerful and irresponsible Birlings.
In conclusion, in ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley, the playwright shows that Sheila and Eric are the only members of the family which take responsibility which shows that the younger generation are willing to accept responsibility unlike the older generation who are not. Sheila is the most admirable character in the play and Priestley shows us that her character is the strongest of all five. She shows jealousy to get Eva fired but she knows that she was wrong to do what she did. Birling on the other hand knows he did wrong but doesn’t want to admit it; he just cares about himself and his reputation. He wants a knighthood and will do whatever it takes to be recognized in the business world. This is a very effective play as it encourages the reader to get involved, become on of the characters and take the same responsibility. The theme concerned is important to our generation as it looks at taking responsibility, something that not a lot of people do in the present day. Most of us nowadays will try to put the blame on others; but this play shows that we should all take responsibility for our own actions.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Higher English - An Introduction
High Schools usually give this information out on a nice A4 sheet to fifth year pupils. In case you need a general guide to Higher, this covers the main points.
Higher English is important for many University courses and gives people an excellent start in life - it shows you can read and write to a high standard.
Scottish school pupils sit Highers in S5 after their Standard grades but many people sit Highers later in life. There are two levels of Intermediate English to help pupils reach Higher level.
The rule of thumb is, if you received a grade 4 at Standard Grade, you should sit Intermediate 1; grade 3, Intermediate 2; and credit grade 1 or 2, Higher.
Candidates have to pass three units before they get to sit the final exam. These are graded by your teacher or lecturer and given either a pass or fail, although they might give you an actual mark as they would with the final exam, to show how well you got on.
You're assessed on:
• Class essay – personal, argumentative or imaginative. Your teacher will set a question for you to answer.
• Personal Study Unit – formerly known as the RPR. You choose a novel, play, short story(s) or poem(s) and write about it in some depth.
• Close reading – read the passage, answer the questions; same as your final exam for Standard Grade but more challenging.
• Textual analysis – close reading with a different emphasis. These tests ask you to look at aspects of language in more detail. They have fewer questions worth more marks and often cover drama or a piece of poetry.
The Close Reading and Textual Analysis come from a National Assessment Bank of test papers. They are usually called NABs.
If you are unable to pass the NABs at your level you will not be able to sit the final exam – if this happens, your teacher might recommend you drop down to Intermediate 2.
One paper of Close Reading. Two passages, with questions worth fifty marks.
One essay paper. You write two essays in 90 minutes, on the texts studied during the year. These can be on drama, poetry, prose or media.
Your final mark is based on your performance at the exam.
Overview
Higher English is important for many University courses and gives people an excellent start in life - it shows you can read and write to a high standard.
Scottish school pupils sit Highers in S5 after their Standard grades but many people sit Highers later in life. There are two levels of Intermediate English to help pupils reach Higher level.
The rule of thumb is, if you received a grade 4 at Standard Grade, you should sit Intermediate 1; grade 3, Intermediate 2; and credit grade 1 or 2, Higher.
Coursework
Candidates have to pass three units before they get to sit the final exam. These are graded by your teacher or lecturer and given either a pass or fail, although they might give you an actual mark as they would with the final exam, to show how well you got on.
You're assessed on:
• Class essay – personal, argumentative or imaginative. Your teacher will set a question for you to answer.
• Personal Study Unit – formerly known as the RPR. You choose a novel, play, short story(s) or poem(s) and write about it in some depth.
• Close reading – read the passage, answer the questions; same as your final exam for Standard Grade but more challenging.
• Textual analysis – close reading with a different emphasis. These tests ask you to look at aspects of language in more detail. They have fewer questions worth more marks and often cover drama or a piece of poetry.
The Close Reading and Textual Analysis come from a National Assessment Bank of test papers. They are usually called NABs.
If you are unable to pass the NABs at your level you will not be able to sit the final exam – if this happens, your teacher might recommend you drop down to Intermediate 2.
The final exam
One paper of Close Reading. Two passages, with questions worth fifty marks.
One essay paper. You write two essays in 90 minutes, on the texts studied during the year. These can be on drama, poetry, prose or media.
Your final mark is based on your performance at the exam.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
The Go-Between Essay
Question -
Choose a novel which caused you to reconsider your views on an important human issue. Explain what the issue is and go on to discuss ow the writer made you reconsider your views.
Childhood innocence can often be manipulated and this can lead to drastic consequences. ‘The Go-Between’ by LP Hartley causes us to question our views as we follow the ‘corruption’ of 12-year-old Leo Colston. Leo is the unwitting ‘go-between’ for the lovers Ted and Marian; he keeps their affair alive by delivering letters under the guise of business notes. The terrible outcome of Leo’s actions has a profound effect on his own life and inadvertently leads to the suicide of Ted.
Hartley depicts Leo’s innocence in the opening chapters of the novel. In the summer of 1900 he stays at the house of his friend Marcus Maudsley and becomes infatuated with his sister, Marian: ‘My spiritual transformation took place in Norwich’. The use of religious language suggests that Leo is a somewhat naïve idealist as, in reality, Marian only takes him clothes shopping.
Although Leo’s idealism is touching, his feelings blind him from Marian’s deceitful nature and before long he is covering for her to Marcus. When questioned over whether she met anyone in Norwich, she replies: ‘We were hard at is all the time, weren’t we, Leo?’ Leo agrees due to his willingness to please her but he forgets the hour he spent alone in the cathedral. It is telling that he attends church while she meets Ted; it emphasizes that his mind is on spiritual things. However, at the same time, this makes him easy to manipulate.
Marian takes advantage of Leo’s ignorance as well as his feelings for her when she sends him off with the letters for Ted: ‘We sometimes write each other notes on business matters and you say you like taking them’. In this way, she uses his immaturity to tell him what his own feelings are.
Leo’s innocence becomes his downfall when he is plunged into the world of adult relationships. When Leo discovers the true content of Ted and Marian’s letters he is devastated: ‘Not Adam and Eve, after eating the apple, could have been more upset than I was’. The narrator’s use of religious language continues with this biblical reference. It suggests his frame of reference for the lovers is Adam and Eve from the bible, their ‘fall from grace’ when they discovered knowledge.
When he discovers the lovers together it causes him to suffer an emotional collapse: ‘The Virgin and the Water Carrier on the ground … two bodies moving like one’. The use of symbols from the Zodiac, as with the bible, show that Leo is unable to understand sexual relationships in a modern way.
In the novel, this discovery is in close proximity to Ted’s suicide. The result of this tragedy is that Leo spends the next fifty years of his life as an emotionally distant adult. We see Leo’s innocence through the nostalgia of his old age, as a first-person narrator. This made me feel pity for him due to his well-meaning idealism and the terrible experience he suffered at a young age.
‘The Go-Between’ explores the vulnerability of childhood innocence at the point when someone comes of age. In this way, it made me reconsider my views on an important human issue.
Choose a novel which caused you to reconsider your views on an important human issue. Explain what the issue is and go on to discuss ow the writer made you reconsider your views.
Childhood innocence can often be manipulated and this can lead to drastic consequences. ‘The Go-Between’ by LP Hartley causes us to question our views as we follow the ‘corruption’ of 12-year-old Leo Colston. Leo is the unwitting ‘go-between’ for the lovers Ted and Marian; he keeps their affair alive by delivering letters under the guise of business notes. The terrible outcome of Leo’s actions has a profound effect on his own life and inadvertently leads to the suicide of Ted.
Hartley depicts Leo’s innocence in the opening chapters of the novel. In the summer of 1900 he stays at the house of his friend Marcus Maudsley and becomes infatuated with his sister, Marian: ‘My spiritual transformation took place in Norwich’. The use of religious language suggests that Leo is a somewhat naïve idealist as, in reality, Marian only takes him clothes shopping.
Although Leo’s idealism is touching, his feelings blind him from Marian’s deceitful nature and before long he is covering for her to Marcus. When questioned over whether she met anyone in Norwich, she replies: ‘We were hard at is all the time, weren’t we, Leo?’ Leo agrees due to his willingness to please her but he forgets the hour he spent alone in the cathedral. It is telling that he attends church while she meets Ted; it emphasizes that his mind is on spiritual things. However, at the same time, this makes him easy to manipulate.
Marian takes advantage of Leo’s ignorance as well as his feelings for her when she sends him off with the letters for Ted: ‘We sometimes write each other notes on business matters and you say you like taking them’. In this way, she uses his immaturity to tell him what his own feelings are.
Leo’s innocence becomes his downfall when he is plunged into the world of adult relationships. When Leo discovers the true content of Ted and Marian’s letters he is devastated: ‘Not Adam and Eve, after eating the apple, could have been more upset than I was’. The narrator’s use of religious language continues with this biblical reference. It suggests his frame of reference for the lovers is Adam and Eve from the bible, their ‘fall from grace’ when they discovered knowledge.
When he discovers the lovers together it causes him to suffer an emotional collapse: ‘The Virgin and the Water Carrier on the ground … two bodies moving like one’. The use of symbols from the Zodiac, as with the bible, show that Leo is unable to understand sexual relationships in a modern way.
In the novel, this discovery is in close proximity to Ted’s suicide. The result of this tragedy is that Leo spends the next fifty years of his life as an emotionally distant adult. We see Leo’s innocence through the nostalgia of his old age, as a first-person narrator. This made me feel pity for him due to his well-meaning idealism and the terrible experience he suffered at a young age.
‘The Go-Between’ explores the vulnerability of childhood innocence at the point when someone comes of age. In this way, it made me reconsider my views on an important human issue.
The Great Gatsby Essay Plan
Introduction
The character of Gatsby is vital to the author’s theme of class / the American dream
Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy is one of the most important in the book.
A turning point in the book is at the party when the lovers sneak over into Nick’s yard
However, the book ends in tragedy, for Gatsby is wrong in his judgements about people.
