English Literature

Assessment

Exam 1: Drama and Poetry pre-1900 (2 hours and 30 minutes examination; 40% of total A Level marks.) Students will study at least one Shakespeare play in considerable detail and depth. The current choice is Hamlet. In addition to this, they will study one major poetry text from a choice of Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Alfred, Lord Tennyson or Christina Rossetti as part of a comparative study with a pre-1900 play. The likelihood is that students will study either The Merchant's Prologue and Tale' by Geoffrey Chaucer or a selection of poems by Christina Rossetti in comparison with A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. In addition to gaining a close, detailed knowledge and understanding of these texts, students will also explore the different critical interpretations and readings of them as well as the contextual influences surrounding them. Exam 2: Comparative and Contextual Study (2 hours and 30 minutes examination; 40% of total A Level marks) This paper combines detailed critical analysis of a previously unseen passage with an essay in which the students are required to write on at least two thematically linked prose texts on the same topic or period. Choices include: Gothic writing; Women in Literature; Dystopias; American Literature 1880-1940; the Immigrant Experience. The likelihood is that students will study American Literature. At least two core texts are studied, one of which might be The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald for American Literature. The other will be another novel from the same period or genre. Students will also be given considerable experience of exploring passages by other writers on the same chosen theme, not only honing their close analytical skills but introducing them to an exciting range of writers in that particular genre, topic or period. Students are also encouraged to develop their own tastes and interests by reading widely in this topic. Literature post-1900 (Non-exam Assessment) (Coursework: 20% of total A Level marks) Students must respond to three texts in prose, poetry and drama, all of which must be post-1900. Their folder as a whole must not exceed 3000 words of their own writing.