AQA literature Paper 1 Revision

Guide
Shakespeare and the 19th Century
Novel
Macbeth & A Christmas Carol

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Class:
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AQA Literature Paper 1

Exam Overview

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Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel

The exam is made up of two sections

and each section has one question.

Section As question is on a
Shakespearean play and Section Bs
question is on a novel from the 19th
Century.

The exam is 1hr 45 minutes long and

makes up 40% of your Literature GCSE.

Both questions will give you a short

extract from the play/novel and you will
be expected to discuss not only the
characters/events from the given
extract but the wider text as well.

The exam is marked out of 64 with each

question being marked out of 30 and an
additional 4 marks for Spag on Section
A (Shakespeare).

AQA Literature Paper 1 Exam Overview

Assessment Objectives

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You will be assessed against AO1 (12 marks), AO2 (12 marks) and
AO3 (6 marks) in both sections and AO4 (4 marks) in section A.

Section A & B

AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to:
maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual
references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations. (12
marks) You need to develop your own response to the task. Ensure you provide
quotes and references to support your ideas. Try to develop alternative
meanings and ideas to show a developed understanding of the texts.

AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create
meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate. (12
marks) Subject terminology does not only consist of technical terminology
(simile, metaphor etc.) but more general terms related to English as a subject
(character, play, text etc.)

AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts
in which they were written. (6 marks) -Context can consist of the events around
the texts being written, events in the texts and the context in which the
audience is reading the text.

Section A Only
AO4: Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose
and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.
High Performance: 4 marks (Consistent accuracy in spelling, vocabulary,
sentence structures)
Intermediate Performance 2-3 marks (Considerable accuracy in spelling,
vocabulary, sentence structure)
Threshold Performance: 1 mark (Reasonable spelling, vocabulary, sentence
structures)

Section A

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Shakespeare
Macbeth Mini Revision Guide

Recap of the play

Act 1
Scene 1

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In a desolate place, amidst thunder and lightning, three Witches plan to meet with Macbeth
once the outcome of the battle has been decided. Their intentions are clearly malevolent and
disruptive: to make foul seem fair and fair seem foul.

Scene 2
With the battle still undecided, a wounded Captain reports to King Duncan and his son Malcolm
how his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, had bravely defeated the Scottish rebels. He describes
the formidable courage Macbeth displayed in slaying Macdonald, the rebel leader. But then
Macbeth and Banquo had to face a fresh attack from Norwegian invaders assisted by the rebel
Thane of Cawdor. The Captain does not know the outcome.

Then the Thane of Ross brings further news: Macbeth has triumphed, capturing Cawdor and
obtaining ransom and a favourable treaty from the King of Norway. Relieved and grateful, King
Duncan orders Cawdors immediate execution, and promises to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.
This honour is in addition to his present title of Thane of Glamis.

Scene 3
As Macbeth and Banquo return home from battle across the heath, they are accosted by the
Witches, who address Macbeth first as Thane of Glamis, then as Thane of Cawdor and finally as
future king. They then prophesy that, although Banquo will not be king, his descendants one day
will. Despite Macbeths pleas to learn more, the Witches vanish.
Almost immediately, Ross and Angus bring news to Macbeth that he is now Thane of Cawdor.
Both Macbeth and Banquo are amazed by this apparent confirmation of the Witches prophetic
powers. Banquo warns Macbeth of the dangers of trusting in the instruments of darkness, but
Macbeth is already secretly contemplating the possibility that he will indeed one day be king.

Scene 4
King Duncan warmly welcomes his victorious generals, Macbeth and Banquo, and promises them
both future honours. Then he publicly proclaims his own son Malcolm as the next king of
Scotland. This news is a bitter blow to Macbeths hopes, but a setback he is determined to
overcome by any means possible. He leaves for his own castle at Inverness to prepare for the
kings visit.

Scene 5
Lady Macbeth reads with excitement and delight the letter from her husband, telling of the
Witches prophecies. Yet she is also concerned he will prove too decent and moral a man to agree
to the murder of a king, and prays to the spirits of evil to give her enough resolve for both of
them.
When Macbeth returns to tell her that Duncan will arrive that evening, Lady Macbeth urges him
to take this opportunity to kill him. Macbeth hesitates, but his wife insists it must be done. She
tells him just to try not to look guilty and to leave the rest to her.

Scene 6
When King Duncan and his followers arrive at Inverness Castle, both he and Banquo remark on
the castles pleasing location and delicate air. Banquo points out how all the nooks and crannies
of the stonework are filled with the nests of house martins a sure sign of good luck for all who
live there. Lady Macbeth appears and welcomes them, then she and King Duncan lead the party
in together.

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Scene 7
That night a banquet is held in honour of King Duncan, but Macbeth leaves the celebrations to
struggle with his conscience. There seem to be so many compelling reasons why he should not
murder the king. Above all, he risks eternal damnation, and Heaven itself will abhor the deed.
Vaulting ambition is all he has to spur him on.
When Lady Macbeth comes to look for him, he tells her he has decided not to go ahead with
their plan. She is dismayed and angry, accusing him of cowardice and of lacking in true love for
her. She says that although she has known what it is nurse a child, she would rather kill her own
baby than break such a promise as he has made to her. She urges him to be a man, and describes
how easily they will be able to drug the guards and get to Duncan unobserved. Macbeth is
convinced. They will go ahead with their plan.

Act 2
Scene 1
It is past midnight, but Banquo cannot sleep. When Macbeth enters, Banquo presents him with a
gift from the king to Lady Macbeth a diamond. The two speak briefly and guardedly about the
Witches and their prophecies before Banquo and his son, Fleance, leave to go to their sleeping
quarters. Macbeth then instructs his servant to tell Lady Macbeth to strike the bell when his
drink is ready (the signal for Macbeth to do the murder).
Now alone, the enormity of what he is about to do leads Macbeth to hallucinate and believe he
can see a blood-stained dagger in the air pointing the way for him to go. As he steels himself to
carry out the murder, his mind is filled with images of evil. Suddenly the bell rings and Macbeth
begins to make his way to Duncans bedchamber.