Conclusion – Therefore I would argue that ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a novel …
- ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald is an example of a novel in which …
- Brief plot summary
- Setting – affluent New York, in contrast to the Midwest where Nick is from
The character of Gatsby is vital to the author’s theme of class / the American dream
- First impressions of Gatsby
- The symbolism of the ‘green light’
- Self-made man – changed his name and made a fortune
- Gave lavish parties to people he didn’t really know, his rich neighbours
- Has links to organised crime through Meyer Wolfsheim
- ‘Old sport’ – his favourite expression, which makes people believe he is Oxford-educated
- Even though he has invented a ‘persona’ for himself, he is still a romantic, idealistic figure
Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy is one of the most important in the book.
- Met when he was a young man working as a diver
- Created his wealthy life in order to win Daisy over
- He is clearly better than Daisy’s cynical, cheating husband Tom
A turning point in the book is at the party when the lovers sneak over into Nick’s yard
- It suggests that the story will end happily
- Gatsby believes the past can be recaptured, as he tells Nick
However, the book ends in tragedy, for Gatsby is wrong in his judgements about people.
- Daisy will not give up her husband Tom
- The climax - Gatsby’s murder: Gatsby was too naïve for the world of cheating and betrayal that he tried to live in
- Gatsby was finally crushed by the class system – he underestimated Daisy’s devotion to Tom, who came from a wealthy background
- After his murder his neighbours do not attend his funeral – he has failed to become one of them
- The symbolism of Gatsby’s body
Conclusion – Therefore I would argue that ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a novel …
The Changeling Essay Plan
Question -
Choose a novel in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writers theme.
Introduction / plot summary: Robin Jenkin’s downbeat meditation on the nature of pity, ‘The Changeling’ has a tragic ending; it emphasizes that the ‘Good Samaritan’ Charles Forbes fails to redeem the life of his pupil Tom Curdie.
• He sees himself as the boy’s saviour and makes the decision to take him on holiday
• Tom’s stealing and strangeness set him apart from the family
• Finally the pain of the experience pushes him over the end.
Charlie’s character: The opening chapter reveals that Charlie’s interest in Tom is self-righteous:
At last he spoke, in his most pontifical tones:
‘Tell me, Curdie, have you ever seen the sea?’
• ‘Pontifical’ has overtones of pomposity - Forbes’ religious nature;
• first meaning is supported by the headmaster’s opinion of Forbes as a ‘pompous bore’
• Tom has never seen the sea but can write eloquently about it – shows imagination
• Forbes takes him on holiday in order to ‘improve’ him; but this leads to Tom’s suicide.
Tom’s principals: strong character who lives by a matter-of-fact set of ‘principals’:
Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no-one not even yourself know how near to giving in you were.
• Doesn’t need Charlie’s help
• Away from Donaldson’s court he feels inadequate
• tries to ‘take what you could’ by stealing – sets him apart from the Forbes family
Turning point – the phone call:
‘I mean, Tom Curdie,’ he said; but it was really that mythical person Tom Forbes, he still thought he was.
• Peerie pressing his face up against the glass - as if Tom’s background is crowding round him
• a ‘mythical person’ – but Tom has to live in the real world
Turning point – Tom steals: seen through the eyes of Gillian:
“She began to realise that this suit of armour, of calmness and patience, forged somehow in the dreadful slum where he had been born, must be heavy and painful to wear.”
• She does not tell as she wants to avoid ruining the ‘presentation’
• Her sympathy grows for him throughout the book
• ‘suit of armour’ continues the idea that he is a figure out of a myth who doesn’t belong in her world - she feels the stirring of respect for him, even though he is a thief.
Tom before the suicide: From her point of view, Tom has a kind of nobility, even when he strikes the tree in anguish:
His face was hard and aloof, like a young Prince’s out of a story book.
His hand red with blood was like an emblem of eerie distinction.
• He doesn’t belong to the time in which he lives
• allusions to being a Prince and wearing an ‘emblem’ through pain and violence
Conclusion: this impossible dilemma is finally solved by Tom’s tragic end. Therefore I would argue that the book considers the suffering of others and asks what we can really do for them; it explores this theme through the fate of Tom, who had never known what life was like outside the slum where he had lived his whole life.
Choose a novel in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writers theme.
Introduction / plot summary: Robin Jenkin’s downbeat meditation on the nature of pity, ‘The Changeling’ has a tragic ending; it emphasizes that the ‘Good Samaritan’ Charles Forbes fails to redeem the life of his pupil Tom Curdie.
• He sees himself as the boy’s saviour and makes the decision to take him on holiday
• Tom’s stealing and strangeness set him apart from the family
• Finally the pain of the experience pushes him over the end.
Charlie’s character: The opening chapter reveals that Charlie’s interest in Tom is self-righteous:
At last he spoke, in his most pontifical tones:
‘Tell me, Curdie, have you ever seen the sea?’
• ‘Pontifical’ has overtones of pomposity - Forbes’ religious nature;
• first meaning is supported by the headmaster’s opinion of Forbes as a ‘pompous bore’
• Tom has never seen the sea but can write eloquently about it – shows imagination
• Forbes takes him on holiday in order to ‘improve’ him; but this leads to Tom’s suicide.
Tom’s principals: strong character who lives by a matter-of-fact set of ‘principals’:
Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no-one not even yourself know how near to giving in you were.
• Doesn’t need Charlie’s help
• Away from Donaldson’s court he feels inadequate
• tries to ‘take what you could’ by stealing – sets him apart from the Forbes family
Turning point – the phone call:
‘I mean, Tom Curdie,’ he said; but it was really that mythical person Tom Forbes, he still thought he was.
• Peerie pressing his face up against the glass - as if Tom’s background is crowding round him
• a ‘mythical person’ – but Tom has to live in the real world
Turning point – Tom steals: seen through the eyes of Gillian:
“She began to realise that this suit of armour, of calmness and patience, forged somehow in the dreadful slum where he had been born, must be heavy and painful to wear.”
• She does not tell as she wants to avoid ruining the ‘presentation’
• Her sympathy grows for him throughout the book
• ‘suit of armour’ continues the idea that he is a figure out of a myth who doesn’t belong in her world - she feels the stirring of respect for him, even though he is a thief.
Tom before the suicide: From her point of view, Tom has a kind of nobility, even when he strikes the tree in anguish:
His face was hard and aloof, like a young Prince’s out of a story book.
His hand red with blood was like an emblem of eerie distinction.
• He doesn’t belong to the time in which he lives
• allusions to being a Prince and wearing an ‘emblem’ through pain and violence
Conclusion: this impossible dilemma is finally solved by Tom’s tragic end. Therefore I would argue that the book considers the suffering of others and asks what we can really do for them; it explores this theme through the fate of Tom, who had never known what life was like outside the slum where he had lived his whole life.
The Changeling Essay
Question -
Choose a novel in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writers theme.
Robin Jenkin’s downbeat meditation on the nature of pity, ‘The Changeling’ has a tragic ending; it emphasizes that the ‘Good Samaritan’ Charles Forbes fails to redeem the life of his pupil Tom Curdie. He sees himself as the boy’s saviour and makes the decision to take him on holiday, to show another side of life from the slum in which he grew up. Yet Tom’s stealing and strangeness set him apart from the family and finally the pain of the experience pushes him over the end.
The opening chapter reveals that Charlie’s interest in Tom is self-righteous:
At last he spoke, in his most pontifical tones:
‘Tell me, Curdie, have you ever seen the sea?’
‘Pontifical’ has overtones of pomposity, and suggests Forbes’ religious nature; the first meaning is supported by the headmaster’s opinion of Forbes as a ‘pompous bore’. It is ironic that a boy who has never seen the sea can write eloquently about it; and Forbes takes him on holiday in order to ‘improve’ him. Yet this decision is to lead to Tom’s suicide.
In some ways, Tom is a character we should pity; however, in chapter three we learn that he is a strong character who lives by a matter-of-fact set of ‘principals’:
Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no-one not even yourself know how near to giving in you were.
One therefore has to ask – why would someone like this need Charlie’s help? It is only when he is taken away from Donaldson’s court that he feels the gulf between his circumstances and those of ‘decent’ people. When he tries to ‘take what you could’ to please them, the estrangement begins.
The turning point of the novel is where Tom calls the Forbes family and introduces himself as ‘Tom Forbes’:
‘I mean, Tom Curdie,’ he said; but it was really that mythical person Tom Forbes, he still thought he was.
At this point in the book, he is in a phone box with the hapless Peerie pressing his face up against the glass. It is as if Tom’s background is crowding round him as he tries vainly to keep contact with the ‘decent’ family who have given him a temporary home. However, the trouble with being a ‘mythical person’ is that one has to live in the real world.
The distance between myth and reality is explored in one of the turning points of the novel, when Tom steals so that he can afford the brooch for Mrs Forbes. The chapter is seen through the eyes of Gillian, who sees a truth about Tom before anyone else:
“She began to realise that this suit of armour, of calmness and patience, forged somehow in the dreadful slum where he had been born, must be heavy and painful to wear.”
Yet she does not tell as she wants to avoid ruining the ‘presentation’; Gillian is torn between jealousy and pity towards Tom; her sympathy grows for him throughout the book and it is she who discovers him after his suicide. The ‘suit of armour’ continues the idea that he is a figure out of a myth who doesn’t belong in her world, which indicates that she feels the stirring of respect for him, even though he is a thief.
Their relationship provides a note of optimism before the bleak climax. From her point of view, Tom has a kind of nobility, even when he strikes the tree in anguish:
His face was hard and aloof, like a young Prince’s out of a story book.
His hand red with blood was like an emblem of eerie distinction.
These continue the idea that he is someone who doesn’t belong to the time in which he lives, with the allusions to being a Prince and wearing an ‘emblem’ he has won through pain and violence.
This impossible dilemma is finally solved by Tom’s tragic end. Therefore I would argue that the book considers the suffering of others and asks what we can really do for them; it explores this theme through the fate of Tom.
