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Macbeth GCSE English Literature Revision Pack

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

4 November 2024

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This GCSE English Literature Revision Pack for Macbeth is designed to help students thoroughly prepare for their exams. With detailed analysis, historical context, and exam-style questions, this pack will ensure students have all the tools they need to succeed.

Includes two worksheets designed to engage students in critical thinking and prepare them for GCSE English Literature exams on Macbeth. They cover character analysis, theme exploration, and exam-style questions to ensure comprehensive understanding and readiness.

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What's included?

• 13 thirty minute videos 
• Tasks set throughout
• Text analysis
• Essential quotes 
• All themes and characters

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GCSE English: Tips for ‘Macbeth’ Revision

Updated: Apr 24

Does revising ‘Macbeth’ feel like a whole lot of “hubble bubble, toil and trouble?” Don’t fret! I’ve collated some top tips to help you thrive on your GCSE English journey: quite the opposite of our tragic hero’s infamous downfall. So, without further ado – let’s open that GCSE Macbeth revision book together!

Look Like Th’ Innocent Flower, But (Analyse) the Serpent Under’t

First things first, many students draw a blank with Shakespeare simply due to the language barrier. The English language has evolved over the centuries, and Shakespeare is certainly a blast from the past! When revising Shakespeare – or any historical fiction – it is important to get to the heart of its meaning, before being phased by the wording. You’ll find that, beneath all the ‘thou arts’ and ‘wherefores’, Shakespeare is actually incredibly relatable and relevant to today. There’s a reason why there are so many modern adaptations of his work!

So, the first stage of GCSE Macbeth revision is ensuring that you understand the text. Some pupils find it helpful to directly ‘translate’ key quotes into modern day language , which then helps them to analyse the text’s deeper meaning. For example, as referenced above, Lady Macbeth’s iconic quote: “look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” is the infamous femme fatale telling her husband to appear good and innocent, whilst being secretly conniving. In this case, she’s asking Macbeth to be obsequious to King Duncan; meanwhile, they’re both plotting to kill him (the ultimate frenemy!).

Look Into the Seeds Of Time

To access the top grades in GCSE English Literature, you need to tackle all of the AOs. One particularly important one – which many students gloss over – is historical context.  As we mentioned, ‘Macbeth’ is a piece of historical fiction, so it is crucial that we reference the time that it was written in – in comparison with audience reactions today. First, consider how the time period influenced the play’s themes, secondly, how a Jacobean audience would have reacted, and thirdly, compare this to a modern audience’s perspective.

When embarking upon your GCSE Macbeth revision, take some time to research the Jacobean era. The key elements to focus on are religion, gender and power. I’ll give you a head start: in ‘Macbeth’, religion plays a significant role, which was heavily influenced by the Catholic and Protestant divide in Jacobean England. Regardless of the variation of specific beliefs, all Jacobean audience members would have been extremely religious. King James I, who was ruling at the time, was a Protestant, and strongly advocated for the Divine Right of Kings. There is, therefore, much to be said about King Duncan being valued as God’s representative on Earth, which thus made Macbeth’s regicide the ultimate sin. Macbeth’s downfall is also often perceived as the progressive damnation of his soul, with many allusions to immorality and hell throughout the play.

Also – we can’t forget about the witches! A modern audience’s reaction to the infamous unholy trinity would be very different to a Jacobean audience. A Jacobean audience would have been very fearful of the three witches, as in contrast to ‘holier than thou’ King Duncan, witchcraft was seen to be the work of the Devil. Oo-er!

Moving swiftly on to gender dynamics, it is important to note that the Jacobean era was the height of patriarchal society. This means that men were perceived as being superior to women, and women were restricted to traditional societal roles. This is what makes the power imbalance between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth so interesting; Lady Macbeth, whilst a controversial character, utterly subverts the gender stereotypes in their relationship (literally: “unsex me here!”). She epitomises the ‘femme fatale’ Gothic archetype, manipulating Macbeth into submission.