Scene 2
Nervous yet exhilarated by drink, Lady Macbeth waits near the kings bedchamber for her
husband to return. She has drugged the guards, but fears that Macbeth has been discovered
before he could carry out the killing.
Macbeth enters, still carrying with him the guards daggers which he has used to kill Duncan, his
mind obsessed by the thought that he is now eternally damned and will never sleep again. When
Lady Macbeth discovers the daggers, she is appalled and insists they must be left in the hands
of the guards to make it seem as though they had done the murder. Macbeth dare not even
think of what he has done, let alone look on it again, so Lady Macbeth takes the daggers back.
As she returns, the two hear knocking at the castle gate. Hurriedly they wash the blood from
their hands and leave to pretend they have been sleeping soundly in their beds.

Scene 3
As the knocking continues, a drunken Porter enters, jokingly pretending that he is really the
keeper of the gates of Hell. Eventually he admits Macduff and Lennox, and Macbeth enters to
greet them. While Macduff goes to waken the king, Lennox tells Macbeth of the nights violent
and ominous storm.
Suddenly Macduff returns, crying out in horror that their king has been murdered. As he raises
the alarm, Macbeth and Lennox run to the kings bedchamber. When Lady Macbeth and the
thanes have assembled, Lennox declares that it looks as if the guards themselves are guilty,
whereupon Macbeth announces that in his fury he has killed them. Macduffs suspicious response
forces Macbeth to justify his actions, at which point his wife faints and attention is diverted to
her. Banquo directs the thanes to dress themselves and meet together to investigate matters

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more thoroughly. Only the dead kings sons, Malcolm and Donaldbain, remain. Fearful for their
own safety, they decide to flee the country.

Scene 4
As the Old Man and Ross talk together of the strange, ominous events that marked the night of
Duncans murder, Macduff enters with fresh news: Malcolm and Donaldbains flight has
convinced everyone that they are guilty of their fathers death, and Macbeth has been elected
king and gone to Scone to be crowned. Macduff does not intend to watch the ceremony. He will
return to Fife.

Act 3
Scene 1
Macbeth has been crowned king. Banquo voices his strong suspicion that it was he who murdered
Duncan, and muses on the Witches prophecy that his own descendants will one day rule
Scotland. Before Banquo can leave with his son, Fleance, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter with
their attendant lords and ladies. Macbeth reminds Banquo that he will be their chief guest at
the banquet that evening. Banquo promises that they will both be back in time for the feast.
King Macbeth then dismisses the entire court including his own wife to brood on his fears of
Banquo. He sends for two men whom he knows bear deep grudges against Banquo, and persuades
them to murder both Banquo and Fleance that evening when they return from their journey.

Scene 2
Lady Macbeth requests a meeting with her husband. When he joins her, she attempts to rouse
his spirits, urging him to cease brooding on past events: whats done, is done. He in turn reminds
her of the threat both Banquo and Fleance pose to their safety and tells her she must pay
special flattering attention to Banquo at the feast. Then he hints darkly of a plot he has just
set in motion, but refuses to give details: Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till
thou applaud the deed.

Scene 3
A third Murderer sent by Macbeth has joined the other two to await the return of Banquo and
Fleance. As dusk falls, they wait for their victims to approach, then attack. Banquo is killed, but
in the gloom and confusion Fleance escapes.

Scene 4
As the banquet in honour of Banquo begins, one of the murderers reports to Macbeth that
Banquo is dead but Fleance has escaped. When the king returns to his guests, the ghost of
Banquo appears and sits in his chair. No one can see it except Macbeth, who reacts in horror.
Lady Macbeth attempts to calm the lords and rebukes her husband for his show of fear. When
the Ghost disappears, Macbeth recovers his composure, but then it appears again. This time
Macbeth is so disturbed that, when the Ghost finally departs, Lady Macbeth has to order the
guests to leave. Macbeth vows to visit the Witches to know his future. There is now no turning
back. Anyone who stands in his way will be killed.

Scene 5
Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, rebukes the Witches for speaking to Macbeth without
involving her. She tells them to meet her at the pit of Acheron, where Macbeth will come to
learn his destiny. They must prepare an especially potent spell with which to delude him.

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Scene 6
Lennox speaks guardedly and sarcastically with another lord about the deaths of first Duncan
and then Banquo. Clearly Lennox believes Macbeth to be guilty of murdering both, and he voices
his fears for the future safety of Malcolm, Donaldbain and Fleance. The unnamed lord tells of
Malcolms warm welcome in England and of Macduffs plea to the English king to raise an army to
overthrow the tyrant Macbeth. Macduff has even refused King Macbeths direct command to
attend.

Act 4
Scene 1
The Witches prepare once again to meet with Macbeth. Engrossed in their gruesome ritual, they
circle the cauldron, throwing in repulsive ingredients to make a sickening brew. Hecate enters to
congratulate them, then departs as Macbeth arrives.
In answer to Macbeths command to know his destiny, the Witches summon up three
Apparitions. The first, an armed Head, warns Macbeth to beware Macduff. The second, a
bloody Child, promises that none of woman born shall harm him. The third, a crowned Child,
assures him that he will never be defeated until the great wood of Birnam moves to Dunsinane.
Macbeth is now convinced of his own invulnerability, but vows to kill Macduff even so. When
Macbeth asks if Banquos descendants will ever rule Scotland, the Witches show him a vision of
eight kings followed by Banquos Ghost, who smiles upon him And points at them for his.
Macbeth curses in anger as the Witches suddenly vanish. Then Lennox brings news that
Macduff is fled to England. As punishment for his desertion, Macbeth vows to slaughter every
one of Macduffs family and kin.

Scene 2
Lady Macduff is distraught and bitter at being abandoned by her husband. Ross attempts to
comfort her, but she can only see her husbands actions as cowardice and lack of love for her
and her children. When Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead, he is perceptive
enough to know it to be a lie and questions her almost teasingly about traitors and fathers,
honest men and liars. A Messenger arrives to warn of danger, then hastens away, but is quickly
followed by the Murderers looking for Macduff. They kill the boy and pursue the mother
offstage with the same intent.