Choose a novel in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writers theme.
Robin Jenkin’s downbeat meditation on the nature of pity, ‘The Changeling’ has a tragic ending; it emphasizes that the ‘Good Samaritan’ Charles Forbes fails to redeem the life of his pupil Tom Curdie. He sees himself as the boy’s saviour and makes the decision to take him on holiday, to show another side of life from the slum in which he grew up. Yet Tom’s stealing and strangeness set him apart from the family and finally the pain of the experience pushes him over the end.
The opening chapter reveals that Charlie’s interest in Tom is self-righteous:
At last he spoke, in his most pontifical tones:
‘Tell me, Curdie, have you ever seen the sea?’
‘Pontifical’ has overtones of pomposity, and suggests Forbes’ religious nature; the first meaning is supported by the headmaster’s opinion of Forbes as a ‘pompous bore’. It is ironic that a boy who has never seen the sea can write eloquently about it; and Forbes takes him on holiday in order to ‘improve’ him. Yet this decision is to lead to Tom’s suicide.
In some ways, Tom is a character we should pity; however, in chapter three we learn that he is a strong character who lives by a matter-of-fact set of ‘principals’:
Never to whine; to accept what came; to wait for better; to take what you could; to let no-one not even yourself know how near to giving in you were.
One therefore has to ask – why would someone like this need Charlie’s help? It is only when he is taken away from Donaldson’s court that he feels the gulf between his circumstances and those of ‘decent’ people. When he tries to ‘take what you could’ to please them, the estrangement begins.
The turning point of the novel is where Tom calls the Forbes family and introduces himself as ‘Tom Forbes’:
‘I mean, Tom Curdie,’ he said; but it was really that mythical person Tom Forbes, he still thought he was.
At this point in the book, he is in a phone box with the hapless Peerie pressing his face up against the glass. It is as if Tom’s background is crowding round him as he tries vainly to keep contact with the ‘decent’ family who have given him a temporary home. However, the trouble with being a ‘mythical person’ is that one has to live in the real world.
The distance between myth and reality is explored in one of the turning points of the novel, when Tom steals so that he can afford the brooch for Mrs Forbes. The chapter is seen through the eyes of Gillian, who sees a truth about Tom before anyone else:
“She began to realise that this suit of armour, of calmness and patience, forged somehow in the dreadful slum where he had been born, must be heavy and painful to wear.”
Yet she does not tell as she wants to avoid ruining the ‘presentation’; Gillian is torn between jealousy and pity towards Tom; her sympathy grows for him throughout the book and it is she who discovers him after his suicide. The ‘suit of armour’ continues the idea that he is a figure out of a myth who doesn’t belong in her world, which indicates that she feels the stirring of respect for him, even though he is a thief.
Their relationship provides a note of optimism before the bleak climax. From her point of view, Tom has a kind of nobility, even when he strikes the tree in anguish:
His face was hard and aloof, like a young Prince’s out of a story book.
His hand red with blood was like an emblem of eerie distinction.
These continue the idea that he is someone who doesn’t belong to the time in which he lives, with the allusions to being a Prince and wearing an ‘emblem’ he has won through pain and violence.
This impossible dilemma is finally solved by Tom’s tragic end. Therefore I would argue that the book considers the suffering of others and asks what we can really do for them; it explores this theme through the fate of Tom.
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
Question -
Choose a novel or short story which involves a theme of conflict and show how the dramatist makes the story compelling for the reader. You may refer to structure, characterisation, key scene(s) or any other appropriate feature.
A novel which involves a theme of conflict is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. It is the story of a town divided by racism and ignorance, and a miscarriage of justice.
The novel is set in Alabama during the Depression. Maycomb is a poor community of farmers. This is shown in the early chapters when Scout attends school. The poverty of the other children is revealed at lunchtime, when they take out pails of molasses to eat. Walter Cunningham pays Atticus in turnips as he has no cash. When his son visits for dinner, he pours molasses over his food. As well as poverty, the town is divided. Black people worship at a separate church and live in their own area. The conflict of the novel arises from prejudice, which leads to Tom Robinson being accused of rape.
The character of Atticus is central to the novel. At first he appears a somewhat boring middle-aged man: ‘Atticus was feeble; he was nearly fifty’. He does not play football like the other fathers. The incident with the rabid dog shows that he has kept his shooting skill a secret from his children in order to protect them. He represents the moral centre of the novel, refusing to allow Scout to use the word ‘niggers’ and standing up for Boo Radley and Miss Dubose. In the second half of the novel he defends Tom Robinson even though he is certain to lose.
The novel is narrated by Scout as an old woman. Scout is hot headed and gets into fights at the start of the novel. She becomes more like Atticus as she learns more of the fight against prejudice.
A key scene of the novel is chapter 15. At the start of this chapter, we are reminded of the setting as the children eavesdrop on their father on the front porch. They hear Atticus’ dangerous question: ‘Do you really think so?’ This is repeated later on in the chapter as Atticus confronts the local men. Scout shames Walter Cunningham into withdrawing by reminding him he is an ordinary man.
Symbolism is important in chapter 15. The Maycomb Jail contrasts with the other buildings on the main street, being far grander and older, yet, in the minds of the townsfolk it is ‘full of niggers’. Tom Robinson seems to be living in a building better than theirs. The idea of being at home is continued with Atticus, who sits under a light bulb, in a chair, with a newspaper. This gives us some understanding of what motivates the locals to try to lynch Tom: they see him as being above them, and perhaps as a guest of Atticus’ home.
Despite the optimism of chapter 15, the book still ends with the death of Tom. However, Boo Radley saves the family from Bob Ewell and the policeman refuses to investigate what may have been Ewell’s murder by Boo. The conflict of the novel leaves the reader with a sense of injustice but also optimism. The good people of the novel include people such as Walter Cunningham, who learn tolerance from a child’s point of view.
In these ways, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a novel which features conflict. The author uses symbolism, characterisation and setting to explore the theme of racial prejudice.
Choose a novel or short story which involves a theme of conflict and show how the dramatist makes the story compelling for the reader. You may refer to structure, characterisation, key scene(s) or any other appropriate feature.
Introduction
A novel which involves a theme of conflict is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. It is the story of a town divided by racism and ignorance, and a miscarriage of justice.
Setting
The novel is set in Alabama during the Depression. Maycomb is a poor community of farmers. This is shown in the early chapters when Scout attends school. The poverty of the other children is revealed at lunchtime, when they take out pails of molasses to eat. Walter Cunningham pays Atticus in turnips as he has no cash. When his son visits for dinner, he pours molasses over his food. As well as poverty, the town is divided. Black people worship at a separate church and live in their own area. The conflict of the novel arises from prejudice, which leads to Tom Robinson being accused of rape.
Characterization
The character of Atticus is central to the novel. At first he appears a somewhat boring middle-aged man: ‘Atticus was feeble; he was nearly fifty’. He does not play football like the other fathers. The incident with the rabid dog shows that he has kept his shooting skill a secret from his children in order to protect them. He represents the moral centre of the novel, refusing to allow Scout to use the word ‘niggers’ and standing up for Boo Radley and Miss Dubose. In the second half of the novel he defends Tom Robinson even though he is certain to lose.
The novel is narrated by Scout as an old woman. Scout is hot headed and gets into fights at the start of the novel. She becomes more like Atticus as she learns more of the fight against prejudice.
Key scene
A key scene of the novel is chapter 15. At the start of this chapter, we are reminded of the setting as the children eavesdrop on their father on the front porch. They hear Atticus’ dangerous question: ‘Do you really think so?’ This is repeated later on in the chapter as Atticus confronts the local men. Scout shames Walter Cunningham into withdrawing by reminding him he is an ordinary man.
Symbolism
Symbolism is important in chapter 15. The Maycomb Jail contrasts with the other buildings on the main street, being far grander and older, yet, in the minds of the townsfolk it is ‘full of niggers’. Tom Robinson seems to be living in a building better than theirs. The idea of being at home is continued with Atticus, who sits under a light bulb, in a chair, with a newspaper. This gives us some understanding of what motivates the locals to try to lynch Tom: they see him as being above them, and perhaps as a guest of Atticus’ home.
The ending of the novel
Despite the optimism of chapter 15, the book still ends with the death of Tom. However, Boo Radley saves the family from Bob Ewell and the policeman refuses to investigate what may have been Ewell’s murder by Boo. The conflict of the novel leaves the reader with a sense of injustice but also optimism. The good people of the novel include people such as Walter Cunningham, who learn tolerance from a child’s point of view.
Conclusion
In these ways, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a novel which features conflict. The author uses symbolism, characterisation and setting to explore the theme of racial prejudice.
Of Mice And Men Essay Plan
Question -
Choose a novel or short story in which there is an obvious climax or turning point. Show how the author arrives at the turning point and then discuss the consequences of it for the final outcome of the story. You may wish to mention techniques such as characterisation, structure, description or any other appropriate feature.
Introduction
Setting
The character of Lennie
Animal imagery
The suffering of ordinary people
Curley’s wife
Description
The author’s use of description is vital to the turning point:
The outcome of this turning point
Conclusion
Therefore, in ‘Of Mice And Men’ Steinbeck uses word choice and characterisation to prepare us for the turning point in the novel and its tragic ending.
Choose a novel or short story in which there is an obvious climax or turning point. Show how the author arrives at the turning point and then discuss the consequences of it for the final outcome of the story. You may wish to mention techniques such as characterisation, structure, description or any other appropriate feature.
Introduction
Setting
- Depression era
- Background to George and Lennie’s story – on the run from their last job.
- Turning point: when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife.
The character of Lennie
- Lennie’s strength and lack of intelligence described early on
- Word choice portrays Lennie’s childish behaviour:
Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so that the water arose in little splashes … ‘Look George, look what I done.’
