Extract Analysis Skills

Paper 1 Section A presents you with an extract from the play you have studied and asks you to analyse it in relation to the theme of love through the ages. You must respond to the extract closely while also connecting it to the wider play and, where relevant, to a critical statement or proposition. This lesson provides a practical framework for approaching the task, with worked examples from the set plays.

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The Paper 1 Section A Task

What You Are Asked to Do

Requirement	Explanation
Analyse the extract	Close reading of language, form, and structure in the given passage
Connect to the wider play	Show understanding of how the extract relates to the play's larger treatment of love
Respond to the critical proposition	The question may include a critical statement — you must engage with it, either agreeing, disagreeing, or qualifying
Demonstrate AO1–AO5	Quality of argument, analysis of language/form/structure, context, and critical perspectives

The Assessment Objectives