Scene 3
In England, Macduff urges Malcolm to go to the defence of Scotland, which is suffering deeply
under Macbeths tyranny. Malcolm, however, is cautious and distrustful, fearing Macduff to be
another of Macbeths agents sent to kill him. After all, Macduff was once close to Macbeth and
he has, as yet, left Macduff and his family unharmed.
So Malcolm adopts an elaborate pretence of possessing vices that would prove him to be a king
far worse even than Macbeth. As he describes his many depravities limitless lust,
unquenchable greed, contempt for all kingly virtues such as justice, truth, mercy and humility
Macduff becomes more and more dismayed until he can take no more. He explodes with anger,
despair and disappointment. Is Malcolm fit to govern Scotland? No, he is not even fit to live.
Then, as the bitterly disappointed Macduff prepares to leave, Malcolm reveals the truth. He has
been testing Macduffs loyalty and truly possesses none of the vices he claimed to have.
Macduff is momentarily uncertain what to say: Such welcome and unwelcome things at once, /
Tis hard to reconcile.
Then Ross arrives to inform Macduff that Macbeth has slaughtered his entire family. Macduffs

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deep and heartfelt grief rapidly breeds thoughts of revenge. He and Malcolm prepare to invade
Scotland and overthrow Macbeth.

Act 5
Scene 1
As her attendant Gentlewoman and a Doctor watch unobserved, Lady Macbeth walks in her
sleep, attempting all the while to wash the imagined blood from her hands, her fragmented
language echoing her own and Macbeths words about past murders.

Scene 2
A group of Scottish rebels against Macbeth have received news of the approach of the English
army led by Malcolm, Macduff and Siward. They decide to rendezvous with the English forces at
Birnam Wood.

Scene 3
Secure in Dunsinane Castle, Macbeth reacts to his mens desertions and the approach of
Malcolms army with a mixture of bravado and rage. He knows his future is bleak, but intends to
fight to the death. He asks the Doctor about his wife; the Doctor replies that he can do nothing
to help her. If only the Doctor could cleanse Scotland of disease, Macbeth ponders, he would
applaud him. Even so, Macbeth remains confident that he will be safe from harm Till Birnam
Forest come to Dunsinane.

Scene 4
As Malcolms army nears Birnam Wood, Malcolm orders the men to carry branches to camouflage
their numbers.

Scene 5
Macbeth is still confident. His castle can easily withstand a siege, even though many of his
soldiers have deserted him. Suddenly there is terrible cry of women, and Seyton goes to
investigate. Such a sound, Macbeth muses, would once have made every hair on his body stand on
end. But not now. Seyton tells Macbeth that his wife is dead. The news sets Macbeth to
brooding on the futility of life, a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury / Signifying
nothing. Then a Messenger reports that, unbelievably, Birnam Wood seems to be moving
towards the castle! Macbeth begins to doubt the wisdom of believing in the Witches
prophecies, but determines to die fighting.

Scenes 6 and 7
Malcolm, Siward and Macduff prepare to storm Dunsinane Castle. Inside, Macbeth awaits the
first attack. Siwards son is the first to challenge him, but he is slain by Macbeth, who leaves to
fight elsewhere. Macduff then enters, seeking Macbeth. Macbeths remaining soldiers quickly
surrender, and Malcolm and Siward enter the castle unopposed.

Scenes 8 and 9
At last Macduff finds Macbeth and they fight. When Macbeth boasts of how he cannot be killed
by any man of woman born, Macduff replies that he was cut from his mothers womb
prematurely. Dismayed to find that the Witches have again deceived him, Macbeth at first
refuses to fight, but the thought of surrendering to Malcolm is too much to bear. He fights on
and is killed. Macduff displays Macbeths head to the assembled army and hails Malcolm as King
of Scotland.

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Key Quotes
Quotes linked to the theme of ambition/power
Macbeth
He talks about his black and deep desires to be King.
By the end of the play he is not afraid to die and has gained confidence, Ill fight till
from my bones my flesh be hackd.
Lay on, Macduff, and damnd be him that first cries, Hold, enough! Macbeths final
words, showing his false feelings of invincibility and sheer ambition not to give up.
Lady Macbeth
But screw your courage to the sticking place / And well not fail. Lady Macbeth tells
Macbeth to stop being a coward about killing Duncan.
Banquo
What, can the devil speak true? His reaction when he hears Macbeth has been named
Thane of Cawdor.

Quotes linked to the theme of deception

Macbeth
He knows he needs to be two-faced False face must hide what the false heart doth
know.
Banquo
Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear
thou playdst most foully fort. Alone, Banquo reflects on Macbeths rise to the throne.

Quotes linked to the theme of guilt/paranoia

Macbeth
Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Macbeth
hallucinates and sees a dagger on his way to kill Duncan.
After he has killed Duncan, he becomes paranoid about what he has done, How ist with
me, when every noise appals me?
Methought I heard a voice cry, Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep! After
killing Duncan, Macbeth fears he will never sleep again from the guilt.
It will have blood they say: blood will have blood. After Banquos ghost has gone,
Macbeth feels that his crime is pursuing him.

Lady Macbeth
Noughts had, alls spent, where our desire is got without content. / Tis safer to be that
which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. Lady Macbeth finds that getting
what you want doesnt bring peace.
Out damned spot! Out, I say! Lady Macbeth hallucinates blood on her hands before her
death.

Quotes linked to the theme of religion

Macbeth
He cannot say Amen after the murder, showing he has a conscience.

Quotes linked to the theme of good versus evil

Macbeth

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 He becomes more evil as the play progresses and even mimics the witches when he says
so fair and foul a day I have not seen.
I am in blood / Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, / Returning were as
tedious as go oer. Macbeth reflects on the fact that there is no way back from the evil he has
started.
The Witches
Fair is foul, and foul is fair. The witches philosophy on life, showing that nothing is ever
what it seems.
Something wicked this way comes. The witches predict Macbeths arrival before he
arrives to see them the second time.
None of woman born shall harm Macbeth. The second apparition delivers this deceptive
prophecy which makes Macbeth feel invincible.

Quotes linked to the theme of the supernatural

Macbeth
And with thy bloody and invisible hand cancel and tear to pieces that great bond which
keeps me pale! Macbeth summons help for Banquos death.
Quotes linked to subverting expectations of gender at the time
Lady Macbeth
yet do I fear thy nature, / It is too full othmilk of human kindness / To catch the
nearest way. After receiving her husbands letter about the witches prophecy, expresses her
fear that he isnt bad enough.
She tells Macbeth to Leave all the rest to me.
Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here / And fill me from the
crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty Upon hearing that King Duncan is to stay the night in
her castle, Lady Macbeth builds herself up to kill him.