- Shows immaturity
- ‘paw’ suggests that he is more like an animal than a man.
- Loves animals and collects pet mice, ends up killing them with his great strength.
Animal imagery
- Lennie looks forward to keeping rabbits, showing his kind and gentle nature.
- The death of Candy’s dog makes him join Lennie and George’s scheme.
- ‘Of Mice and Men’ = animals; as well as the Robert Burns poem.
- Like the mouse in the poem, after the death of Curley’s wife, the men’s plan comes to nothing.
- Title of novel prepares reader for turning point and climax
The suffering of ordinary people
- Main theme of the novel
- Shown in the scene where Curley attacks Lennie and has his hand crushed:
Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. ‘What the hell you laughin’ at?’
- Curley decides to pick a fight with Lennie as he hates people who are bigger than him.
- Animal imagery – compared to ‘terrier’
- He uses violence to make up for the fact none of the other workers respect him.
- This incident prepares us for the death of Curley’s wife in chapter 5.
Curley’s wife
- Lonely and not tolerated by the farm workers, who visit prostitutes rather than having real relationships with women.
- Her name is not given in the book, showing that people do not really know her.
- Like Crooks, who is a victim of racism, she is isolated.
- Seeks out Lennie for friendship, but due to his strength she dies.
- The book shows us that people who have a low position in society can lead a lonely and short life.
Description
The author’s use of description is vital to the turning point:
She jerked her head sideways and Lennnie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on … She struggled violently under his hands … And then she was still, for Lennie had broke her neck.
- It is as though Lennie has no control over his own fingers.
- We are reminded of the dead mice and the rabbits, as well as the fight with Curley.
The outcome of this turning point
- George is forced to kill Lennie before the other farm workers get hold of him.
- The reader is left with a feeling of sadness because George is a friend to Lennie to the end, and does what he has to do.
- We are made to feel pity for the poor farm workers who have no control over their lives.
Conclusion
Therefore, in ‘Of Mice And Men’ Steinbeck uses word choice and characterisation to prepare us for the turning point in the novel and its tragic ending.
Mitigation
Question -
Write about a poem which made you think about an important issue.
Kate Clanchy’s harrowing lyric poem ‘Mitigation’ forces the reader to dwell upon the issue of human evil. It is a take on the murder of Jamie Bulger by two young boys, Thomson and Venables. The poet uses a first person narrative to change the reader’s perspective, along with the use of word choice and style.
The poet’s choice of words emphasizes the horror of the Bulger’s death which occurs in the ‘swooping railway tracks’. This gave me the impression of a bird capturing its prey. This gives the impression of extreme speed and efficiency, but also suggests that the murder was part of a ‘natural’ animal instinct. It is shocking enough to contemplate two children killing a younger child, but this suggests that it was nothing strange in their minds. They are unaware of the moral implications to what they have done.
Clanchy employs stanza structure to create jarring contrasts. The ‘swooping railway tracks’ occur in the first line of the last stanza, where the reader might become aware for the first time that the poem is about the Bulger murder. The first stanza describes childish games and fantasies in nostalgic locations like ‘The Den’. This changes with the break between the first and second stanzas:
and loved the tender ticking throat
of panicked bird or retching child
This makes the poem take a sinister turn and shows how the killers are unaware of the suffering of their victims. The ‘tender ticking throat’ is a pleasant, fragile expression; the alliteration of the slight ‘t’ sound emphasises the vulnerability of the bird and ‘loved’ is a reminder that Venables and Thomson are children. Yet the bird is ‘panicked’ – the boys clearly love the heartbeat because the bird is in their power and it is equated with a ‘retching child’ who we then learn is Bulger. Clanchy uses bird symbols as they represent both the defenceless, with the bird in their hand, and the bird of prey, a natural predator. This gave me a new perspective on the mentality of the young murderers – still children but capable of adult crimes.
The poet’s use of first person throughout allows the reader to see through the eyes of Venables and Thomson. The boys talk directly to the reader and accuse them of having the same mindset. ‘That doll of yours whose head came off’ is about an experience of theirs, yet they address the reader - quite plausibly, the reader could have had the same experience while playing. The poem makes the reader examine their own life and see where they have acted in the same way as the killers.
Clanchy’s use of symbolism also helps the reader to understand the issue of murder. The doll represents the torture Bulger went through and the desire for power – it is buried behind a ‘fort’, a symbol of military power as if the boys are playing soldiers. Yet the difference between the boys and the adults with ‘signet rings’, in their own eyes, is that they went through with an actual crime rather than by sticking to make-believe. They claim to speak on behalf of all young boys:
We heard your hands, the short wet slap
Of adults clamouring to get back
I was horrified by the suggestion that everyone would do as they did if they had not ‘bottled’, but this is why the poem is effective. Clanchy shows how murderers might have the same experiences as the rest of us but implies that they do not understand the lines which we can’t cross as adults. The adults outside the van want to kill the boys – to ‘get back’ to the time when they could be violent without taking responsibility for their actions.
The title of the poem suggests that there are ‘mitigating’ circumstances for why the boys killed Bulger – the boys simply didn’t know right from wrong. While I didn’t feel any sympathy for the boys, it made me think about the important issue of murder, and this is why it is a successful poem.
Write about a poem which made you think about an important issue.
Kate Clanchy’s harrowing lyric poem ‘Mitigation’ forces the reader to dwell upon the issue of human evil. It is a take on the murder of Jamie Bulger by two young boys, Thomson and Venables. The poet uses a first person narrative to change the reader’s perspective, along with the use of word choice and style.
The poet’s choice of words emphasizes the horror of the Bulger’s death which occurs in the ‘swooping railway tracks’. This gave me the impression of a bird capturing its prey. This gives the impression of extreme speed and efficiency, but also suggests that the murder was part of a ‘natural’ animal instinct. It is shocking enough to contemplate two children killing a younger child, but this suggests that it was nothing strange in their minds. They are unaware of the moral implications to what they have done.
Clanchy employs stanza structure to create jarring contrasts. The ‘swooping railway tracks’ occur in the first line of the last stanza, where the reader might become aware for the first time that the poem is about the Bulger murder. The first stanza describes childish games and fantasies in nostalgic locations like ‘The Den’. This changes with the break between the first and second stanzas:
and loved the tender ticking throat
of panicked bird or retching child
This makes the poem take a sinister turn and shows how the killers are unaware of the suffering of their victims. The ‘tender ticking throat’ is a pleasant, fragile expression; the alliteration of the slight ‘t’ sound emphasises the vulnerability of the bird and ‘loved’ is a reminder that Venables and Thomson are children. Yet the bird is ‘panicked’ – the boys clearly love the heartbeat because the bird is in their power and it is equated with a ‘retching child’ who we then learn is Bulger. Clanchy uses bird symbols as they represent both the defenceless, with the bird in their hand, and the bird of prey, a natural predator. This gave me a new perspective on the mentality of the young murderers – still children but capable of adult crimes.
The poet’s use of first person throughout allows the reader to see through the eyes of Venables and Thomson. The boys talk directly to the reader and accuse them of having the same mindset. ‘That doll of yours whose head came off’ is about an experience of theirs, yet they address the reader - quite plausibly, the reader could have had the same experience while playing. The poem makes the reader examine their own life and see where they have acted in the same way as the killers.
Clanchy’s use of symbolism also helps the reader to understand the issue of murder. The doll represents the torture Bulger went through and the desire for power – it is buried behind a ‘fort’, a symbol of military power as if the boys are playing soldiers. Yet the difference between the boys and the adults with ‘signet rings’, in their own eyes, is that they went through with an actual crime rather than by sticking to make-believe. They claim to speak on behalf of all young boys:
We heard your hands, the short wet slap
Of adults clamouring to get back
I was horrified by the suggestion that everyone would do as they did if they had not ‘bottled’, but this is why the poem is effective. Clanchy shows how murderers might have the same experiences as the rest of us but implies that they do not understand the lines which we can’t cross as adults. The adults outside the van want to kill the boys – to ‘get back’ to the time when they could be violent without taking responsibility for their actions.
The title of the poem suggests that there are ‘mitigating’ circumstances for why the boys killed Bulger – the boys simply didn’t know right from wrong. While I didn’t feel any sympathy for the boys, it made me think about the important issue of murder, and this is why it is a successful poem.
Macbeth Essay
Question -
Choose a play whose main theme is made clear early in the action. Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how successfully he or she goes on to develop it. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of: theme, key scene(s), characterisation, climax, dialogue, or any other appropriate feature.
A play whose main theme is made clear early in the action is 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare, as it highlights the conflict between good and evil, as Macbeth, a tragic hero, descends from being a brave, loyal solider to a tyrannical king. This main theme is conveyed through the use of key scenes, characterisation and language.
Shakespeare introduces the idea of good and evil by using the means of the supernatural. Three witches appear in the first scene, conveying the main theme immediately by using the words:
'Fair' is used for the idea of good while 'foul' is used to express evil and things which are immoral and against natural order. Also these words suggest how good and evil exist side by side, making it difficult to tell them apart. The idea of deception and disguise is used here to portray the struggle between good and evil.
Shakespeare develops the struggle between good and evil as Macbeth is praised by the captain for his role in the battle between Scotland and the invading armies:
Macbeth is introduced to us as the brave man who led King Duncan’s forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald and the King of Norway, in a battle that could have gone either way were it not for Macbeth’s leadership. This clearly shows that Macbeth is not fighting for himself but to save Scotland. At this point, it is proved that Macbeth is seen to be good. However, his first speech turns out to be connected with evil:
This makes the audience become suspicious of Macbeth as Macbeth may be considered of having the possibility of being evil. His speech mirrors the words of the witches, suggesting once again that he is questioning his own morals.
