hisfas
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘In Hamlet, words often fail to express the truth, and silence becomes more revealing.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents silence and unspoken meaning in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• the significance of silence and unspoken meaning in shaping character relationships and dramatic tension, and the role of performance and staging in making silence expressive, in response to the terms of the task
• specific scenes or moments such as Hamlet’s soliloquies; the Ghost’s initial silent appearance; Gertrude’s silence in response to Hamlet’s accusations in the closet scene; Ophelia’s silence and withdrawal before her madness; Claudius’ silent prayer; and the final scene where action replaces speech
• ways in which silence is developed through technical means, e.g. pauses, interruptions, broken dialogue, asides, soliloquy, contrast between public speech and private thought; use of imagery connected with concealment, secrecy, and repression; form, structure, and dramatic timing
• the play’s generic position as a tragedy and the role of silence within it; Elizabethan attitudes towards speech, obedience, hierarchy, and repression; the idea that silence can signify power, guilt, resistance, or submission; and the religious and political implications of what cannot be openly spoken
• links between silence and truth, and between silence and deception, e.g. Claudius’ inability to confess openly; Hamlet’s strategic silences; Gertrude’s refusal or inability to articulate guilt; Ophelia’s enforced silence under patriarchal authority and its consequences
• comparison of how different characters use or experience silence, e.g. Hamlet’s chosen silence versus Ophelia’s imposed silence; Claudius’ silence as concealment versus the Ghost’s silence as mystery; how silence contrasts with the court’s culture of surveillance and performance
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about silence drawing on appropriate critical approaches, such as
– psychoanalytic readings that see silence as repression or inner conflict
– feminist readings that explore how female silence reflects patriarchal control
– historicist interpretations that connect silence to Elizabethan power structures and censorship
– performance-based readings that focus on how pauses and stillness create meaning on stage
OR
6 ‘The play suggests that loyalty to family can conflict with loyalty to morality.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents conflicting loyalties in Hamlet.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 6 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• the significance of conflicting loyalties between family duty and moral responsibility in shaping the tragic action of the play, and how Shakespeare presents characters who are torn between personal affection, obedience, and ethical judgement
• specific scenes or moments such as Hamlet’s struggle between obedience to the Ghost and Christian morality; Gertrude’s loyalty to Claudius versus her duty to her son; Laertes’ loyalty to his father overriding moral restraint; Ophelia’s conflict between loyalty to her father and love for Hamlet; Claudius’ divided loyalty between kingship, self-preservation, and conscience
• ways in which conflicting loyalties are developed through technical means, e.g. soliloquy revealing inner conflict; contrast between private thought and public action; diction that reflects obligation and duty; imagery of corruption and contamination; dramatic irony; form, structure, and turning points in the action
• the play’s generic position as a revenge tragedy and how this intensifies conflicts between personal loyalty and moral order; Elizabethan beliefs about filial duty, obedience to authority, divine justice, and the sanctity of kingship; the tension between human law and divine law
• links between loyalty and identity, e.g. Hamlet’s need to define himself through moral integrity rather than blind obedience; Laertes’ identity shaped by honour and revenge; Ophelia’s identity constrained by patriarchal loyalty; Gertrude’s identity shaped by survival and stability
• comparison of how different characters resolve or fail to resolve conflicting loyalties, e.g. Hamlet’s hesitation versus Laertes’ impulsive action; Claudius’ prioritising of power over morality; Ophelia’s submission to authority leading to psychological collapse
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about conflicting loyalty drawing on appropriate critical approaches, such as
– historicist readings that stress Renaissance ideas of obedience, hierarchy, and divine order
– psychoanalytic interpretations focusing on guilt, repression, and divided motivation
– feminist readings exploring how women are trapped between loyalty to men and loyalty to self
– ethical or philosophical readings examining conscience, responsibility, and moral choice
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘Hamlet presents youth as both vulnerable and dangerous.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents young characters in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
OR