In addition to researching the Jacobean era, we would also recommend that you get some Greek Tragedy terminology under your belt. ‘Macbeth’ famously utilises Greek Tragedy tropes: Macbeth is one of the most notable tragic heroes, whose hamartia (fatal flaw) is his “vaulting ambition” – ultimately leading to his downfall at the end of the play. Poor guy... although, tragic heroes are ‘tragic’ for a reason!

Life’s but a Poor Player

Now, don’t forget: ‘Macbeth’ is a play, so we’re always referring to an audience, not a reader! As Macbeth himself declares, the characters “strut and fret their hour upon the stage” – and this is something to constantly consider when revising. For example, elements such as stage directions and ‘aside’ monologues are pivotal parts of the plot.

Additionally, you may find it useful to watch a staged adaptation of ‘Macbeth’. Whilst you may not have time to see one in the flesh, there are many online resources  available. We’re also not knocking the numerous esteemed film adaptations (shout out to Michael Fassbender and Denzel Washington!). Regardless of which version you choose to watch, it will help you to realise that ‘Macbeth’ was not written to be read, but to be performed – so seeing a live or cinematic version of the play will certainly elevate your understanding and appreciation of the text.

Is This a Mind Map Which I See Before Me?

Now, once you’ve got a clear understanding of language, form, structure and historical context, you need to start memorising those all-important quotes! Everyone has different learning styles, but a great starting point is creating a visual aid of your choice. Many students like mind maps, whilst others prefer flashcards – and feel free to colour code to your heart’s content! For my own English Lit A Level, my revision method of choice was coloured post-it notes mounted onto large pieces of paper, which I stuck on my bedroom wall. This allowed me to memorise quotes simply through enforced repetition: every morning, and before I went to sleep each night!

I would advise categorising quotes into both character and theme (where there will naturally be some overlap!) so you’ll be prepared for either a character-centric question, or one which revolves around one of the play’s key themes. For example, ‘Macbeth’ has themes of power, ambition, good vs. evil, the supernatural, religion, gender and relationships. Then, use the revision resource of your choice to memorise these quotes in whichever method feels most effective! Some people find it helpful to recite quotes out loud – and perhaps even teach a lesson to their family on the character or theme in question – whilst others find reading or writing the quotes more helpful. However, one thing I’ll tell you for free: repetition is key!

Once More Unto the Practice Paper

Finally, we all know that practice makes perfect. I’ve taught students who had never actually seen the GCSE English Literature paper before – until we started our lessons, that is! It is imperative that you go into the exam without any unnecessary surprises; whilst it is important that you’ve revised the content, you should also be well-versed on the exam structure, so that sitting the exam will feel like second nature to you. So, what are you waiting for? Find practice papers either online, or via your teacher/tutor, and get cracking!

If you’re still panicking about your upcoming GCSE English exams, don’t let your seated heart knock at your ribs! Get in touch  with Titanium Tutors today to get the extra help you need. But first, give these revision tips a go – and we wish you the best of luck!

Blog Post Crafted by Lizzie

Lizzie is one of our experienced English tutors. She is also an actress, singer and composer. After graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and Drama, she went on to teach secondary school English for a year, and has been tutoring alongside her other passions ever since.

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The latest news and views on education from oxford university press., revising macbeth: oxford school shakespeare gcse revision cards.

For very good reason the last several years has witnessed an explosion in thinking about effective revision strategies, with an increasing focus on self-testing and retrieval. As we increasingly use and model these skills in our own classrooms so too do students increasingly use them in their own independent practice.

Yet, whilst we may be ever refining how to revise, this still leaves the question of what to revise. In the classroom, this is an easy enough problem to overcome, indeed it’s hardly a problem at all. We are able to guide students to revise course content in the most effective manner possible, scaffolding and being explicit about what to revise. Outside of the classroom, though, this becomes a little trickier. We could of course spend time in class producing together revision materials for students to use independently or we could simply produce our own for students to use. This, however, takes time. Perhaps this time could be better spent elsewhere.

It’s with this in mind that I have recently been using the Oxford School Shakespeare GCSE Macbeth Revision cards, as these are designed not only to help with how to revise, but also saves a lot of time when it comes to what to revise.