Shakespeare continues to show Macbeth’s moral ambiguity when he hears of the prophecies from the witches and a messenger comes to tell Macbeth that he has been granted Thane of Cawdor, he says:
In this soliloquy, Macbeth knows that the witches have revealed some truth and starts to believe them. However, Macbeth wonders why something which is good or brings good luck can be evil or bad. This again hints out the idea of deception and how good and bad impulses might exist side by side in on person.
Shakespeare continues to develop the combat between good and evil by showing how using evil can take over the life of a good person. Once Macbeth hears that Malcolm, Duncan’s eldest son, is the successor to the throne, he thinks of murdering Duncan, who praised Macbeth “o valiant cousin, worthy gentleman”:
Macbeth knows that “chance” will not make him become king and that Malcolm is an obstacle to the throne which he must overcome. An extended image of the stars, not seeing what Macbeth is planning to do, is used in this soliloquy which is connected to the theme of night & evil. Also "eye wink at the hand" creates the idea of deception.
The battle between good and evil progresses as Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth. In this key scene, Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth has ambition but is worried:
Lady Macbeth knows Macbeth so well that she is sure that Macbeth’s inner goodness will prevent the kingship to be fulfilled. However, Lady Macbeth attempts to overcome this problem by calling the evil spirits, so that she is able to carry out the murder of Duncan:
There is no confusion in this soliloquy, as Lady Macbeth is clearly willing to do whatever is necessary to seize the throne. Her strength of purpose is contrasted with her husband’s tendency to waver. This speech shows the audience that Lady Macbeth is the real steel behind Macbeth and that her ambition will be strong enough to drive her husband forward.
Moreover, Macbeth considers whether he should kill Duncan, listing his good qualities.
In this soliloquy, when Macbeth lists Duncan's noble qualities and the loyalty that he feels towards his king, we are reminded of how grave an outrage it is for the couple to slaughter their ruler while he is a guest in their house. At the same time, Macbeth fears that:
This foreshadows the way that his deed will eventually come back to haunt him. The imagery in this speech is dark and suggests that Macbeth is aware of how the murder would open the door to a dark and sinful world. At the same time, he admits that his only reason for committing murder is his "ambition" which suddenly seems an insufficient justification for the act. At the end, Macbeth resolves not to kill Duncan, but his resolve only lasts until his wife comes and rallies Macbeth on his behaviour.
Shakespeare continues to convey the theme of the struggle between good and evil as Macbeth becomes worried about his kingship and lists Banquo's good qualities:
This clearly shows that Macbeth knows that Banquo has a good character, making people respect him, as well as not fearing anything. Macbeth knows that Banquo has a stronger spirit than Macbeth, since his has been weighed down by guilt. Despite these qualities, Macbeth insists on killing Banquo as he fears that Banquo's descendants may take the throne instead, due to the witches' prophecy:
Macbeth is clearly worried if the witches' prophecy may come true and is determined to prevent the prediction to happen. Macbeth knows that Banquo is so close that every minute Macbeth lives, Banquo is threatening his life. A fighting imagery has been used to describe the space between swordsmen, showing how close Banquo is, in threatening Macbeth. As a result of Banquo's murder, Shakespeare uses the means of the supernatural to haunt Macbeth on what he has done. In this key scene, a ghost of Banquo appears and Macbeth becomes terrified:
Macbeth believed that when a person would die then there would be an end to his life. However, in this situation, Macbeth knows that Banquo's descendants will still be kings. Macbeth is haunted by this conclusion. In spite of all this, Macbeth does not change his character, but instead plans to become more evil as he knows that there is no turning back:
Characterisation is used as Macbeth says that he is so used to evil deeds that it will be easier to continue the bloody course of action than to go back. The recurring imagery of blood is mentioned here to show how evil Macbeth has now become.
Most of all, at the end of the play, Macbeth now understands how something which is good, namely the kingship, can be evil or bad:
Macbeth now realises that his life has dried up. He now regrets that he has no true friends, loyalty or honour due to his tyrannical behaviour. When Lady Macbeth dies, Macbeth reflects on the significance of his life:
Given the great love between them, his response is oddly muted, but it moves quickly without interruption into a speech of such pessimism and despair that the audience realises how completely his wife’s passing and the ruin of his power have undone Macbeth. His speech insists that there is no meaning or purpose in life. Rather, life is:
In conclusion, Shakespeare conveys the theme of the struggle between good and evil effectively, through the tragic flaw of Macbeth. By his clever use of characterisation, key scenes and language, he manages to portray a clear message to the audience, making the play fascinating to watch.
This is an in-depth discussion of the main themes of Macbeth and the relationships in the play. It's too long and has too many quotes for a 45-minute exam essay - normally I advise people sitting the Higher or Intermediate English exam to go in with three to five detailed quotes and aim for about six paragraphs, not including the introduction and conclusion.
Choose a play whose main theme is made clear early in the action. Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how successfully he or she goes on to develop it. In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of: theme, key scene(s), characterisation, climax, dialogue, or any other appropriate feature.
A play whose main theme is made clear early in the action is 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare, as it highlights the conflict between good and evil, as Macbeth, a tragic hero, descends from being a brave, loyal solider to a tyrannical king. This main theme is conveyed through the use of key scenes, characterisation and language.
Shakespeare introduces the idea of good and evil by using the means of the supernatural. Three witches appear in the first scene, conveying the main theme immediately by using the words:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
'Fair' is used for the idea of good while 'foul' is used to express evil and things which are immoral and against natural order. Also these words suggest how good and evil exist side by side, making it difficult to tell them apart. The idea of deception and disguise is used here to portray the struggle between good and evil.
Shakespeare develops the struggle between good and evil as Macbeth is praised by the captain for his role in the battle between Scotland and the invading armies:
For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name –
Macbeth is introduced to us as the brave man who led King Duncan’s forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald and the King of Norway, in a battle that could have gone either way were it not for Macbeth’s leadership. This clearly shows that Macbeth is not fighting for himself but to save Scotland. At this point, it is proved that Macbeth is seen to be good. However, his first speech turns out to be connected with evil:
So foul and fair a day I have not seen
This makes the audience become suspicious of Macbeth as Macbeth may be considered of having the possibility of being evil. His speech mirrors the words of the witches, suggesting once again that he is questioning his own morals.
Shakespeare continues to show Macbeth’s moral ambiguity when he hears of the prophecies from the witches and a messenger comes to tell Macbeth that he has been granted Thane of Cawdor, he says:
Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor
The greatest is behind…
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good.
If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success
Commencing in a truth
In this soliloquy, Macbeth knows that the witches have revealed some truth and starts to believe them. However, Macbeth wonders why something which is good or brings good luck can be evil or bad. This again hints out the idea of deception and how good and bad impulses might exist side by side in on person.
Shakespeare continues to develop the combat between good and evil by showing how using evil can take over the life of a good person. Once Macbeth hears that Malcolm, Duncan’s eldest son, is the successor to the throne, he thinks of murdering Duncan, who praised Macbeth “o valiant cousin, worthy gentleman”:
The Prince of Cumberland – that is a step,
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires,
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears when it is done to see.
Macbeth knows that “chance” will not make him become king and that Malcolm is an obstacle to the throne which he must overcome. An extended image of the stars, not seeing what Macbeth is planning to do, is used in this soliloquy which is connected to the theme of night & evil. Also "eye wink at the hand" creates the idea of deception.
The battle between good and evil progresses as Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth. In this key scene, Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth has ambition but is worried:
do I fear thy nature,
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it
Lady Macbeth knows Macbeth so well that she is sure that Macbeth’s inner goodness will prevent the kingship to be fulfilled. However, Lady Macbeth attempts to overcome this problem by calling the evil spirits, so that she is able to carry out the murder of Duncan:
Come you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crow to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse
There is no confusion in this soliloquy, as Lady Macbeth is clearly willing to do whatever is necessary to seize the throne. Her strength of purpose is contrasted with her husband’s tendency to waver. This speech shows the audience that Lady Macbeth is the real steel behind Macbeth and that her ambition will be strong enough to drive her husband forward.
Moreover, Macbeth considers whether he should kill Duncan, listing his good qualities.
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,…
…Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office
In this soliloquy, when Macbeth lists Duncan's noble qualities and the loyalty that he feels towards his king, we are reminded of how grave an outrage it is for the couple to slaughter their ruler while he is a guest in their house. At the same time, Macbeth fears that:
we still have judgement here, that we but teach
Bloody instructions which, being taught, return
To plague th' inventor
This foreshadows the way that his deed will eventually come back to haunt him. The imagery in this speech is dark and suggests that Macbeth is aware of how the murder would open the door to a dark and sinful world. At the same time, he admits that his only reason for committing murder is his "ambition" which suddenly seems an insufficient justification for the act. At the end, Macbeth resolves not to kill Duncan, but his resolve only lasts until his wife comes and rallies Macbeth on his behaviour.
Shakespeare continues to convey the theme of the struggle between good and evil as Macbeth becomes worried about his kingship and lists Banquo's good qualities:
Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be feared…
…And to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
This clearly shows that Macbeth knows that Banquo has a good character, making people respect him, as well as not fearing anything. Macbeth knows that Banquo has a stronger spirit than Macbeth, since his has been weighed down by guilt. Despite these qualities, Macbeth insists on killing Banquo as he fears that Banquo's descendants may take the throne instead, due to the witches' prophecy:
Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy…
…So is he mine; and in such bloody distance
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near'st of life;
Macbeth is clearly worried if the witches' prophecy may come true and is determined to prevent the prediction to happen. Macbeth knows that Banquo is so close that every minute Macbeth lives, Banquo is threatening his life. A fighting imagery has been used to describe the space between swordsmen, showing how close Banquo is, in threatening Macbeth. As a result of Banquo's murder, Shakespeare uses the means of the supernatural to haunt Macbeth on what he has done. In this key scene, a ghost of Banquo appears and Macbeth becomes terrified:
The time has been,
That when the brains were out, the man would die
And there an end. But now they rise again.
