British Play How To Get Full Marks (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Regardless of which British play you are studying as part of the Edexcel GCSE English Literature exam, the type of question set in Section B will always be the same. In this section you are required to answer one essay question from a choice of two on your studied text. It is tempting to jump straight in and start writing immediately. However, following this guide will ensure you answer the question in the way the examiners are looking for. 

 Below you will find sections on:

• What skills are required
• Steps for success

Some questions on your exam paper have a dominant assessment objective. For Section B the main assessment objectives are AO1 and AO3. The minor assessment objective is AO4. AO1 assesses you on the way you present your response: your essay needs to be structured in an accurate and coherent manner and offer interpretations of the text. AO3 requires you to show an understanding of the relationships between the play and the context in which it was written. AO4 assesses your use of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

The following sections explore the skills required for two of these AOs in more detail:

• Interpretation of a text (AO1) - 40%
• Context (AO3) - 40%

In Section B you are required to focus on the plot, setting(s), character(s), theme(s) of the play you have studied. For your response, you need to determine which parts of the play you will refer to in your answer. AO1 requires you to develop an informed personal response while maintaining a critical style throughout. Well-chosen references should be an integral part of your response.

When approaching Section B, it is important to consider the quotation that you have been given at the beginning of the question. The intention of the quotation is to prompt your thinking and to give you a starting point for your answer. Below is an example of this from the play An Inspector Calls:

Birling: “I speak as a hard-headed business man, who has to take risks and knows what he’s about…” In what ways is Mr Arthur Birling important throughout the play?

Quotation Prompt	Supporting quote(s)	Interpretations (AO1)
“I speak as a hard-headed business man, who has to take risks and knows what he’s about…”	“social superior” “now you’ve brought us together”	Arthur Birling is important as he is the head of the Birling family who are central to the play. Priestley’s opening stage directions describe Arthur Birling as a wealthy and successful businessman, with a wife who is his “social superior”. The engagement between Gerald and Sheila is viewed by Birling as more of a benefit to his business, enabling the Birling and Croft companies to merge, rather than a marriage based on love: “now you’ve brought us together”. As a former Lord Major and magistrate, Birling is also hoping to obtain a knighthood, which reveals his obsession with public reputation, status and titles and the reassurance that they provide him with. However, by the end of the play, Arthur faces exposure to a public scandal and the loss of his reputation, which would represent a terrible downfall for him.

When approaching AO1, you need to ensure your response keeps a clear focus on the question. Your textual references should be accurate and discerning and fully support the points you make. Any quotations you choose to use should always be directly relevant to the focus of the question. Below is an example of how to structure a paragraph to keep that consistent focus on the question:

The examiner is looking for a personal judgement and this needs to be evidenced by references to the play. Throughout your response you should aim to adopt a critical and mature style so that you demonstrate a perceptive understanding of your text. You should also aim to add your own interpretations and ensure that all of your points are fully developed. Here is an example paragraph that demonstrates a sustained, and fully developed response:

It is important to keep in mind that the Post-1914 question has a maximum of 16 marks available for context. You therefore must integrate contextual comments throughout your response. If you understand how to incorporate contextual understanding of your studied play effectively into your essay, it can boost your mark in AO1 and help you create a more sophisticated and conceptualised response. There are different kinds, or categories, of context which affect a writer’s work and the reader’s response to it.

How to approach context
Understand that context is about understanding ideas and perspectives	Ensure your exploration of context is linked to the themes and ideas the writer is exploring in the play and the question you have been set
Imbed social, cultural and historical contextual comments throughout your response, rather than including them as a bolt-on section at the end of your paragraph	Context needs to relate to the point being discussed

It is important that your approach to context illustrates how that character or event in the text reflects or challenges social, political or historical perceptions. Your textual analysis and discussion of context need to be balanced and relate to each other.

As an example, we will explore the same question above (“In what ways is Mr Arthur Birling important?”) and consider contextual points which could be included in your response to this question.