In the manner of traditional flashcards, for instance, the cards are divided by character and theme, with questions on one side and possible answers on the back.

One aspect that I really like about the cards is that the questions being asked are not simply gap-fill exercises but encourage far more generative exercises. For instance, some ask students to respond to an image or comment on a moment of the play whilst others require students to summarise key textual information or comment on the effect of specific language choices. I also very much like that the answers on the back of the cards are not bullet-pointed, but rather full sentenced responses, helping to consistently expose students to high quality analysis and writing. It’s also great to see how the cards connect to the Oxford School Shakespeare Macbeth GCSE Revision Workbook, offering students further opportunities for independent revision and practice.

So, how exactly am I using these cards in class and outside of it? One strategy I’ve been trailing is to set card revision as a homework task, specifying which cards to revise (helpfully, they are all numbered). I tend to do this according to a particular theme or character.

It’s worth saying, too, prior to setting this I live modelled explicitly how I expected students to use them: self-testing, from memory, and then checking and evaluating their responses, hopefully identifying gaps in their knowledge. After the homework has been completed, I would then run a low stakes test in class based on the cards, which is helpful for me as it saves time on writing the questions. After placing the answers under the visualizer, students can then self-assess before we have a more detailed discussion of the answers, including lots of extended exploration of the kinds of things students did write and could write.

This routine saves a lot of time, encourages students to revise effectively outside of lesson, both in content and mechanism, and also helps to set up really rich classroom conversations.

However, I’ve also been using the cards more directly in terms of classroom teaching as opposed to purely for purposes of revision. I often use them, for instance, as a ready-made Do Now, where, much as the above, I place a card under the visualizer, ask students to answer the questions, flip it over for self-assessment, and then discuss responses. I also like to use them at the end of a lesson if I’m not quite ready to move on, but we still have some lesson time left: pop one under the visualizer and discuss together possible ways of answering or thinking about the questions. This again opens up a lot of rich classroom discussions, with next to no preparatory effort from me!

Here, then, are just a couple of ways I’ve been using the Oxford School Shakespeare GCSE Macbeth Revision cards but no doubt there are many other inventive ways to put them to effective use. Indeed, one such way is to connect work done with the revision cards with the complementary Macbeth Workbook. The cards themselves contain links to the workbook by page number, allowing further opportunities for extended writing and revision. See HERE for a post specifically about how I’ve been using the workbook.

Discover the complete Oxford School Shakespeare series, including the new GCSE revision resources for Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet HERE.

Andrew Atherton is a   Teacher of English and a Director of Learning and Research.

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Important Note:

All writing is open to interpretation, and shakespeare lends itself to this more than many others. the work here is largely focused around my interpretation of shakespeare's play, which is that macbeth's actions were the result of a magic spell., though there is plenty of evidence for this in the play, and there are commentators who see it this way, a more common interpretation is that macbeth seized the throne because he was ambitious for power., neither interpretation is "correct" but understanding a range of opinions is essential if you want to get a top mark in your gcses., remember: any argument, that's backed up by the text, is fine. what's here is just an opinion....

The Natural Order Collapses

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Appearance and Reality

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Find some of the major quotes from the play alongside some top level analysis here. Note paper at the ready!

Essay titles, if you've prepared for these 10 essay titles, you'll always have something to say on the big day..., and don't forget there's tonnes of help throughout the site., so get your notebooks out, coloured pens to the ready, and get going....

The best way to learn to write an essay is to read examples of them. Find a range of them here...

What are the AOs?

Click here to understand exactly what you're being examined on....

How to Revise...?

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GCSE Macbeth Coursework

James Dornor        W163        08/05/2007

 GCSE Macbeth Coursework

• Trace the development of Lady Macbeth’s character.
• Show how the relationship between her and Macbeth changes during the play.

Lady Macbeth makes her first appearance alone in the castle in Act 1, Scene 5, she believes instantly in the prophecy and assumes even more quickly than Macbeth that Duncan must be murdered for it to become true. She is controlling and she implies the idea that her husband being a coward and she prepares herself to becoming the queen. Lady Macbeth gets involved and makes a plan and ideas for the future about her and Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth says he is “too full o’ milk of human kindness to do the deed”

This shows how Lady Macbeth thinks her husband is weak and too kind.