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools. This is more strange
Than such a murder is
Macbeth believed that when a person would die then there would be an end to his life. However, in this situation, Macbeth knows that Banquo's descendants will still be kings. Macbeth is haunted by this conclusion. In spite of all this, Macbeth does not change his character, but instead plans to become more evil as he knows that there is no turning back:
I am in blood
Stepped in so far, that should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted ere there may be scanned.
Characterisation is used as Macbeth says that he is so used to evil deeds that it will be easier to continue the bloody course of action than to go back. The recurring imagery of blood is mentioned here to show how evil Macbeth has now become.
Most of all, at the end of the play, Macbeth now understands how something which is good, namely the kingship, can be evil or bad:
I have lived long enough. My way of life
Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf;
And that which should accompany old age,
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,
I must not look to have; but in their stead
Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath
Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.
Macbeth now realises that his life has dried up. He now regrets that he has no true friends, loyalty or honour due to his tyrannical behaviour. When Lady Macbeth dies, Macbeth reflects on the significance of his life:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.
Given the great love between them, his response is oddly muted, but it moves quickly without interruption into a speech of such pessimism and despair that the audience realises how completely his wife’s passing and the ruin of his power have undone Macbeth. His speech insists that there is no meaning or purpose in life. Rather, life is:
a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
In conclusion, Shakespeare conveys the theme of the struggle between good and evil effectively, through the tragic flaw of Macbeth. By his clever use of characterisation, key scenes and language, he manages to portray a clear message to the audience, making the play fascinating to watch.
My Comment
This is an in-depth discussion of the main themes of Macbeth and the relationships in the play. It's too long and has too many quotes for a 45-minute exam essay - normally I advise people sitting the Higher or Intermediate English exam to go in with three to five detailed quotes and aim for about six paragraphs, not including the introduction and conclusion.
Topic sentences and quotes - how to write an English essay which will pass
When you write an essay on a novel or a play, you can pick up marks and help make sure you pass by using strong topic sentences and good quotes.
As a tutor I see a lot of essays. I used to sit down and read the whole thing but these days I usually go straight to the first sentence of the first paragraph. Although I usually try to read the essay in full, this is the bit which attracts my attention as it often tells me whether the essay should pass or fail.
The first sentence of a paragraph is the topic sentence - it tells the person marking your essay what this paragraph will be about.
Essay question -
The next paragraph might start wih the following topic sentence -
You can't pass an essay without using quotes effectively. They are the next thing I look for in an essay after the topic sentence.
Introduce your quote with -
For example, this is the quote I would use for when Romeo meets Juliet -
This is the way I would introduce the quote -
At the end of this paragraph, I added a sentence about the theme. This reminds the marker of the essay question I am answering. I have also used a clever-sounding phrase, 'inextricably linked' which I can use in any 'Romeo and Juliet' essay.
Topic sentences
As a tutor I see a lot of essays. I used to sit down and read the whole thing but these days I usually go straight to the first sentence of the first paragraph. Although I usually try to read the essay in full, this is the bit which attracts my attention as it often tells me whether the essay should pass or fail.
The first sentence of a paragraph is the topic sentence - it tells the person marking your essay what this paragraph will be about.
Essay question -
Choose a play involving an important theme. Show how the playwrite explores this theme using characters, key scene, symbolism or any other important feature.Topic sentence -
The theme of love and violence is explored in the key scene when Romeo first meets Juliet in act 1, scene 5.Right away, the marker knows this paragraph is relevant to the question -
- it uses the word 'theme', which was in the essay question;
- it directs the marker to one particular part of the play;
- it uses the expression 'key scene' - this is a technique.
The next paragraph might start wih the following topic sentence -
Instead of 'love' I use the word 'romantic' for a bit of variety. I direct the marker to the very start of the play, and I bring in the technique of characterization. I didn't use the word characterization although I could use this in the next sentence.
The romantic theme is introduced in the first scene of the play: Romeo misses the street brawl because he is pining over Rosalind.
Quotes
You can't pass an essay without using quotes effectively. They are the next thing I look for in an essay after the topic sentence.
Introduce your quote with -
- who said it
- who they said it to
- when this happens in the story
For example, this is the quote I would use for when Romeo meets Juliet -
She doth teach the torches to burn bright
This is the way I would introduce the quote -
After the quote comes my analysis - I explain what this line adds to the scene.
The theme of love and violence is explored in the key scene when Romeo first meets Juliet in act 1, scene 5. At his first sight of Juliet, Romeo seems to fall in love -
She doth teach the torches to burn bright
This hyperbole helps emphasise that Romeo is a dreamy romantic. It raises the tension in this scene because the audience will want to find out what happens next. It also suggests probably behave in a reckless way after they meet. I would therefore argue that love and violence are inextricably linked to one another in the play.
At the end of this paragraph, I added a sentence about the theme. This reminds the marker of the essay question I am answering. I have also used a clever-sounding phrase, 'inextricably linked' which I can use in any 'Romeo and Juliet' essay.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Romeo and Juliet Essay - a play with a tragic theme
This essay gives a general answer to a 'theme' question from a higher English past paper.
Question -
Choose a play which involves a tragic theme and show how the dramatist makes the play a moving experience for the audience. You may refer to structure, characterisation, key scene(s) or any other appropriate feature.
Structure -
‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of Shakespeare’s best known stories and most celebrated tragedies. In this essay I will show how the structure and characterisation of the play make it a moving experience for an audience. The tragedy comes from the play’s twin themes of love and violence. The prologue suggests the ‘star-crossed lovers’ will meet a tragic end and in the first scene there is a brawl between the Capulet and Montague families; the Prince forbids any fighting in public and shortly after this, we are introduced to Romeo, who stands in contrast to the violent society of Verona.
Romeo represents the wide-eyed romantic who falls in love at first sight. who is pining for his love Rosalind. He has missed the violence in the street. Mercutio and Benvolio persuade him to attend the party at the Capulet’s house where he meets Juliet. The dialogue of the play emphasizes his rush of emotion at their first meeting: ‘She doth teach the torches to burn bright’. Comparing beauty to fire suggests that it can be a destructive force. In contrast, Mercutio is a more down-to-earth character; he makes rude jokes and puns at Romeo’s expense and mocks his friend for being naïve and idealistic.
The turning point of the play is act 3, scene 1. Before this, things have been going well for the lovers. In the previous scene, they were married, after the Nurse and Friar Benedict have given them advice and support. At the start of this scene, Mercutio mocks Benvolio for being a troublemaker. When Tybalt arrives, Mercutio turns his jesting to him. The tone of this dialogue is light rather than serious. When Romeo arrives, his attitude towards Tybalt is that of reconciliation.
The death of Mercutio is accidental. He is wounded under Romeo’s arm as he tries to break up the fight. It can be played by the actors as horseplay that goes wrong. Mercutio continues to joke as he dies, about his wound: ‘it is not as wide as a cellar door but it may suffice’. Comedy co-exists with tragedy through the course of the play; however, with the death of Mercutio, the tone of the play changes as the lovers launch their desperate plan.
The outcome of this scene is that the play ends in tragedy. The lovers make plans to elope but bad luck and rash decisions mean that they both end up committing suicide. Romeo is rash and idealistic, without the climate of violence created by the Capulets and Montagues, the plan to escape with Juliet may well have worked. It is therefore difficult to argue that the lovers were fated to die, even though this is the tone of the play’s prologue.
The events at the cemetery are foreshadowed by Juliet’s final monologue:
I'll call them back again to comfort me.
Nurse!- What should she do here?
My dismal scene I needs must act alone.
The Nurse is a stabilising influence upon the young lovers, but at this point in the play Juliet has rejected any further help, as she criticised her romance with Romeo. The audience is prepared for the final scene in the graveyard - she fears waking up with Tybalt’s corpse in her family tomb. This symbolizes that her own family may represent death to her – the world of brawling and one-upmanship is perhaps the factor that caused her to fall in love with Romeo in the first place. Even though it puts her in danger, Juliet would rather make her own decisions than do what is expected; and this leads to the final tragedy of the double suicide.
In these ways, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tragic play which makes the audience think about issues of love and violence. The fact that it may have ended happily makes it a moving experience.
Question -
Choose a play which involves a tragic theme and show how the dramatist makes the play a moving experience for the audience. You may refer to structure, characterisation, key scene(s) or any other appropriate feature.
Structure -
- Introduction
- The character of Romeo / the start of the play
- Key scene - act 3, scene 1
- Juliet’s monologue
- Conclusion
‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of Shakespeare’s best known stories and most celebrated tragedies. In this essay I will show how the structure and characterisation of the play make it a moving experience for an audience. The tragedy comes from the play’s twin themes of love and violence. The prologue suggests the ‘star-crossed lovers’ will meet a tragic end and in the first scene there is a brawl between the Capulet and Montague families; the Prince forbids any fighting in public and shortly after this, we are introduced to Romeo, who stands in contrast to the violent society of Verona.
Romeo represents the wide-eyed romantic who falls in love at first sight. who is pining for his love Rosalind. He has missed the violence in the street. Mercutio and Benvolio persuade him to attend the party at the Capulet’s house where he meets Juliet. The dialogue of the play emphasizes his rush of emotion at their first meeting: ‘She doth teach the torches to burn bright’. Comparing beauty to fire suggests that it can be a destructive force. In contrast, Mercutio is a more down-to-earth character; he makes rude jokes and puns at Romeo’s expense and mocks his friend for being naïve and idealistic.
The turning point of the play is act 3, scene 1. Before this, things have been going well for the lovers. In the previous scene, they were married, after the Nurse and Friar Benedict have given them advice and support. At the start of this scene, Mercutio mocks Benvolio for being a troublemaker. When Tybalt arrives, Mercutio turns his jesting to him. The tone of this dialogue is light rather than serious. When Romeo arrives, his attitude towards Tybalt is that of reconciliation.