6 ‘The tragedy of Hamlet is shaped as much by misunderstanding as by intention.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents misunderstanding and misinterpretation in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 6 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘The play shows that reputation and honour are more powerful than truth.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents honour and reputation in Hamlet.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
An appropriate choice to accompany Sonnet on the Sea by John Keats might be Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• presentation of the power and mystery of nature through sensory experience, for example through sound, movement, vastness and force, and how this shapes emotional and imaginative response
• specific elements in the poems such as the opening of Sonnet on the Sea, which focuses on the overwhelming noise and motion of the waves, and the invocation of the West Wind as a mighty natural force that dominates both landscape and mind
• the uses of technical features such as diction, imagery and symbolism and how these are employed to extend themes including sublimity, awe and human smallness; the roles of rhythm and metre in imitating natural movement; form and structure; mood and tone and contrast between calm and turbulence
• context, including Romantic ideas of the sublime and the power of nature, Keats’s emphasis on sensory experience and imagination, and Shelley’s view of nature as an agent of change and inspiration; the wider Romantic rejection of Enlightenment rationalism in favour of emotion and intuition
• linkage within and between the poems and the techniques used in their creation including features such as imagery of elemental forces, intense sensory language, and the relationship between the human mind and the natural world
• different interpretations of and alternative ideas about the texts drawing on appropriate critical sources including canonical readings which celebrate Romantic nature poetry as spiritual and visionary; psychoanalytic approaches which may explore the sea and wind as expressions of unconscious emotion; ecocritical readings which may focus on nature as an autonomous power rather than a human possession. References to specific schools of thought and individual critics should be rewarded based on their relevance and the manner in which they are used to develop lines of argument
• the candidate’s own critical position in relation to the question.
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
EITHER
13 Read the poem Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples by Percy Bysshe Shelley on pages 9–10 of the Source Booklet.
Explore the ways in which Shelley presents the tension between nature and human emotion in this poem and one other poem from your prescribed list.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 13 = 25 marks)
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
An appropriate choice to accompany Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples might be Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats.
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• presentation of the tension between nature and human emotion in various ways, for example how the speaker responds to natural surroundings, how the beauty or power of nature contrasts with internal sadness, and how imagination interacts with perception of the external world
• specific elements in the poems such as the opening of Stanzas…, where Shelley describes the sky and sea failing to bring him joy despite their beauty, and Keats’s description of the nightingale whose song seems timeless and transports the speaker beyond ordinary human experience
• the uses of technical features such as choice of words, imagery and symbolism, and how these extend themes including human vulnerability, longing, the limits of imagination, and the relationship between mind and nature; also consider rhythm, metre, form, structure, tone, mood, and contrast in showing emotional intensity
• context, including Romantic ideas of nature as a mirror of human feeling or as a source of inspiration; Shelley’s personal experiences of grief, loss, and exile which shaped his sense of emotional dejection; Keats’s preoccupation with mortality, the fleetingness of life, and the power of beauty and art to offer solace; political and social context that influenced ideas of freedom, creativity, and emotional expression
• linkage within and between the poems, including similarities in imagery, tone, and voice; the contrast between Shelley’s melancholy and Keats’s meditative transcendence; how natural elements are used to reflect the inner world; the use of direct address or apostrophe to engage with nature as a participant in emotional experience
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about the texts, drawing on appropriate critical sources including canonical Romantic readings which celebrate imagination and the sublime; psychoanalytic approaches which explore projection of emotion onto nature; ecocritical readings which examine the independence and force of the natural world; and philosophical readings which consider the tension between human limitation and the infinite power of nature. References to specific critics should be rewarded based on relevance and use in argument
• the candidate’s own critical position in relation to the question, including their interpretation of the role of nature, emotion, and imagination in both poems
