Examination Essay

English Language and Literature (Specification B) Unit 3 Talk in Life and Literature 9. 00 am to 11. 00 am Thursday 24 June 2010 For this paper you must have: l a 12-page answer book. ELLB3 Time allowed l 2 hours Instructions Use black ink or black ball-point pen. l Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is ELLB3. l Answer one question from Section A and Question 5 from Section B. l Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work that you do not want to be marked. l Information The texts prescribed for this paper may not be taken into the examination room. l The maximum mark for this paper is 96. l All questions carry equal marks. l You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. l l Advice You are recommended to spend one hour on Section A and one hour on Section B, including planning. H/Jun10/ELLB3 ELLB3 2 Section A – Talk in Life and Literature Answer one question from Section A and Question 5 in Section B (printed on page 10). The set plays for this unit are Hamlet, The Rivals, A Streetcar Named Desire and Translations. Read the passage from the play you have studied and answer the question related to it. NB: the questions are different on each play. EIThER Question 1 0 1 Hamlet – William Shakespeare Explore the ways in which Shakespeare presents the theme of falseness in this passage. In your answer you must consider how the playwright uses literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects. Where is Polonius? In heaven. Send thither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i’th’other place yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby. king (to attendants) Go seek him there. hamlet ’A will stay till you come. Exeunt attendants king hamlet king Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety, Which we do tender as we dearly grieve For that which thou hast done, must send thee hence With fiery quickness. Therefore prepare thyself. The bark is ready and the wind at help, Th’associates tend, and everything is bent For England. amlet For England? king Ay, Hamlet. hamlet Good. king So is it, if thou knewest our purposes. hamlet I see a cherub that sees them. But come, for England! Farewell, dear mother. king Thy loving father, Hamlet. hamlet My mother. Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, Exit for England! king Follow him at foot. Tempt him with speed aboard. Delay it not. I’ll have him hence tonight. Away! For everything is sealed and done That else leans on the affair. Pray you make haste. Exeunt all but the King H/Jun10/ELLB3 3 And, England, if my love thou holdest at aught – As my great power thereof may give thee sense, Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red After the Danish sword, and thy free awe Pays homage to us – thou mayst not coldly set Our sovereign process, which imports at full, By letters congruing to that effect, The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England. For like the hectic in my blood he rages, And thou must cure me. Till I know ’tis done, Howe’er my haps, my joys were ne’er begun. Exit Turn over for the next question Turn over H/Jun10/ELLB3 UoR Question 2 0 2 The Rivals – Richard Brinsley Sheridan Explore the ways in which Sheridan presents father-son relations in this passage. In your answer you must consider how the playwright uses literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects. sir anthony And it is my wish, while yet I live, to have my boy make some figure in the world. I have resolved, therefore, to fix you at once in a noble independence. Sir, your kindness overpowers me. Such generosity makes the gratitude of reason more lively than the sensations even of filial affection. I am glad you are so sensible of my attention; and you shall be master of a large estate in a few weeks. Let my future life, sir, speak my gratitude: I cannot express the sense I have of your munificence. Yet, sir, I presume you would not wish me to quit the army? O, that shall be as your wife chooses. My wife, sir! Ay, ay, settle that between you; settle that between you. A wife, sir, did you say? Ay, a wife. Why – did not I mention her before? Not a word of her, sir. Odso! I mustn’t forget her though. Yes, Jack, the independence I was talking of is by a marriage. The fortune is saddled with a wife – but I suppose that makes no difference? Sir! Sir! You amaze me! Why, what the devil’s the matter with the fool? Just now you were all gratitude and duty. I was, sir: you talked to me of independence and a fortune, but not a word of a wife. Why what difference does that make? Od’s life, sir! If you have the estate, you must take it with the livestock on it, as it stands. absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony H/Jun10/ELLB3 5 absolute If my happiness is to be the price, I must beg leave to decline the purchase. Pray, sir, who is the lady? What’s that to you, sir? Come, give me your promise to love and to marry her directly. Sure, sir, this is not very reasonable, to summon my affections for a lady I know nothing of! sir anthony absolute sir anthony I am sure, sir, ’tis more unreasonable in you to object to a lady you know nothing of. Then, sir, I must tell you plainly, that my inclinations are fixed on another. Sir, my heart is engaged to an angel. absolute sir anthony Then pray let it send an excuse. It is very sorry but business prevents its waiting on her. But my vows are pledged to her. Let her foreclose, Jack; let her foreclose. They