Macbeth Character Tasks

How does each character develop through the play?

Give three adjectives to describe each character in each Act and
quotations to support your ideas. Think not only about how the

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characters themselves act but how do the other characters talk
about them

Macbeth:

Act I:
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act II
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act III
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act IV
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act V
Adjectives:
Quotes:

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Lady Macbeth

Act I
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act II
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act III
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act V
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Banquo

Act I
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act II
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act III
Adjectives:

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Quotes:

Macduff

Act I
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act II
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act IV
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act V
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Duncan

Act I
Adjectives:
Quotes:

The Witches

Act I
Adjectives:

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Quotes:

Act III
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Act IV
Adjectives:
Quotes:

Key themes in the play

How are the following themes expressed in the
play? Discuss who represents a theme, why and a
quotation to support your thoughts

Guilt: Guilt is a key theme in the play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are haunted
by their actions.

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Ambition: It is the ambition of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to lead them to
commit regicide

Supernatural/Witchcraft: The plot is driven by the witches prophecy

that Macbeth would be king. This links to King James interest in the
supernatural.

Deception: Throughout the play the characters deceive one another to

achieve their aims.

Loyalty/Treason: In the character of Lady Macbeth Shakespeare plays

with ideas of femininity and he has her challenge her husbands masculinity.

Manhood Femininity: This links to the theme of deception. The play is

concerned with what happens when someone commits treason against the
rightful king. King James was new to the throne and considered himself to be
the heir to Banquo and Fleanace

Guilt
Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

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Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Ambition
Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Supernatural/Witchcraft
Who?
Why?

Quotation:

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Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Deception
Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Manhood and Femininity

Who?

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Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Loyalty and Treason

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

Who?
Why?

Quotation:

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Context
Jacobean England

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 The play was written not long after King James took the throne
after the death of Queen Elizabeth. King James had recently
survived the gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament. James
thought that he was the descendent of Banquo and Fleance, He
was also a believer (as was most of the country) in witches and
witchcraft; having written a book on the topic called Daemonologie.
Britain was an extremely religious country that believed in the divine
right of kings and the natural order; that the kings power was
derived from God.

How do these contextual features influence the play?

Medieval Scotland
The play is believed to be set in Medieval Scotland. It (like most of Shakespeares plays) is
based on an existing story taken from Holinsheads Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland
(1577) In the following extract from the text Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches:

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there met them three women in strange and wild apparel, resembling creatures of elder world,
whom when they attentively beheld, wondering much at the sight, the first of them spoke and
said; "All hail Macbeth, thane of Glamis" (for he had lately entered into that dignity and office
by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said; "Hail Macbeth thane of Cawder."
But the third said; "All hail Macbeth that hereafter shalt be king of Scotland."

Th en Banquo; "What manner of women (saith he) are you, that

seem so little favourable unto me, whereas to my fellow
here, besides high offices, ye assigned also the
kingdom, appointing forth nothing for me at all?" "Yes
(saith the first of them) we promise greater benefits
unto the, than unto him, for he shall reign in deed,
but with an unlucky end: neither shall he leave any
issue behind him to succeed in his place, where
contrarily thou in deed shalt not reign at all, but of
the those shall be borne which shall govern the
Scottish kingdom by long order of continual descent."
Herewith the foresaid women vanished immediately out of their sight. This was reputed at the
first but some vain fantastical illusion by Macbeth and Banquo, insomuch that Banquo would call
Macbeth in jest, king of Scotland.

How does Shakespeare mirror this meeting between Macbeth and Banquo and the witches in Act
I Scene III?

Contemporary Audiences

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 Reactions to the play would vary greatly between Jacobean
and contemporary audiences. English society has changed
greatly since Shakespeares day. England is no longer ruled
by a monarchy, it is a much more secular
society and women have more control
and power over their own
lives and bodies.

Using your own knowledge of modern day and

Jacobean societies answer the following questions
What would the differences be in both audiences reactions to the
portrayal of Lady Macbeth/her relationship with Macbeth?
What would the differences be in both audiences reactions to the betrayal of
Macbeth towards King Duncan and/or Banquo?

Shakespeares Language
Shakespeare used language in many inventive and imaginative ways in his plays and sonnets.
In his plays, Shakespeare would have the nobles speak in verse and the poor speak in prose.
Due to the nature of the characters in the play there is very little prose in Macbeth.
Further to this Shakespeare has many of his characters speak in iambic pentameter. When
this is added to many of the language devices we see in more contemporary texts it is easy
to see why Shakespeares use of language is so effective.

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 Look at this speech from the captain in Act I Scene
II. How is language used to describe Macbeth? (Look at
the devices on the next pages if you need to)

Doubtful it stood;/As two spent swimmers, that do

cling together/And choke their art. /The merciless

Macdonald /Worthy to be a rebel, for to that/The

multiplying villanies of nature/Do swarm upon him

from the Western Isles/Of kerns and gallowglasses

is supplied,/And Fortune on his damnd quarrel

smiling,/Showed like a rebels whore. But alls too weak, /For brave Macbeth well he

deserves that name /Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel/Which smoked with

bloody execution,/Like Valours minion carved out his passage/Till he faced the

slave,/Which neer shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,/Till he unseamed him from the

nave to thchaps/And fixed his head upon our battlements.