In Act 1, scene Lady Macbeth uses persuasion towards Macbeth calling him a ‘coward’, she taunts him and says he cannot love her. Lady Macbeth questions the manhood of her husband, implying that he must murder Duncan in order to prove himself a man.  Even after the deed is done, she is disgusted by his sensitivity.  She decides to take matters into her own hands and replaces the bloody daggers to complete the murderous deceit. She begins to show signs of greed and forces her husband to kill Duncan.

Macbeth kills Duncan and Lady Macbeth says afterwards: “leave all the rest to me”.

I feel that this proves how she is in control of the situation and is the brains behind this evil plan.

The morning after in Act 2, Scene3 she pretends to fall down and look ill, and says “help me please” She does this to stop the attention being directed towards Macbeth.

This is a preview of the whole essay

But this also shows how she’s far from helpless as she already proved earlier in the play with her charm and skills. Macbeth feels depressed about Duncan’s murder and Lady Macbeth is still very selfish and regards Macbeth as weak, the only thing she does is say

“What can’t be cured has to be endured, what is done is done”.

After all Lady Macbeth did poison the guards and Macbeth did kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth seemed more concerned about Malcolm going away rather than comforting Macbeth in his time of need.

In Act 3, Scene 3 you see Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking she’s having a nightmare of the night King Duncan was killed.

“Yes here’s a spot”

Which is indicating to the blood on her hands from the daggers and she said this a few times more

“ The thane of fife had a wife”.

Finally Lady Macbeth becomes more and more brain washed by the end and she ends up going mad and ends up killing herself committing suicide showing how distraught she really was.

Macbeth knows that killing a king is a terrible crime. At the start of Act 1, Scene 7, he considers whether to do it. When he decides to “proceed no further in this business” Lady Macbeth thinks he is afraid and persuades him. Later Macbeth’s decision to kill Banquo is a turning point, up until this he has been bullied into action by this wife. He keeps her innocent of the knowledge and he becomes more independent than her.

Macbeth, who shows outward signs of weakness and even madness in front of Duncan at the feast and in the presence of the rest of court at the dinner table in a later scene.  Lady Macbeth plays the perfect hostess and the perfect lady.

“Your majesty loads our house, for those of old, and the late dignities heap’d up to them” .

It is her commitment to the role that eventually condemns her soul. She keeps her cool, even when the stakes are high. She holds Macbeth together at times when he would nearly blow their cover.

“You do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things.”

It is ironic that she should make this statement to Macbeth considering her mental state at the play’s end.  Before the killing, her resolve and ambition are much greater than Macbeth’s, but as their troubled dynasty unravels, she is the one whose sanity slips the quickest.  The ‘stains’ that she is unable to wash from her hands mirror her larger role in the treachery.  Because she knows that she is ultimately responsible for forcing Macbeth’s hand, her mind is tormented by the figurative blood on her own hands.  Her honesty while sleepwalking gives proof to what most already know, or at least feel.

Document Details

• Word Count 767
• Page Count 2
• Subject English

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Macbeth teaching pack

Murder and madness; perfect for engaging your KS4 students! Designed for the GCSE English Literature specifications for AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas, this pack will develop your students’ critical reading skills ready for the exam. ‘In writing this pack, I aimed to make the resources as varied and interactive as possible, drawing on my own teaching methods and my deep knowledge of the text. I firmly believe Shakespeare texts are accessible to all students and should not be taught solely in a desk-bound manner. This pack offers a menu which teachers can select from and there is something for every learning style.’ Angela Topping, writer Comprising 25 creative lessons, exam-style questions and resources, the work has been done for you.

What's included?

• exam-style questions for the relevant exam boards
• activities to develop students' critical reading skills in preparation for the GCSE exam.

What's inside?