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘In Hamlet, words often fail to express the truth, and silence becomes more revealing.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents silence and unspoken meaning in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• the significance of silence and unspoken meaning in shaping character relationships and dramatic tension, and the role of performance and staging in making silence expressive, in response to the terms of the task
• specific scenes or moments such as Hamlet’s soliloquies; the Ghost’s initial silent appearance; Gertrude’s silence in response to Hamlet’s accusations in the closet scene; Ophelia’s silence and withdrawal before her madness; Claudius’ silent prayer; and the final scene where action replaces speech
• ways in which silence is developed through technical means, e.g. pauses, interruptions, broken dialogue, asides, soliloquy, contrast between public speech and private thought; use of imagery connected with concealment, secrecy, and repression; form, structure, and dramatic timing
• the play’s generic position as a tragedy and the role of silence within it; Elizabethan attitudes towards speech, obedience, hierarchy, and repression; the idea that silence can signify power, guilt, resistance, or submission; and the religious and political implications of what cannot be openly spoken
• links between silence and truth, and between silence and deception, e.g. Claudius’ inability to confess openly; Hamlet’s strategic silences; Gertrude’s refusal or inability to articulate guilt; Ophelia’s enforced silence under patriarchal authority and its consequences
• comparison of how different characters use or experience silence, e.g. Hamlet’s chosen silence versus Ophelia’s imposed silence; Claudius’ silence as concealment versus the Ghost’s silence as mystery; how silence contrasts with the court’s culture of surveillance and performance
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about silence drawing on appropriate critical approaches, such as
– psychoanalytic readings that see silence as repression or inner conflict
– feminist readings that explore how female silence reflects patriarchal control
– historicist interpretations that connect silence to Elizabethan power structures and censorship
– performance-based readings that focus on how pauses and stillness create meaning on stage
OR
6 ‘The play suggests that loyalty to family can conflict with loyalty to morality.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents conflicting loyalties in Hamlet.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 6 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• the significance of conflicting loyalties between family duty and moral responsibility in shaping the tragic action of the play, and how Shakespeare presents characters who are torn between personal affection, obedience, and ethical judgement
• specific scenes or moments such as Hamlet’s struggle between obedience to the Ghost and Christian morality; Gertrude’s loyalty to Claudius versus her duty to her son; Laertes’ loyalty to his father overriding moral restraint; Ophelia’s conflict between loyalty to her father and love for Hamlet; Claudius’ divided loyalty between kingship, self-preservation, and conscience
• ways in which conflicting loyalties are developed through technical means, e.g. soliloquy revealing inner conflict; contrast between private thought and public action; diction that reflects obligation and duty; imagery of corruption and contamination; dramatic irony; form, structure, and turning points in the action
• the play’s generic position as a revenge tragedy and how this intensifies conflicts between personal loyalty and moral order; Elizabethan beliefs about filial duty, obedience to authority, divine justice, and the sanctity of kingship; the tension between human law and divine law
• links between loyalty and identity, e.g. Hamlet’s need to define himself through moral integrity rather than blind obedience; Laertes’ identity shaped by honour and revenge; Ophelia’s identity constrained by patriarchal loyalty; Gertrude’s identity shaped by survival and stability
• comparison of how different characters resolve or fail to resolve conflicting loyalties, e.g. Hamlet’s hesitation versus Laertes’ impulsive action; Claudius’ prioritising of power over morality; Ophelia’s submission to authority leading to psychological collapse
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about conflicting loyalty drawing on appropriate critical approaches, such as
– historicist readings that stress Renaissance ideas of obedience, hierarchy, and divine order
– psychoanalytic interpretations focusing on guilt, repression, and divided motivation
– feminist readings exploring how women are trapped between loyalty to men and loyalty to self
– ethical or philosophical readings examining conscience, responsibility, and moral choice
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘Hamlet presents youth as both vulnerable and dangerous.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents young characters in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
OR
6 ‘The tragedy of Hamlet is shaped as much by misunderstanding as by intention.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents misunderstanding and misinterpretation in the play.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 6 = 25 marks)
Hamlet
EITHER
5 ‘The play shows that reputation and honour are more powerful than truth.’