Subject Terminology
Find at least one example of the following techniques
in the play and why Shakespeare has used it (The first example has
been done for you)

Prose: A form of language that has no formal structure such as rhyme or metre (Think of the
characters that talk this way)

Example: The Porter: Act II Scene III: Heres a knocking indeed: if man were a porter of hell-
gate, he should have old turning the key
Reason:

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Example:
Reason:

Blank Verse: Un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter with 10 syllables on each line
(Think of the characters that talk this way)

Example: Macbeth: Act I Scene III: Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Iambic Pentameter: A line of verse where a short or unstressed syllable is followed by

long or stressed syllable

Example: Lady Macbeth: Act II Scene II: And wash this filthy witness from your hand
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Simile: When the writer uses like or as to compare

Example: The Captain Act I Scene II: As two spent swimmers that do cling together
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Metaphor: When the writer says, something is something else

Example: Lady Macbeth Act I Scene V: Your face, my thane, is a book where men may read
strange matters
Reason:
Example:
Reason:
Personification: When the writer gives an inanimate object a human characteristic

Example: The Captain Act I Scene II: My gashes cry for help
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Juxtaposition: When the writer places opposite ideas/words/themes next to each other
for effect

Example: Macbeth Act I Scene III: Fair is foul and foul is fair
Reason:
Example:

25
Reason

Dramatic Irony: When the audience is aware of something but the characters in the play
are not

Example: The Witches Act I Scene III: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Repetition: When the writer repeats ideas or phrases for effect

Example: Macbeth: Act II Scene II: Sleep no more! Macbeth doth murder sleep, the innocent
sleep
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Foreshadowing: When the writer hints at a later event in the text

Example: The Witches Act I Scene I: Foul is fair and fair is foul
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

Soliloquy: When the writer has, a character speaks his/her thoughts to the audience to
create empathy

Example: Lady Macbeth Act III Scene II: Noughts had all spent .
Reason:
Example:
Reason:
Symbolism: when the writer imbues ideas/items with a meaning that is different from the
literal sense

Example: References to blood after the murder (Act II Scene II/Act II Scene III)
Reason:
Example:
Reason:

26
Section B
A Christmas Carol
Mini Revision Guide

27
Recap of the Novel

Stave 1: Marley's Ghost

Here the reader meets Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable but wealthy old man.
Scrooge works in his counting house with his clerk, Bob Cratchit.

Bob writes out records of accounts and Scrooge oversees the business but we
don't know (it's not important) what it exactly does. (There may be a clue in the
next chapter, where we see Scrooge as an apprentice with Mr. Fezziwig.) It is
Christmas Eve, and Scrooge receives several visitors.

28
One is his nephew, Fred, who invites Scrooge to dine with him for Christmas.
Then come two gentlemen who are collecting for charity. We learn here that
Scrooge had a partner, Jacob Marley, who died on Christmas Eve seven years
previously.

Scrooge refuses to give the gentlemen anything, saying he helps the poor
already through supporting prisons and workhouses. Scrooge allows Bob to have
Christmas Day as a holiday, but insists that he be back at work all the earlier
next day. (Boxing Day was not usually a holiday in the 19 th century, but was the
day when tradesmen collected their Christmas "boxes" - gifts from their
customers.)

When Scrooge returns to his lodging he is visited by the Ghost of Jacob Marley
who is weighed down by a massive chain, made up of cashboxes, keys and
padlocks. The ghost says that any spirit which does not mix with other people in
life must travel among them after death. Marley tells Scrooge that he, too,
wears a chain, larger than Marley's. Marley has often sat by him unseen. Now he
warns him of three more spirits which will visit to help him change his ways.

Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits

This is the Ghost of Christmas Past - Scrooge's own past. The ghost has a
strange changing form and gives out brilliant light. With it Scrooge revisits the
scenes of his earlier life.

We see him as a boy at school (a boarding school) on two occasions. First, he sits
alone in a cold schoolroom - but as the spirit touches the arm of the child we
see the characters of whom he is reading: Ali Baba and the parrot in Robinson
Crusoe. Later we see him with his (slightly) older sister, Fan, who has come to
bring him home for the holidays. We learn that his father (who seems once to
have been unkind) become "much kinder than he used to be". The ghost notes
that (unlike Scrooge so far) his sister had a "large heart". She has died, but her
son is Scrooge's nephew, Fred.

Next we see Scrooge as a young apprentice working for Mr. Fezziwig, in his
warehouse. At seven o'clock on Christmas Eve, Mr. Fezziwig tells Scrooge and
his other apprentice, Dick Wilkins, to make the warehouse ready for a party.
Everyone is welcome at Mr. Fezziwig's ball, and the young Scrooge enjoys it
immensely. The Ghost tells Scrooge that Mr. Fezziwig has done nothing special,
only spent a little money he can easily afford. Scrooge replies that it is
impossible to add up things like words and looks, but "the happiness" Mr.
Fezziwig gives "is quite as great as if it cost a fortune".

29
The final scenes show us Belle, Scrooge's ex-fiance. Scrooge is now in the
prime of life. His (reasonable) fear, when younger, of being poor has now
become an unreasonable love of money. Belle releases Scrooge from his
engagement because she can see that he no longer loves her. He has not asked
her to break the engagement but does not object to her decision. Another
glimpse of Belle follows. Some years later - seven years before the present, she
sits with her daughter. (At first Scrooge thinks the daughter is Belle, but she is
now older. She has other children, too. Her husband tells her how he saw
Scrooge that day, working alone in his office, while his partner, Marley, was
lying "upon the point of death". Scrooge contrasts his life with hers and her
husband's. While they have a happy Christmas together, he is working alone.
They are not wealthy as he is but not poor financially. In other ways they are
far richer than he. Scrooge thinks of how good it would be to have a daughter
like Belle's to look up to him.

Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits

This spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present. It is a great giant, dressed in a
green robe (a little like a green version of our Father Christmas) and
surrounded by piles of food.

This spirit shows Scrooge how Christmas is celebrated by his clerk's family, by
strangers near and far, and by his nephew, Fred. The spirit carries a torch and
everywhere it goes this torch sprinkles incense or water on people and makes
them become kinder to each other.

Scrooge has never been to Bob Cratchit's house. Here he sees how the
Cratchits, despite being very poor, can be happy at Christmas. Bob and Mrs.
Cratchit struggle because their family is large: there are six children. (Martha,
Belinda, Peter, two unnamed "young Cratchits", and Tiny Tim.) Scrooge sees how
frail Tiny Tim is, and asks the Spirit if he will live. The ghost tells him that
unless something changes in the future, the child will die. When Scrooge
protests, he is reminded of his words earlier (Stave 1): "If he be like to die he
had better do it and decrease the surplus population".

The ghost takes Scrooge magically to places outside London: he sees a family of
miners in a hut on a barren moor, two lighthouse keepers and sailors on a ship:
all know what day it is and celebrate it as far as they can. All of them are made
more aware of other people and feel kindlier towards them because it is
Christmas.