The death of Mercutio is accidental. He is wounded under Romeo’s arm as he tries to break up the fight. It can be played by the actors as horseplay that goes wrong. Mercutio continues to joke as he dies, about his wound: ‘it is not as wide as a cellar door but it may suffice’. Comedy co-exists with tragedy through the course of the play; however, with the death of Mercutio, the tone of the play changes as the lovers launch their desperate plan.
The outcome of this scene is that the play ends in tragedy. The lovers make plans to elope but bad luck and rash decisions mean that they both end up committing suicide. Romeo is rash and idealistic, without the climate of violence created by the Capulets and Montagues, the plan to escape with Juliet may well have worked. It is therefore difficult to argue that the lovers were fated to die, even though this is the tone of the play’s prologue.
The events at the cemetery are foreshadowed by Juliet’s final monologue:
I'll call them back again to comfort me.
Nurse!- What should she do here?
My dismal scene I needs must act alone.
The Nurse is a stabilising influence upon the young lovers, but at this point in the play Juliet has rejected any further help, as she criticised her romance with Romeo. The audience is prepared for the final scene in the graveyard - she fears waking up with Tybalt’s corpse in her family tomb. This symbolizes that her own family may represent death to her – the world of brawling and one-upmanship is perhaps the factor that caused her to fall in love with Romeo in the first place. Even though it puts her in danger, Juliet would rather make her own decisions than do what is expected; and this leads to the final tragedy of the double suicide.
In these ways, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tragic play which makes the audience think about issues of love and violence. The fact that it may have ended happily makes it a moving experience.
Romeo and Juliet Essay Plan - Fate
Another 'Romeo and Juliet' essay. This is answers a theme question from a higher exam paper. Is there a mystical force at work in the play? Or does the tragedy just come from bad luck?
Question -
Choose a play in which a main theme is made clear early in the action. Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how successfully he or she goes on to develop it.
Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tale about a ‘love at first sight’ which leads to tragedy; its impact comes from the two lovers escaping their violent world through the power of love, yet from the start of the play, there are hints that fate is against them. During the Renaissance, beliefs in supernatural powers affecting human events were commonplace and this is explored by various references in the play.
The prologue introduces the idea that ‘two star-crossed lovers take their life’, This suggests the events of the play have already been ‘written in the stars’. This theme is continued in Act I Scene V, where Romeo attends the Capulets masked ball to take his mind off his unrequited love for Rosaline. There he sees the daughter of his families sworn enemy, and the two fall in love at first sight. However, both are unaware of this fact at the time and come to learn it later on in the night: ‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ The repetition of ‘Romeo’ shows Juliets anguish, and her disbelief at the minute chances of Romeo being from her family’s worst enemies.
Perhaps the most evident development in the theme of fate comes in the turning point of the play, and key scene Act III Scene I. In this scene, Romeo tries to break up a fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, but tragically his mistake helps Tybalt slay Mercutio. Romeo then avenges Mercutio, after stating that ‘fiery eyed fury be my conduct now’. Romeo believes that this outcome was already predetermined by fate: ‘O, I am fortune’s fool.’ This shows that Romeo believes that fate was set to follow its course, and that he was simply fulfilling his fate. By having these unlikely “misadventured piteous overthrows” Shakespeare is able to manipulate and strictly enforce the theme of fate, which he picks up on again later in Act V.
Yes this also shows that Romeo is perhaps reluctant to take full responsibility for his actions. He shows naiveté in assuming that Tybalt will leave him in peace; the fact he has just married Tybalt’s cousin seems to blind his reason. This is a tension throughout the play – the references to fate suggest that supernatural forces are at work, yet the tragedy comes about because of human passions.
After Romeo’s exile, the Friar and Juliet form a plan to get him back in, but it seems once again that fate has intervened, against the hapless lovers: ‘A greater power than we can contradict/Hath thwarted our intents.’ The Friar believes there was nothing that anyone could do, and that fate was always going to run its course for better or for worse.
Upon hearing the news, Romeo decides to return from exile to be with Juliet in death. He tries to defy fate, exclaiming: ‘I defy you, stars!’ Once again, the idea of his fate already being written in the stars is included, and it also shows that Romeo is eager not to let fate prevail. However, Shakespeare's inclusion of this helps bring an effective conclusion to the theme of fate; in Romeo trying to defy his fate, he is in fact tragically fulfilling it. It emphasizes that Romeo’s rash impulsiveness is as much the agent of this tragedy as any mystical force.
And thus, Shakespeare effectively introduces and develops the theme of fate. By using a prologue to introduce the theme, and putting the emphasis on the theme of fate in the turning point, Shakespeare develops the theme in what I deem to be a successful and entertaining way.
My comment -
The theme of fate in 'Romeo and Juliet' is slightly harder to discuss than the theme of love and hate, or society. Although the playwright tells the audience that the stars have determined that the lovers will die a tragic death, and Romeo tells the audience that he is 'fortune's fool', in fact the whole play could have easily turned out differently if Romeo and Juliet had made better decisions. You can contrast this with 'MacBeth', where the whole play is built around a prophecy and all the action leads up to his defeat.
Personally, I think the two lovers were acting impulsively because they were surrounded by violence and early death. This explains Juliet's last monologue before taking the sleeping draught in act 4, scene 3. She thinks about all her relatives in the family mausoleum, including that of her young cousin, Tybalt. To her, living in Verona and being a Capulet means death; so, her only option is to fake her death in the hope that she can escape with her new husband.
Question -
Choose a play in which a main theme is made clear early in the action. Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how successfully he or she goes on to develop it.
Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tale about a ‘love at first sight’ which leads to tragedy; its impact comes from the two lovers escaping their violent world through the power of love, yet from the start of the play, there are hints that fate is against them. During the Renaissance, beliefs in supernatural powers affecting human events were commonplace and this is explored by various references in the play.
The prologue introduces the idea that ‘two star-crossed lovers take their life’, This suggests the events of the play have already been ‘written in the stars’. This theme is continued in Act I Scene V, where Romeo attends the Capulets masked ball to take his mind off his unrequited love for Rosaline. There he sees the daughter of his families sworn enemy, and the two fall in love at first sight. However, both are unaware of this fact at the time and come to learn it later on in the night: ‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ The repetition of ‘Romeo’ shows Juliets anguish, and her disbelief at the minute chances of Romeo being from her family’s worst enemies.
Perhaps the most evident development in the theme of fate comes in the turning point of the play, and key scene Act III Scene I. In this scene, Romeo tries to break up a fight between Mercutio and Tybalt, but tragically his mistake helps Tybalt slay Mercutio. Romeo then avenges Mercutio, after stating that ‘fiery eyed fury be my conduct now’. Romeo believes that this outcome was already predetermined by fate: ‘O, I am fortune’s fool.’ This shows that Romeo believes that fate was set to follow its course, and that he was simply fulfilling his fate. By having these unlikely “misadventured piteous overthrows” Shakespeare is able to manipulate and strictly enforce the theme of fate, which he picks up on again later in Act V.
Yes this also shows that Romeo is perhaps reluctant to take full responsibility for his actions. He shows naiveté in assuming that Tybalt will leave him in peace; the fact he has just married Tybalt’s cousin seems to blind his reason. This is a tension throughout the play – the references to fate suggest that supernatural forces are at work, yet the tragedy comes about because of human passions.
After Romeo’s exile, the Friar and Juliet form a plan to get him back in, but it seems once again that fate has intervened, against the hapless lovers: ‘A greater power than we can contradict/Hath thwarted our intents.’ The Friar believes there was nothing that anyone could do, and that fate was always going to run its course for better or for worse.
Upon hearing the news, Romeo decides to return from exile to be with Juliet in death. He tries to defy fate, exclaiming: ‘I defy you, stars!’ Once again, the idea of his fate already being written in the stars is included, and it also shows that Romeo is eager not to let fate prevail. However, Shakespeare's inclusion of this helps bring an effective conclusion to the theme of fate; in Romeo trying to defy his fate, he is in fact tragically fulfilling it. It emphasizes that Romeo’s rash impulsiveness is as much the agent of this tragedy as any mystical force.
And thus, Shakespeare effectively introduces and develops the theme of fate. By using a prologue to introduce the theme, and putting the emphasis on the theme of fate in the turning point, Shakespeare develops the theme in what I deem to be a successful and entertaining way.
My comment -
The theme of fate in 'Romeo and Juliet' is slightly harder to discuss than the theme of love and hate, or society. Although the playwright tells the audience that the stars have determined that the lovers will die a tragic death, and Romeo tells the audience that he is 'fortune's fool', in fact the whole play could have easily turned out differently if Romeo and Juliet had made better decisions. You can contrast this with 'MacBeth', where the whole play is built around a prophecy and all the action leads up to his defeat.
Personally, I think the two lovers were acting impulsively because they were surrounded by violence and early death. This explains Juliet's last monologue before taking the sleeping draught in act 4, scene 3. She thinks about all her relatives in the family mausoleum, including that of her young cousin, Tybalt. To her, living in Verona and being a Capulet means death; so, her only option is to fake her death in the hope that she can escape with her new husband.
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Cal Essay
Bernard MacLaverty's 'Cal' depicts Northern Ireland during the height of the Troubles, and is a good piece of serious fiction with a slightly journalistic feel. This essay explores the way setting is used in the novel. It contains a great selection of quotes and some strong analysis. The plot summary is a bit long for a higher exam essay and this candidate has a habit of picking out one word from the quotes -
Question -
Choose a novel in which the setting has a significant part to play in exploring a writer's theme and show how the setting increased your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Structure -
1. Introduction
2. Plot summary
3. Setting - the abbatoir
4. Setting - Cal's anxiety from living in a Protestant area
5. Characterisation - Cal's guilt over the murder
6. Themes - prejudice; Cal and Skeffington
7. Setting - the contrast created by the farmhouse
8. Conclusion
A novel in which the writer's use of setting has a significant part in the reader's appreciation of the text as a whole is "Cal" by Bernard MacLaverty. MacLaverty uses setting to effectively reveal the theme of guilt and violence throughout the novel. The setting in "Cal" is portrayed by the skilful use of techniques such as imagery, word choice and allusions.
