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Paper 1 Section A is the Shakespeare question. It is worth 34 marks (30 for the response plus 4 for SPaG), making it one of the two highest-scoring individual questions in the entire GCSE English Literature exam. This lesson explains exactly how the question works, how to move between the printed extract and the wider play, how to balance the three main Assessment Objectives, how to secure all 4 SPaG marks, and the most common pitfalls that push students into Levels 3–4 when they could be reaching Level 5 or 6.
This lesson is technique-focused. For text-specific content, see the dedicated AQA Macbeth and AQA Romeo and Juliet courses — this lesson complements them without retreading the same ground.
Before you can answer well, you need to understand exactly what the question looks like and what it is asking you to do.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paper / Section | Paper 1, Section A |
| Marks | 30 marks for response + 4 marks for SPaG = 34 marks total |
| Number of questions | ONE question only — no choice |
| Extract | Approximately 40 lines printed on the exam paper |
| Wider text | You must also refer to the rest of the play from memory |
| Assessment Objectives | AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4 (SPaG) |
| Closed book | Yes — only the printed extract is available |
| Suggested time | Approximately 50 minutes (of Paper 1's 105 minutes) |
The question always follows the same template:
Starting with this speech/conversation/moment, explore how Shakespeare presents [theme/character/idea] in [play name].
Write about:
- how Shakespeare presents [theme/character/idea] in this extract
- how Shakespeare presents [theme/character/idea] in the play as a whole.
Notice two things:
Paper 1 Section A is marked holistically, but three Assessment Objectives matter for the 30-mark response (AO4 is separate):
AO1 is about showing that you understand the play and can support your ideas with evidence. It rewards:
AO2 is the heaviest-weighted single objective. It rewards:
AO3 is worth roughly 20% of the response marks — it matters, but it must not dominate. It rewards:
This is the single most distinctive feature of the Shakespeare question and the place where most students lose marks. You are not writing an essay on the extract alone, and you are not writing an essay on the play that ignores the extract. You are doing both, in an integrated way.
| Section | Approximate weighting | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Extract | ~55–60% of the essay | Close language, form, and structure analysis of specific moments |
| Wider play | ~40–45% of the essay | Strategic references to how the same theme/character appears elsewhere |
A strong planning approach uses 3–4 thematic points, each of which draws from the extract first and then moves outwards.
flowchart TD
A[Read question twice] --> B[Read extract twice]
B --> C["Identify 3-4 points<br/>about the theme/character"]
C --> D["For each point:<br/>Find extract evidence"]
D --> E["For each point:<br/>Find wider-play link"]
E --> F[Write thesis sentence]
F --> G["Write 4 PQACL paragraphs<br/>extract-first, wider-play second"]
G --> H[Proofread for SPaG]
| Link type | What it does | Example phrasing |
|---|---|---|
| Development | Shows how the theme intensifies later | "This anxiety deepens in Act 3 when..." |
| Contrast | Shows how the same character/theme changes | "This contrasts sharply with his defiance in Act 5..." |
| Parallel | Shows a structural echo or repeated motif | "Shakespeare structurally parallels this in the sleepwalking scene..." |
| Reversal | Shows a complete inversion | "The poised control here is inverted in the banquet scene where..." |
Exam Tip: Each of your main body paragraphs should ideally contain BOTH an extract reference AND a wider-play reference. That way the examiner cannot miss the fact that you are doing what the question asks.
A common problem is that students write either:
The top-band response integrates the two.
| Approach | Example sentence | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Pure AO1 (personal response only) | "Macbeth is feeling really guilty here, which shows he regrets what he did." | Level 2–3 ("supported" to "explained") |
| Pure AO2 (feature-spotting) | "Shakespeare uses a metaphor and a rhetorical question and hyperbole." | Level 2–3 |
| Integrated (Level 5) | "Shakespeare's hyperbolic metaphor of 'Neptune's ocean' and the despairing rhetorical question together convey Macbeth's thoughtful recognition that no external force can cleanse internal guilt — a thoughtful exploration of conscience." | Level 5 ("thoughtful, developed") |
| Conceptualised (Level 6) | "Shakespeare's elevation of Macbeth's guilt to cosmic scale — 'will all great Neptune's ocean' — functions as a critical, exploratory dismantling of the Jacobean belief that power could purify sin; the hyperbole itself becomes the play's theological argument." | Level 6 ("critical, exploratory, conceptualised") |
The AQA mark scheme uses specific phrases. Memorising the verbs helps you aim for a particular level:
| Level | Key phrase | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| Level 6 (26–30) | "Convincing, critical analysis and exploration" | Build a sustained argument; explore alternative readings; integrate context seamlessly |
| Level 5 (21–25) | "Thoughtful, developed consideration" | Analyse methods thoughtfully; develop ideas; sustain focus |
| Level 4 (16–20) | "Clear understanding" | Explain clearly with support; comment on methods |
| Level 3 (11–15) | "Explained response" | Explain with some textual support; basic comment on methods |
| Level 2 (6–10) | "Supported response" | Support ideas with reference; simple comment |
| Level 1 (1–5) | "Simple, explicit comments" | Basic observations |
Imagine the question: Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents Macbeth's state of mind in Macbeth.
Macbeth sees a dagger in front of him but it isn't really there. This shows he is going mad because he is thinking about killing Duncan. He is confused and scared. Later in the play he becomes more evil and kills more people.
This response explains what happens but does not analyse Shakespeare's methods or integrate context.
Shakespeare presents Macbeth's state of mind as confused and troubled in this soliloquy. He asks "Is this a dagger which I see before me", using a rhetorical question to show that Macbeth is uncertain whether the dagger is real. The word "dagger" is a violent word, which shows that Macbeth is thinking about murder. In Jacobean times people believed in visions. Later in the play Macbeth becomes more brutal.
This explains the technique but does not analyse the effect. Context is bolted on.
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