30
Fred (Scrooge's nephew) is having a party, and Scrooge is brought by the spirit
to see and hear it. Scrooge's nephew explains that Scrooge is to be pitied, not
despised. He is rich but his money does him no good, and, as Fred says, "his
offences carry their own punishment". The guests play a guessing game, to find
the identity of a thing, in which questions can be answered only with Yes and No.
Everyone is amused when Fred's wife's sister guesses that the mystery object
is Scrooge.

The chapter has a strange ending. The spirit ages and shrinks as midnight draws
near (because he lives for, and represents, one year only - he has had more than
eighteen hundred brothers). Now Scrooge sees, under its robe, two horribly
dirty and ugly children. The ghost tells him that they are not his but "man's"
and that "This boy is Ignorance this girl is Want". Scrooge is told to beware of
them both. When he asks if nothing can be done to help them the ghost again
quotes his earlier words: "Are there no prisons? Are there no work-houses". He
feels deep shame, as the ghost disappears, and he sees, coming towards him, the
last of the spirits.

Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits

In this chapter, Scrooge is again taken to places he does not know. The spirit is
more like the kind of ghost we meet in conventional ghost stories. It is a hooded
phantom; its face is unseen and it points at things but does not speak.

We are puzzled by a group of wealthy men, discussing someone who has died.
This person seems very unpopular. In another poor and squalid part of London a
pawn-broker, Old Joe, buys stolen property from three people: a laundrywoman
(Mrs. Dilber), a charwoman (a cleaner) and the undertaker's assistant. All these
poor people have taken things from the dead man - even the curtains from his
bed and the shirt off his back.

Scrooge asks to see some "emotion caused by this man's death". He sees two
scenes. First, a young couple who owed the man money. The wife (Caroline) fears
they are ruined but her husband says there is hope now their creditor is dead.
The debt will be transferred to someone else, but no-one else could be so
merciless as the man who has died.

Next Scrooge returns with the ghost to the Cratchits' home. They, too are
talking about death and preparing for a funeral. They all try hard to comfort
and support each other. It becomes clear that they are grieving for Tiny Tim,
who has died. He is to be buried in a beautiful green churchyard. Bob comes
home from work and goes to sit with his son, who has obviously only just died.

31
Scrooge is horrified but still must learn the identity of the mysterious dead
man. He is shown to an ugly churchyard "overrun by grass and weeds" in the
town, and here sees on the gravestone his own name. He realizes (the reader
has already guessed) that he is the man about whom the others were talking.

Scrooge begs the spirit to tell him whether he has seen what will be or
what may be only. He thinks the spirit is showing pity to him and promises he will
change.

Stave 5: The End of It

This chapter is very short. Scrooge wonders how much time has passed while he
was with the spirits, and calls to a boy from his window, to ask what day it is.
The boy is surprised by the questions as it is Christmas Day. Scrooge pays the
boy to go to the poulterer (like a butcher but specializes in poultry) and order
the prize turkey for Bob Cratchit. Out in the street he meets one of the
gentlemen he earlier sent away. He whispers to him, but the reader guesses
that he promises to give a lot of money to the charity, as the gentlemen doubts
whether he is serious. Scrooge explains that his donation includes "a great many
back-payments".

Scrooge goes to Fred's house and enjoys his party immensely. On Boxing Day he
arrives early at work and ambushes Bob, pretending to be very angry with him
for his being so late at work. He tells Bob that he will not "stand for this sort
of thing any longer" as if he is about to sack him. Then he tells Bob, he is
therefore going to raise his salary. Bob at first thinks Scrooge has gone mad,
but is convinced when Scrooge tells him to put more coal on the fire rather than
work, and that he will discuss his affairs over a drink that afternoon.

The story ends with an account of how Scrooge becomes a "second father" to
Tiny Tim "who did NOT die" but receives no more visits from the ghosts. He
changes his way of life entirely. Some people laugh at him, but he lets them
laugh and is happy with his new outlook on life. Dickens ends by repeating Tiny
Tim's Christmas blessing: "God bless Us, Every One!"

32
Key Quotes

Ebenezer Scrooge, Stave 1

Every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips should
be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.

This quote shows Ebenezer Scrooge's miserly, miserable attitude toward Christmas at the
opening of the story; he is obsessed with his money and has no time for festivities, family, or
joy.

33
Fred, Stave 1
Though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me
good, and willdo me good; and I say, God bless it!

In direct contrast to Ebenezer Scrooge's stingy attitude, his nephew Fred praises Christmas
for the happiness it brings; while Scrooge only appreciates activities that make him richer, Fred
acknowledges other joys in lifeincluding Christmas.

Jacob Marley, Stave 1

No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused!

Jacob Marley's ominous statement references the theme of timeEbenezer Scrooge is old and
has little time to make amends for his greedy behavior. No matter how badly he may feel about
the way he treated people, only actions can make up for it.

Ebenezer Scrooge, Stave 2

The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.

Seeing Fezziwig's joyful Christmas celebration reminds Ebenezer Scrooge that spreading
happiness doesn't have to cost a fortune. It's possible to partake in holiday cheer cheaplyit's
more important to act generously and show appreciation than to spend a fortune.

Ghost of Christmas Past, Stave 2

What! ... Would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give?

The Ghost of Christmas Past chastises Ebenezer Scrooge for attempting to snuff out his light
and wisdombecause the memories are too painful. The spirit urges Scrooge to work through
the pain and learn the lessons he is trying to teach.

Tiny Tim, Stave 2

God bless us, every one!

Despite Tiny Tim's disability and his impoverished life, he remains optimistic, kindhearted, and
loving. Tiny Tim has more reason to be bitter and stingy than Ebenezer Scrooge, yet he wishes
wealth, blessings, and happiness to everyone.

Narrator, Stave 3
There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.

This statement serves as a further reminder that some of the best things in life are free.
Laughter, for example, is free to share, and good humor is free to give. Ebenezer Scrooge
realizes this when he witnesses Fred's holiday party and sees how much fun he would have had.

34
Fred, Stave 3
I am sorry for [Scrooge]. I couldn't be angry with him if I tried. Who suffers by his ill whims?
Himself always.