Cal is a Catholic teenager living in a predominantly Protestant neighbourhood in Ulster. Though he and his family have felt the persecution of the Protestants, Cal cannot stand the violent tactics of the IRA. He is tortured by the memory of driving a getaway car after his friend murdered a Protestant in the Morton family, but he knows he will be labelled a traitor if he bows out of his role in the IRA. Cal's bind is complicated by his burgeoning love for the widow of the man his friend murdered.
MacLaverty’s use of setting to convey the themes of guilt and violence is first made evident in the opening of the novel when the abattoir is used as a symbolically significant setting as Cal visits the abattoir to talk to his father:
"his father appeared, holding two halves of a hanging carcase apart like a curtain."
The simile which compares the carcase to a curtain emphasises how Cal's father is able to endure such a grotesque and gross experience, allowing us to see how mundane and everyday such violence is in Northern Ireland.
Cal is also seen to be unsafe and uncomfortable all the time, as we see him becoming terrified when he hears something:
"Then he heard a noise downstairs and stiffened. There was someone outside. He unsnibbed the door and went quickly to his father's room at the front of the house"
The word choice of "stiffened" shows how fearful Cal is, even within his own home. The short sentence "There…outside" creates a tense and dramatic mood. It is also significant that this takes place in Cal’s house, the place where he should feel safe and secure. This shows that in the world of the novel, the ordinary, everyday location is insecure because of political violence.
It is clear that in Cal's house, he is able to contemplate his own guilt and reflect on his past:
"He went again to his bedroom to eat the ashes of what he had done."
This is a biblical allusion. Sinners were known to eat ashes as a form of self punishment and it is thought to be a necessary factor in atoning for sin. Here the eating of the ashes is metaphorical, suggesting how Cal's solitary contemplation on his role in the Morton's murder is extremely gruelling and arduous. The use of setting here allows us to have a better understanding of the theme of guilt and make us feel sympathy towards Cal as he appears an isolated figure, alone in his bedroom, thinking of the terrible thing he has done.
We can see Cal's frustration at the prejudice that is taking place, through the setting of the town:
"Even looking at his feet, Cal couldn't avoid the repulsion because the kerbstones had been painted alternating red, white and blue"
The word choice of "repulsion" portrays how Cal feels disgusted by the prevalence of such antagonistic imagery.
When Cal tells Skeffington, a member of the IRA, that he is unwilling to stay in the IRA, Skeffington cleverly uses setting in order to make a point:
"But I was in Derry that day. They had us cowering behind a wall…And we were all Irishmen living in our own country. They were the trespassers"
The allusion to Bloody Sunday reveals how its effects are pervasive. The word choice of "cowering" portrays the intensity of fear felt by the civil rights protesters, while "trespassers" indicates that the republicans believe the British army to be an unwelcome and oppressive force. Skeffington's use of "we" and "they" sets up a clear contrast between the British army and the republicans, and shows how this historical event has ensured that they are to be in conflict.
When Cal moves to the farmhouse, it is clear that the theme of violence is still present, despite the fact that he feels safe in the farmhouse:
"The heavily patterned net curtain twitched"
The curtain symbolises the Mortons' attempts to create a barrier which they can use to hide from the threat of violence. The word choice of "twitched" creates a sense of an uncertain, fearful movement, depicting how the murder of Robert Morton means that they feel no sense of comfort or reassurance, even within their own home.
In conclusion, it is clear that MacLaverty's use of setting helps the reader have a clearer understanding of the different kinds of themes that are involved in the novel. By his effective use of imagery, word choice and allusion, MacLaverty manages to make setting play a significant part in the novel, making the novel harrowing yet enjoyable to read.
The word choice of "repulsion" portrays how Cal feels disgusted by the prevalence of such antagonistic imagery.It's not really necessary to explain what 'repulsion' means or the effect it has on the reader. For an essay on a novel or drama, you need to talk more generally about the whole story, its characters and themes. You would probably only discuss the use of the word 'repulsion' in a poetry essay, where you would be discussing every line of the poem in a lot of detail.
Question -
Choose a novel in which the setting has a significant part to play in exploring a writer's theme and show how the setting increased your appreciation of the text as a whole.
Structure -
1. Introduction
2. Plot summary
3. Setting - the abbatoir
4. Setting - Cal's anxiety from living in a Protestant area
5. Characterisation - Cal's guilt over the murder
6. Themes - prejudice; Cal and Skeffington
7. Setting - the contrast created by the farmhouse
8. Conclusion
A novel in which the writer's use of setting has a significant part in the reader's appreciation of the text as a whole is "Cal" by Bernard MacLaverty. MacLaverty uses setting to effectively reveal the theme of guilt and violence throughout the novel. The setting in "Cal" is portrayed by the skilful use of techniques such as imagery, word choice and allusions.
Cal is a Catholic teenager living in a predominantly Protestant neighbourhood in Ulster. Though he and his family have felt the persecution of the Protestants, Cal cannot stand the violent tactics of the IRA. He is tortured by the memory of driving a getaway car after his friend murdered a Protestant in the Morton family, but he knows he will be labelled a traitor if he bows out of his role in the IRA. Cal's bind is complicated by his burgeoning love for the widow of the man his friend murdered.
MacLaverty’s use of setting to convey the themes of guilt and violence is first made evident in the opening of the novel when the abattoir is used as a symbolically significant setting as Cal visits the abattoir to talk to his father:
"his father appeared, holding two halves of a hanging carcase apart like a curtain."
The simile which compares the carcase to a curtain emphasises how Cal's father is able to endure such a grotesque and gross experience, allowing us to see how mundane and everyday such violence is in Northern Ireland.
Cal is also seen to be unsafe and uncomfortable all the time, as we see him becoming terrified when he hears something:
"Then he heard a noise downstairs and stiffened. There was someone outside. He unsnibbed the door and went quickly to his father's room at the front of the house"
The word choice of "stiffened" shows how fearful Cal is, even within his own home. The short sentence "There…outside" creates a tense and dramatic mood. It is also significant that this takes place in Cal’s house, the place where he should feel safe and secure. This shows that in the world of the novel, the ordinary, everyday location is insecure because of political violence.
It is clear that in Cal's house, he is able to contemplate his own guilt and reflect on his past:
"He went again to his bedroom to eat the ashes of what he had done."
This is a biblical allusion. Sinners were known to eat ashes as a form of self punishment and it is thought to be a necessary factor in atoning for sin. Here the eating of the ashes is metaphorical, suggesting how Cal's solitary contemplation on his role in the Morton's murder is extremely gruelling and arduous. The use of setting here allows us to have a better understanding of the theme of guilt and make us feel sympathy towards Cal as he appears an isolated figure, alone in his bedroom, thinking of the terrible thing he has done.
We can see Cal's frustration at the prejudice that is taking place, through the setting of the town:
"Even looking at his feet, Cal couldn't avoid the repulsion because the kerbstones had been painted alternating red, white and blue"
The word choice of "repulsion" portrays how Cal feels disgusted by the prevalence of such antagonistic imagery.
When Cal tells Skeffington, a member of the IRA, that he is unwilling to stay in the IRA, Skeffington cleverly uses setting in order to make a point:
"But I was in Derry that day. They had us cowering behind a wall…And we were all Irishmen living in our own country. They were the trespassers"
The allusion to Bloody Sunday reveals how its effects are pervasive. The word choice of "cowering" portrays the intensity of fear felt by the civil rights protesters, while "trespassers" indicates that the republicans believe the British army to be an unwelcome and oppressive force. Skeffington's use of "we" and "they" sets up a clear contrast between the British army and the republicans, and shows how this historical event has ensured that they are to be in conflict.
When Cal moves to the farmhouse, it is clear that the theme of violence is still present, despite the fact that he feels safe in the farmhouse:
"The heavily patterned net curtain twitched"
The curtain symbolises the Mortons' attempts to create a barrier which they can use to hide from the threat of violence. The word choice of "twitched" creates a sense of an uncertain, fearful movement, depicting how the murder of Robert Morton means that they feel no sense of comfort or reassurance, even within their own home.
In conclusion, it is clear that MacLaverty's use of setting helps the reader have a clearer understanding of the different kinds of themes that are involved in the novel. By his effective use of imagery, word choice and allusion, MacLaverty manages to make setting play a significant part in the novel, making the novel harrowing yet enjoyable to read.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
How to structure an essay
When I meet a Higher new pupil, they will often know the novel or play they are studying quite well, but don't know how to put this information together in a way that gets them good marks. So, I usually help them sketch out an essay structure.
This is how every Drama or Prose question looks in my head when I'm helping someone with their essay:
Every story has a beginning, middle and end. When you write an English essay, focus on:
When you have a structure in mind, you will have a rough idea what you need to put down on paper during the 45 minutes you have to write the essay. You will also be able to write strong topic sentences which help the examiner to mark your essay.
This is how every Drama or Prose question looks in my head when I'm helping someone with their essay:
- Intro - this essay will be about Romeo
- Character - Romeo, at the start of the play
- Relationship - Romeo meets Juliet
- Turning point - Romeo kills Tybalt
- Climax - Romeo commits suicide
- Theme - love and death
- Conclusion - Romeo was stupid
Every story has a beginning, middle and end. When you write an English essay, focus on:
- about three important parts of the story, not the entire thing; usually the start, turning point and climax
- two or three important characters
- one theme
- three to six techniques. Techniques include characterisation, setting, symbolism, climax, conflict, turning point and so on.
When you have a structure in mind, you will have a rough idea what you need to put down on paper during the 45 minutes you have to write the essay. You will also be able to write strong topic sentences which help the examiner to mark your essay.
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