Introduction (page 3)

Specification summaries (pages 4-7)

Act 1 (pages 8-47)

• Resource - Captain's speech
• Resource - witches in art
• Resource - the weird sisters
• Resource - Prophecies for Macbeth and Banquo: Act 1 Scene 3
• Resource - ‘Stars, hide your fires’ freeze frame
• Resource - ‘Stars, hide your fires’ reward certificates
• Resource - impressions of Lady Macbeth
• Resource - the evil within
• Resource - ‘O, never shall sun that morrow see!’
• Resource - equivocation quiz
• Resource - Lady Macbeth’s equivocation
• Resource - Macbeth’s soliloquy
• Resource - Act 1 Scene 7: persuasion
• Resource - persuasive techniques in Act 1 Scene 7
• Act 1: Exam style questions

Act 2 (pages 48-82)

• Resource - is this a dagger?
• Resource - ‘The trial for murder’ role cards
• Resource - Who is responsible for the death of King Duncan?
• Lesson 8 - Hell’s Gate (Act 2 Scene 3)
• Lesson 9 - The loss of the king (Act 2 Scenes 3-4)
• Resources - levels of language
• Resources - themes in the play
• Act 2: Exam style questions

Act 3 (pages 83-125)

• Resource - Losing a friend
• Resource - Ambush!
• Resource - banquet jigsaw
• Resource - the banquet scene on screen
• Resource - the banquet scene in performance
• Lesson 14 - plots against Macbeth (Act 3 Scenes 5-6)
• Resource - imagery treasure hunt
• Resource - bird spotting
• Resource - analysing imagery
• Act 3: Exam style questions

Act 4 (pages 126-158)

• Resource - double, double toil and trouble
• Resource - Macbeth: a changed man
• Resource - the prophecies
• Lesson 17 - Macbeth’s crimes worsen (Act 4 Scene 2)
• Resource - tyrants
• Resource - Malcolm and Macduff
• Resource - Edward the Confessor (1003-1066)
• Resource - what is a king?
• Resource - why does Macduff support Malcolm?
• Lesson 20 - News from Scotland (Act 4 Scene 3)
• Act 4: Exam style questions

Act 5 (pages 159-183)

• Resource - sleepwalking torment
• Resource - the army marches
• Resource - Macbeth’s rise and fall
• Resource - Macbeth’s courage
• Resource - Character Top Trumps
• Act 5: Exam style questions

This is an example of student activity on levels of language in  Macbeth :

Levels of language  Shakespeare’s plays were written to be played in daylight on an open air stage. To give a range of intensity and focus, whereas in modern times a director might use lighting, and a film director would use different shots, such as close up and long shots, Shakespeare uses different styles of language. 

The levels are (in increasing levels of intensity):  • Prose – most like normal speech, it is often used for comedy characters and moments of relaxed talk.  • Blank verse – iambic pentameter without rhyme, used for the bulk of a play and lines are easier to remember.  • Rhymed verse – also iambic pentameter, but with the addition of rhyme. • Song – used to give texture and variety, rhymed but not usually iambic. Mostly used by the witches in Macbeth. 

Task one: Prose The Porter’s speeches in Act 2 Scene 3 are in prose. Read the reasons for this below, and decide on which is the strongest argument for the Porter speaking in prose. Rank these from 1-4 (1 being the strongest reason, 4 being the weakest). Low born character     Relief of tension     Comedy     Contrast from how noble characters speak       Task two:  Blank verse Look at Macbeth’s soliloquy ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’. Macbeth is under the spotlight here. Why is this written in blank verse?  List some reasons.    

Rhymed verse At the end of this speech some rhymes appear. Find them.  Why do you think they are used?       Task three: Look back at the dialogue between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth after he has killed Duncan. Using your knowledge, what level of language you do think Shakespeare is using here? 

Why do you think he does this? How would you deliver these lines on stage? 

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English GCSE Macbeth Revision Course – Online

Course information, course description.