In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents honour and reputation in Hamlet.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 5 = 25 marks)
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
An appropriate choice to accompany Sonnet on the Sea by John Keats might be Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• presentation of the power and mystery of nature through sensory experience, for example through sound, movement, vastness and force, and how this shapes emotional and imaginative response
• specific elements in the poems such as the opening of Sonnet on the Sea, which focuses on the overwhelming noise and motion of the waves, and the invocation of the West Wind as a mighty natural force that dominates both landscape and mind
• the uses of technical features such as diction, imagery and symbolism and how these are employed to extend themes including sublimity, awe and human smallness; the roles of rhythm and metre in imitating natural movement; form and structure; mood and tone and contrast between calm and turbulence
• context, including Romantic ideas of the sublime and the power of nature, Keats’s emphasis on sensory experience and imagination, and Shelley’s view of nature as an agent of change and inspiration; the wider Romantic rejection of Enlightenment rationalism in favour of emotion and intuition
• linkage within and between the poems and the techniques used in their creation including features such as imagery of elemental forces, intense sensory language, and the relationship between the human mind and the natural world
• different interpretations of and alternative ideas about the texts drawing on appropriate critical sources including canonical readings which celebrate Romantic nature poetry as spiritual and visionary; psychoanalytic approaches which may explore the sea and wind as expressions of unconscious emotion; ecocritical readings which may focus on nature as an autonomous power rather than a human possession. References to specific schools of thought and individual critics should be rewarded based on their relevance and the manner in which they are used to develop lines of argument
• the candidate’s own critical position in relation to the question.
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
EITHER
13 Read the poem Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples by Percy Bysshe Shelley on pages 9–10 of the Source Booklet.
Explore the ways in which Shelley presents the tension between nature and human emotion in this poem and one other poem from your prescribed list.
In your answer, you must consider relevant contextual factors.
(Total for Question 13 = 25 marks)
Prescribed text: English Romantic Verse, editor David Wright
An appropriate choice to accompany Stanzas Written in Dejection, near Naples might be Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats.
Candidates may refer to the following in their answers:
• presentation of the tension between nature and human emotion in various ways, for example how the speaker responds to natural surroundings, how the beauty or power of nature contrasts with internal sadness, and how imagination interacts with perception of the external world
• specific elements in the poems such as the opening of Stanzas…, where Shelley describes the sky and sea failing to bring him joy despite their beauty, and Keats’s description of the nightingale whose song seems timeless and transports the speaker beyond ordinary human experience
• the uses of technical features such as choice of words, imagery and symbolism, and how these extend themes including human vulnerability, longing, the limits of imagination, and the relationship between mind and nature; also consider rhythm, metre, form, structure, tone, mood, and contrast in showing emotional intensity
• context, including Romantic ideas of nature as a mirror of human feeling or as a source of inspiration; Shelley’s personal experiences of grief, loss, and exile which shaped his sense of emotional dejection; Keats’s preoccupation with mortality, the fleetingness of life, and the power of beauty and art to offer solace; political and social context that influenced ideas of freedom, creativity, and emotional expression
• linkage within and between the poems, including similarities in imagery, tone, and voice; the contrast between Shelley’s melancholy and Keats’s meditative transcendence; how natural elements are used to reflect the inner world; the use of direct address or apostrophe to engage with nature as a participant in emotional experience
• different interpretations and alternative ideas about the texts, drawing on appropriate critical sources including canonical Romantic readings which celebrate imagination and the sublime; psychoanalytic approaches which explore projection of emotion onto nature; ecocritical readings which examine the independence and force of the natural world; and philosophical readings which consider the tension between human limitation and the infinite power of nature. References to specific critics should be rewarded based on relevance and use in argument
• the candidate’s own critical position in relation to the question, including their interpretation of the role of nature, emotion, and imagination in both poems
These are suggestions only. Accept any valid alternative responses.
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