Fred realizes far before Ebenezer Scrooge does that being stingy and cruel causes more
suffering to the miser than to those around him. Indeed, in the beginning of the novella,
Scrooge is lonely, cold, poorly fed, and stingy with himself. He is clearly unhappy in his life while
those around him, like Fred and Bob Cratchit, are still able to find happiness, love, and joy.

Ebenezer Scrooge, Stave 4

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the
Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.

While pleading with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Ebenezer Scrooge promises to
consider the past, present, and future when making decisions. He knows he cannot dwell in the
past or focus solely on the future. To live a happy life, he must embrace all three together.

Narrator, Stave 5
He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or
any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.

Character Profiles
The evolution of Ebenezer Scrooge
The novella is essentially about the redemption of Scrooge from the cold-hearted miser in
Stave 1 to the kinder, gentler man at the end of Stave 5.
Use the space below to map Scrooges development. Annotate the map with a description of the
key events in each Stave and how the change Scrooges personality.

35
 Stave 1:

Stave 2:

Stave 3:

Stave 5:

Stave 4:

Supporting Cast

36
 Scrooges
evolution is achieved through his interaction with other characters.
How do the following characters influence him? Find at least one
quotation to support your views

Bob Cratchit
How he influences Scrooge:

Quotation:

Tiny Tim
How he influences Scrooge:

Quotation:

Jacob Marley
How he influences Scrooge:

Quotation:

Ghost of Christmas Past

How he influences Scrooge:

37
Quotation:

Ghost of Christmas Present

How he influences Scrooge:

Quotation:

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

How he influences Scrooge:

Quotation:

Themes

38
How are the
following key
themes
presented in the
novella? Discuss how
Dickens presents
each theme in the
novella. Find
quotations to
support your claims

Religion and Christmas: The story is set at Christmas (when Christians

celebrate the birth of Christ) Lots of people at that time were Christian. How
does Dickens present ideas about religion and Christmas in A Christmas Carol?

Redemption: Ideas of redemption are a key tenant of the Christian faith;

that no matter how bad a person is they can be redeemed and forgiven. How
does Dickens present ideas about redemption in A Christmas Carol?

39
Social Responsibility: Dickens was an advocate for social justice and
equality. He believed that a person of wealth had a responsibility towards the
poorer in society. How does Dickens present ideas about social redemption in A
Christmas Carol?

Context
Victorian Britain
Victorian Britain was a time of great upheaval due to the expanding Empire and
Industrial Revolution. Lots of people moved from rural areas to more urban ones
for job opportunities.

40
Read through the novella and
discuss how the ideas of
change and development
are represented throughout
the text.

Poverty and Wealth

Dickens felt strongly that Victorian

society ignored the poverty of its
underclass. On the one hand were the
rich who enjoyed comfort and feasting
at Christmas, and on the other were
children forced to live in dreadful
conditions in workhouses.

41
 How is the theme of social injustice shown in the novella?

Think about:

Scrooge refusing to give money to the poor

the characters of Ignorance and Want
thieves dividing up Scrooge's belongings

Contemporary Audiences
Dickens was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction.
A lot of novels at that time were
serialised (printed chapter by chapter
in magazines). Dickens is thought to
have written A Christmas Carol in
about six weeks. 10 years after
its publication Dickens performed
the book at a show in Birmingham
and proceeded to then tour his work throughout
America and Britain.

Using what you know of both Victorian and contemporary society answer the
following question. Do you think contemporary audiences respond to the key

42
themes in the novella as a Victorian audience would? Use quotations to support
your ideas.

Structure
Dickens structures the text into five staves that mimic
carols and songs. The novel has a very simple

narrative
structure in that Scrooge is told that he will be visited by three (An important
number in the supernatural) ghosts, which then visit him and then he is
subsequently redeemed.
How does the overall structure of the novella allow Dickens to focus on and
present his key themes or ideas?
Think about
The use of the five staves
Clear narrative
Use of three ghosts
The redemption in the final stave

43
Dickens Language and Subject Terminology
Dickens used a variety of language features and techniques to bring his
story of Scrooge to life.
Complete the following grid
Device Example Why Effect
Narrative
voice

Clear
descriptive
detail
Lists

Repetition

Imagery

Sounds

44
Simile

Metaphor

Personificatio
n

Dialogue

Exam tips,
Practice Questions
And
Model answers

Exam tips
The exam is 1hr 45 mins long.

45
 Try to spend 45 minutes on each question and 15 to read the extracts and to
check your work

Remember you will be marked for Spag on section A so pay close attention when
checking that question

You will need to use quotations when discussing the extract

But not when discussing the wider text

Focus on each bullet point individually if you need to help you structure your
answer

Focus the initial part of your answer on the extract this will refresh the text in
your head giving you time to think of ideas about the wider text

Focus on AO1 and 2 as they are worth more marks

Practice Questions
& Model Answers
Macbeth

Practice Question

Starting with this speech (Act I Scene V) explain how far you think
Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a powerful woman
The key term here is
Write about
powerful use this to
shape your answer
How Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in this Speech
How Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole

The raven is a sign of

The raven himself is hoarse death. Foreshadowing
future events
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
If the castle belongs to her does
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, this indicate she has more power
And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull 5 than Macbeth?

46
Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood,
Stop up thaccess and passage to remorse She wishes to be a man as
this would give her more
That no compunctious visitings of nature
power
Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between
Theffect and it. Come to my woman's breasts, 10
And take my milk for gall, you murdring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances Wishes to be stripped
You wait on nature's mischief. Come, thick night, of femininity- links to
previous point
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, 15
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry Hold, hold!

Model Response

Answer focuses on the first bullet point

Use the space provided to improve this answer

Either Rewrite what is written adding more detail and perceptive analysis

Or

Add to the response with your own ideas

Lady Macbeth is presented as a powerful woman in this scene because of the way that she
uses language and her evil intent. One of her first references is to a raven which is
symbolic of a bird of death. This is significant because it shows she is not afraid, she
accepts death, and this shows her power as a not just a woman but as Macbeths wife. She
also shows power because she refers to my battlements which is an odd use of the word
for a female in this situation because surely it is Macbeths castle. This is important
because as the play continues to develop, we see that Lady Macbeth is in fact the more
powerful of the two characters. It is interesting as well that as this speech develops, Lady

47
 Macbeth begins to become even darker in her fascination with evil spirits. She invites them
to take my milk for gall which implies that she wants to be stripped of any kind of maternal
instinct that she possesses. This is interesting because in a sense, with Duncan coming to
her castle, and as a hostess, she has an almost maternal role in protecting him. Therefore,
in the way that she asks to be stripped of this element of her personality, it is almost as if
shes preparing herself for an evil act. This links back to earlier in the passage when she
says unsex me here: she no longer wants to be a woman and this is because she associates
being female with weakness. In order to be cruel, she thinks she has to embody male traits.