This one-day course will break down this daunting text into easily comprehensible chunks. Students will gain an understanding of the social, cultural and historical context in which Macbeth was written in order to better appreciate the motivations behind Shakespeare’s writings and the messages he was trying to convey to his audience. Our tutor will guide students through the key scenes, characters and themes, refreshing their knowledge and deepening their understanding of the text. Together, students will explore how the plot, characterisation and setting combine to create a particular effect on the audience. Students will develop their ability to critically evaluate scenes and critically analyse language, and will leave with increased confidence in their ability to make informed personal responses to the text. The day will end with an essay writing workshop which will teach students how to plan, structure and write essays in a coherent and sophisticated manner.

Learners are supported beyond the course through the provision of high-quality, comprehensive and original material including notes, guides and question booklets. These resources have been specially designed and created to supplement the learning experience. Students will leave the course with a deeper understanding of Macbeth and with the skills and material they need to excel in this section of the course.

Suitable for:

• Year 11 students
• Year 10 students
• Students who have studied all or most of the text
• Students who haven't started learning Macbeth yet
• Foundation tier students

If you need help deciding if you will benefit from this course you can contact us . Alternatively, you may prefer to book 1-2-1 tuition instead.

Structure of the Day

Classes are from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Registration starts from 9.15am.

There will be a 1 hour lunch break and a couple of 10 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon.

Our subject-specialist tutors are hand-selected for their top-notch academic credentials and unique qualities. Many of them have worked in some of the country’s leading institutions, while all of them have track records for helping students achieve excellent grades. Together with their extensive subject knowledge, innovative teaching styles and engaging personalities, you can rest assured you’ll be in excellent hands.

Rebecca is an accomplished teacher and tutor, specialising in English Literature and Language. She’s also an experienced examiner, having moderated up to A Level for many years. She’s taught within secondary schools for two decades, during which time she’s held positions including head of department and head of sixth-form. She’s worked as a private English tutor for half her career, both in person and online.

Holding a degree in English, a bachelor’s in Secondary Education and a master’s in History, Rebecca has a wealth of knowledge within the academic field. She offers tailored, empathetic support to students of all ages and ability levels, from GCSE to A Level, helping them thoroughly understand the curriculum while developing their exam skills.

If you would like 1-2-1 tuition with Rebecca you can find her profile on our tuition platform .

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Our online revision courses take place within Google Classroom, keeping everything organised in one convenient hub. From here, you’ll be able to access our bespoke course resources and join the live lessons which take place on Google Meet.

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Revising for English Literature can, sometimes, be boring. Hopefully you've read the book, but you've got to know how to get a 9 in English Lit. What's the best way to prepare for your GCSE English exam? We think that watching GIFs of Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo & Juliet or the cartoon Animal Farm is a pretty good way to do it. Seneca has been found to be 2x as effective as reading revision guides and we can help you with over 40 exciting GCSE English courses to get you that 9 (or 7 if that's what you're into).

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English Lit: AQA GCSE A Christmas Carol

This course summarises and discusses the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The course outlines the key events of each stave (chapter) and provides in-depth character profiles. It discusses the key ideas of inequality, ignorance, family, love, Christianity and redemption, and the setting of the book in Victorian England.

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English Lit: AQA GCSE An Inspector Calls

In this course, you can revise the play An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly, including a summary of the play and analysis of the key characters and themes. The characters of Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila, Eric, Gerald and Inspector Goole are described and discussed. The themes explored are social class and equality, abuse of power and corruption, socialism versus capitalism, blame and responsibility and attitudes and characterization of women.

English Lit: An Inspector Calls - Quotations

This course builds upon the course ‘English Lit: AQA GCSE An Inspector Calls’, by showing you and analysing all of the key quotations in the play An Inspector Calls. The quotes are sorted by character and act and have been chosen to represent the major themes of the play as well as the personalities and ideas of each character.

English Lit: AQA GCSE Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

With this course, you can revise the plot, characters and key themes of the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The course includes chapter summaries and descriptions and analysis of the characters Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde, Mr Gabriel John Utterson, Dr Hastie Lanyon and other minor characters. Gothic genre is explained and discussed, as well as the themes of science, dual nature of man, religion and sin, violence and horror and Victorian gentlemen. The course also looks at the author and the literary techniques used in the book.

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