A Level English Literature Summer Work

Transcription

1 A Level English Literature Summer Work At the induction session in July 2015, it was explained to you that you will be required to purchase your texts for both the examination and the coursework elements of the course. You will be able to keep these texts and annotate them. If you intend to source your own copies of the texts, you should let Mrs Murray know ASAP. Below is a summary of the work that you were asked to complete in preparation for the first lesson back. The scene from Macbeth and the extract from Oh What a Lovely War can be found overleaf. Task 1: Read Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth. Annotate this in detail and then write a response to the following question (approximately 1000 words). How does Shakespeare present the character of Lady Macbeth and establish the potential for future conflict in Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth? Remember to include in your analysis relevant analysis of Shakespeare s dramatic methods. You should look at how the scene is structured, the language that is used by the characters and the effect of these choices on the audience. You may also wish to consider the following areas of social / historical / political context within your response: James I was on the throne when Macbeth was first performed in approximately He had just survived the Gunpowder plot in The position and status afforded to women in the early 1600s. The religious nature of society at this time and their feelings about the supernatural in general. Task 2: Read the extract from Oh What a Lovely War. Annotate this in detail and then write a response to the following question (approximately 1000 words). What points of social and political protest are being made here? In your answer, you might like to consider: the differing viewpoints of Haig and the general and how these are conveyed in the language that they use; the attitude of the junior officer, as displayed by his words; the likely impact on an audience of the song; the likely impact on an audience of the images displayed; the likely impact on an audience of the newspanel; tny other points of dramatic detail.

2 Task 1: Macbeth This scene is from early on in the play, after Macbeth has had his first meeting with the witches, who have given him the prophecy that he would be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and that he would be crowned as king. He has subsequently been given the title of Thane of Cawdor, following the execution of the previous Thane for treason. This is the first time that Lady Macbeth s character has been seen on stage by the audience. Act 1 Scene 5 Inverness. Macbeth's castle Enter, reading a letter 'They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell.' Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis, That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal. Enter a Messenger What is your tidings?

3 MESSENGER The king comes here to-night. Thou'rt mad to say it: Is not thy master with him? who, were't so, Would have inform'd for preparation. MESSENGER So please you, it is true: our thane is coming: One of my fellows had the speed of him, Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more Than would make up his message. Give him tending; He brings great news. Exit Messenger The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry 'Hold, hold!' Enter MACBETH Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor! Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter! Thy letters have transported me beyond This ignorant present, and I feel now The future in the instant. MACBETH My dearest love, Duncan comes here to-night. And when goes hence?

4 MACBETH To-morrow, as he purposes. O, never Shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my thane, is as a book where men May read strange matters. To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't. He that's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. MACBETH We will speak further. Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me. Exeunt

5 Task 2: Oh What a Lovely War Below is an extract from the 1963 play, Oh What a Lovely War, considering various aspects of the conduct and experiences of World War I. This was a collaborative piece of drama, as opposed to something written by a single playwright, with an air of improvisation about it. It includes a good deal of song and projections on to a screen of pictures and, as in this extract, newsreel headlines. Haig was 1 st Earl, Douglas Haig, Field Marshall and senior British officer during World War I. Here he talks to a British General and, briefly, a Junior Officer, with a song sung from offstage and a brief interruption of the action while a Newspanel is projected. (entering) Germany has shot her bolt. The prospects for 1916 are excellent. (entering) Permission to speak, sir. Of course. Slide 40. A map of Ypres and the surrounding district, showing Kitchener s Wood, Hill 60, Passchendale, etc. If we continue in this way, the line of trenches will stretch from Switzerland to the sea. Neither we nor the Germans will be able to break through. The war will end in complete stalemate. Nonsense. We need only one more big offensive to break through and win. My troops are of fine quality, and specially trained for this type of war. This is not war, sir, it is slaughter. God is with us. It is for King and Empire. We are sacrificing lives at the rate of five to sometimes fifty thousand a day. One battle, our superior morale, bombardment. JUNIOR OFFICER (entering) Sir, tell us what to do and we ll do it. We re going to walk through the enemy lines.

6 and JUNIOR OFFICER go off. Slide 40 fades into Slide 41. Tommies advancing across no man s land, in full battle pack, silhouetted against clouds. A man s voice, offstage, sings slowly as speaks. SONG There s a long, long trail There s a long, long trail a-winding Into the land of my dreams, Where the nightingale is signing And the white moon beams He carries on humming the tune, ending@ till the day when I ll be going down that long, long trail with you. (during the song) Complete victory the destruction of German militarism victory march on Berlin slow deliberate fire is being maintained on the enemy positions at this moment my men are advancing across no man s land in full pack, dressing from left to right; the men are forbidden under pain of court-martial to take cover in any shell hole or dugout their magnificent morale will cause the enemy to flee in confusion the attack will be driven home with the bayonet I feel that every step I take is guided by the divine will. Sounds of heavy bombardment. NEWSPANEL FEBRUARY VERDUN TOTAL LOSS ONE AND A HALF MILLION MEN. (looking through field-glasses) This is most unsatisfactory. Where are the Sherwood Foresters? Where are the East Lancs on the right? (who has entered during above speech) Out in no man s land. They are sluggish from too much sitting in the trenches. Most of them, sir, will never rise again. We must break through. Regardless of loss, sir? The loss of, say, another 300,000 men may lead to really great results.

7 Yes, sir. And will not impede our ability to continue the offensive. In any case, we have to calculate on another great offensive next year. If the slackers on the Home Front see it our way, sir. Quite. We are rather short of men, sir. What s left? The new chappies from Ireland have just arrived. Rather wild untrained lot! Still, they ll be raring to have a crack at the Boche, and what they lack in training, they ll make up for in gallantry. They ve just got off the train. Most of them haven t eaten for forty-eight hours They are moving against a weakened and demoralised enemy. Capture the German line, without further delay.