Practice Question

Starting with this speech explain how far you think Shakespeare presents
Macbeth as indecisive
Write about how
How Shakespeare presents Macbeth in this speech
How Shakespeare presents Macbeth in the play as a whole

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here, 5
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

48
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice 10
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust;
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door, 15
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off; 20
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur 25
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.

Your Response

49
Practice Question

Starting with this extract, explain how Shakespeare presents Macbeths

loss of control. Write about
How Shakespeare presents Macbeths loss of control at this moment
in the play

How Shakespeare presents Macbeths loss of control in the play as a

whole.

50
LADY MACBETH LADY MACBETH
Come on; But in them natures copys not eterne.
Gentle my lord, sleek oer your rugged MACBETH
looks; Theres comfort yet; they are
Be bright and jovial among your guests assailable;
to-night. Then be thou jocund; ere the bat hath
MACBETH flown
So shall I, love; and so, I pray, be you: His cloisterd flight, ere to black
Let your remembrance apply to Banquo; Hecates summons
The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy
Present him eminence, both with eye hums
and tongue. Hath rung nights yawning peal, there
Unsafe the while, that we shall be done
Must lave our honours in these A deed of dreadful note.
flattering streams, LADY MACBETH
And make our faces vizards to our Whats to be done?
hearts, MACBETH
Disguising what they are. Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest
LADY MACBETH chuck,
You must leave this. Till thou applaud the deed.
MACBETH
O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear
wife!
Thou knowst that Banquo, and his
Fleance, lives.

51
Your response

Practice Questions
& Model Answers
 A Christmas Carol

Practice Question

Starting with the extract. How does Dickens

present Scrooge as an outsider to society? Use this term to help
focus your answer.
Write about:

how Dickens presents Scrooge in this extract

how Dickens presents Scrooge as an outsider in the novella as a whole

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No1 warmth could
warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no
falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to
entreaty. Foul weather didnt know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and
snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one
respect. They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, My dear
Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him
to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was oclock, no man or woman
ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge.
Even the blind mens dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming
on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag
their tails as though they said, No eye at all is better than an evil eye 2, dark
master!

But what did Scrooge care?3 It was the very thing he liked. To edge4 his way
along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its
distance, was what the knowing ones call nuts to Scrooge.

Repetition of the word no emphasises Alliteration of e links to

how little the weather affects him black/dark magic shows how
negatively he is viewed

Rhetorical question. Shows how Verb suggests he is nervous

little interest he has in the opinion or wary of people/life
of others
Model response

Answer focuses on the first bullet point

Use the space provided to improve this answer

Either Rewrite what is written adding more detail and perceptive analysis

Or

Add to the response with your own ideas

The sequence signalled by the repeated use of no is effectively continued in the following
paragraph, as Dickens lists the beggars, children, men and women who avoid contact with
Scrooge. A society is generally closely associated with its people and, whilst Scrooge may repel
the weather, it is the people who are more significant. Their instinctive avoidance of him is
shown by Dickens reference to the blindmens dogs who steer away from his evil eye. The
alliteration of the phrase combined with its connotations of black magic gives emphasis to how
Scrooge is viewed by even the most hopeless.

Anticipating the readers response, Dickens raises and answers the rhetorical question But what
did Scrooge care?, using a metaphorical image to reveal that Scrooge chose this life. The verb
to edge suggests that Scrooge has a cautious, perhaps even nervous approach to life, whilst the
crowded paths of life is suggestive of the people and society that Marley later reveals should
have been his business.
 Practice Question

Starting with the extract. How does Dickens present the redeemed
character of Scrooge?

Write about:

how Dickens presents Scrooge in this extract

how Dickens presents Scrooge at the start of the novella

The extract

"I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same
breath; and making a perfect Laocon of himself with his stockings. "I am as
light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am
as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year
to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"

He had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standing there: perfectly
winded.
"There's the saucepan that the gruel was in!" cried Scrooge, starting off again,
and going round the fireplace.

"There's the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered! There's the
corner where the Ghost of Christmas Present, sat! There's the window where I
saw the wandering Spirits! It's all right, it's all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha!"

Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a
splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant
laughs!

From Stave V, A Christmas Carol

Your Response
Practice Question

Starting with the extract. How does Dickens present societys attitudes
towards poverty?

Write about:
 how Dickens presents Ignorance and Want in this extract
how Dickens presents attitudes towards poverty in the novella as a
whole

They were a boy and a girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but
prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their
features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled
hand, like that of age, had pinched and twisted them and pulled them into
shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out
meancing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade,
through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible
and dread.

Scrooge started back, appalled. Having them shown to him in this way, he
tried to say they were fine children, but the words choked themselves, rather
than be parties to a lie of such enormous magnitude.

Spirit! are they yours? Scrooge could say no more.

They are Mans, said the Spirit, looking down upon them. And they cling to
me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.
Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for
on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny
it! cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. Slander those
who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And bide
the end!

Have they no refuge or resource? cried Scrooge.

Are there no prisons? said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with
his own words. Are there no workhouses?

The bell struck twelve.

Your Response
Useful websites

The following sites could be useful in your revision

AQA Assessment resources for Literature Paper 1:

This site contains practice questions and the mark scheme for both literature
papers and there is a similar page for the language exams
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-
8702/assessment-resources

BBC Bitesize Literature Page

There are links on this page to both Macbeth and A Christmas Carol revision
materials
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zckw2hv

Online Copy of Macbeth

This site contains an online copy of Macbeth-be mindful that the language may
potentially be different from the copy of the play you are studying with
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbethscenes.html

Online Copy of A Christmas Carol

Again, this site contains an online copy of the text as well as several other texts
from the 19th C.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm

Dont forget to also access and make use of the AQA

e-library