In what ways is Mr Arthur Birling important?

AO3: Context

Arthur Birling embodies the antithesis of Priestley's philosophy and is therefore designed as a caricature of everything that Priestley loathed about capitalism. As a wealthy factory owner, Priestley presents Birling as a caricature of a Capitalist businessman which is in direct opposition to Inspector Goole’s Socialist aspirations. Priestley intentionally sets the play in 1912, when workers had little or no rights and were largely unprotected by unions and a developed Welfare State, leaving them vulnerable and subject to exploitation. Further, the play takes place before the First World War and Priestley conveys the ignorant attitudes of men like Arthur Birling about the future and the unrest throughout Europe.

In responding to the question, it is vital that you imbed social, cultural and historical contextual comments throughout your response. Context must always be interspersed throughout your response and it must relate to the point being discussed.

Below is an example of separate AO1 and AO3 comments which you might make in reference to the theme of class in An Inspector Calls.

AO1 Comments

AO3 Comments

Class plays a significant role in An Inspector Calls and is a major influence on many of the characters and events. The immense inequality between the classes is firmly established at the start of the play. The description of the Birlings’ opulent home is sharply contrasted with descriptions of the workers in Arthur’s factory. Priestley demonstrates how the working classes, especially women, could be exploited and abused by those with wealth and power. For example, both Gerald and Eric abuse their power and status in their relationship with Eva/Daisy and both men discard her when it suits them. For example, Eric admits in Act III: “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.” This quote illustrates the vulnerability of working-class women who could be easily exploited by wealthy aristocratic men like Eric.

In Edwardian society, the hierarchical class system was very dominant. Priestley uses the characters in An Inspector Calls to criticise the inequality and unfairness of the British class system and argues that the privilege of class blinds people to their immoral behaviour. Priestley uses the Birlings and Gerald Croft as representations of the upper classes, and Eva/Daisy as a representation of the working class, in order to highlight the immense differences between them and the unfairness of the system.

Below is an example of how you might form these AO1 and AO3 points into an integrated and coherent paragraph:

Class plays a significant role in An Inspector Calls and is a major influence on many of the characters and events. The immense inequality between the classes is firmly established at the start of the play. The description of the Birlings’ opulent home is sharply contrasted with descriptions of the workers in Arthur’s factory. In Edwardian society, the hierarchical class system was very dominant. Priestley uses the characters in the play to criticise the inequality and unfairness of the British class system and argues that the privilege of class blinds people to their immoral behaviour. Priestley demonstrates how the working classes, especially women, could be exploited and abused by those with wealth and power. For example, both Gerald and Eric abuse their power and status in their relationship with Eva/Daisy and both men discard her when it suits them. For example, Eric admits in Act III: “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.” This quote illustrates the vulnerability of working-class women who could be easily exploited by wealthy aristocratic men like Eric. Priestley uses the Birlings and Gerald Croft as representations of the upper classes, and Eva/Daisy as a representation of the working class, in order to highlight the immense differences between them and the unfairness of the system.

It is tempting to jump straight in and start writing your response immediately. However, completing the steps below first will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for:

1. Read the question carefully and highlight the focus of the question:
1. Ensure you have identified what the theme is and your position in relation to it
2. Plan your answer:
1. Start by deciding on your argument in relation to the given quotation and the focus of the question 
2. Write an introductory statement which demonstrates to the examiner that you have understood the focus of the question (AO1) 
3. Select any quotations or close textual references you will be using in your response
4. Refer to different interpretations of the text
5. Include comments on context that will be integrated throughout your response (AO3)
3. Follow your plan and write your response:
1. Ensure each paragraph starts with a confident sentence which sets out the main idea discussed in that paragraph
2. Then flesh out each paragraph with a series of “sub-points” which develop your argument
4. Re-read and check your work for overall sense and accuracy
1. Ensure you have used accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout your response (AO4)