are not worth redeeming. Besides, you have the angel’s vows in exchange, I suppose; so there can be no loss there. You must excuse me, sir, if I tell you, once for all, that in this point I cannot obey you. Hark’ee Jack. I have heard you for some time with patience. I have been cool, quite cool; but take care. You know I am compliance itself when I am not thwarted; no one more easily led when I have my own way – but don’t put me in a frenzy! Sir, I must repeat it: in this, I cannot obey you! Now, damn me, if ever I call you Jack again while I live! absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony absolute sir anthony Turn over for the next question Turn over H/Jun10/ELLB3 U 6 oR Question 3 0 3 A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams Explore the ways in which Williams presents the relationship between the sisters in this passage. In your answer you must consider how the playwright uses literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects. This extract is not reproduced here due to third-party copyright constraints. H/Jun10/ELLB3Turn over for the next question Turn over H/Jun10/ELLB3 UoR Question 4 0 4 Translations – Brian Friel Explore the ways in which Friel presents love and courtship in this passage. In your answer you must consider how the playwright uses literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects. Yolland Maire. She still moves away. Maire Chatach. She still moves away. Bun na hAbhann? (He says the name softly, almost privately, very tentatively, as if he were searching for a sound she might respond to. He tries again. ) Druim Dubh? Maire stops. She is listening. Yolland is encouraged. Poll na gCaorach. Lis Maol. Maire turns towards him. Lis na nGall. Maire Lis na nGradh. They are now facing each other and begin moving – almost imperceptibly – towards one another. Carraig an Phoill. Yolland Carraig na Ri. Loch na nEan. Maire Loch an Iubhair. Machaire Buidhe. Yolland Machaire Mor. Cnoc na Mona. Maire Cnoc na nGabhar. Yolland Mullach. Maire Port. Yolland Tor. Maire Lag. She holds out her hands to Yolland. He takes them. Each now speaks almost to himself/herself. Yolland I wish to God you could understand me. Maire Soft hands; a gentleman’s hands. Yolland Because if you could understand me I could tell you how I spend my days either thinking of you or gazing up at your house in the hope that you’ll appear even for a second. Maire Every evening you walk by yourself along the Tra Bhan and every morning you wash yourself in front of your tent. H/Jun10/ELLB3 9 Yolland I would tell you how beautiful you are, curlyheaded Maire. I would so like to tell you how beautiful you are. Maire Your arms are long and thin and the skin on your shoulders is very white. Yolland I would tell you †¦ Maire Don’t stop – I know what you’re saying. Yolland I would tell you how I want to be here – to live here – always – with you – always, always. Maire ‘Always’? What is that word – ‘always’? Yolland Yes-yes; always. Maire You’re trembling. Yolland Yes, I’m trembling because of you. Maire I’m trembling, too. (She holds his face in her hand. ) Yolland I’ve made up my mind †¦ Maire Shhhh. Yolland I’m not going to leave here †¦ Maire Shhh – listen to me. I want you, too, soldier. Yolland Don’t stop – I know what you’re saying. Maire I want to live with you – anywhere – anywhere at all – always – always. Yolland ‘Always’? What is that word – ‘always’? Maire Take me away with you, George. End of Section A Turn over for Section B Turn over H/Jun10/ELLB3 U 10 Section B – Talk in Life and Literature Question 5 0 5 Text A is an extract from Educating Rita (190), a play by Willy Russell set in a northern university. Frank is a middle-aged lecturer, and Rita his Open University student. She has just had an angry quarrel with her husband, who despises her longing for an education. She is anxious to know what Frank thinks about her essay on Macbeth. Text B is part of a transcription of a university tutorial. The tutor is discussing Julie’s essay with her. Compare the two texts, commenting on the ways in which they reflect the differences and similarities between talk in life and talk in literature. In your answer you must explore the relationship between context, purpose and audience and the ways in which speakers’ attitudes and values are conveyed. End of Questions H/Jun10/ELLB3 11 Text A (breaking away from him): It’s all right – I’ll be O. K. Just give me a minute. (She dries her eyes. ) What was me Macbeth essay like. frank: Oh sod Macbeth. rita: Why? frank: Rita! rita: No, come on, come on, I want y’ to tell me what y’ thought about it. rank: In the circumstances †¦ rita (going and hanging her bag on the back of the swivel chair): It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t; in the circumstances I need to go on, to talk about it an’ do it. What was it like. I told y’ it was no good. Is it really useless? frank sits in the chair. frank (sighing): I – I really donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t know what to say. rita: Well try an’ think of somethin’. Go on. I don’t mind if y’ tell me it was rubbish. I don’t want pity, Frank. Was it rubbish? frank: No, no. It’s not rubbish. It’s a totally honest, passionate account of your reaction to a play. It’s an unashamedly emotional statement about a certain experience. ita: Sentimental? frank: No. It’s too honest for that. It’s almost – erm – moving. But in terms of what you’re asking me to teach you of passing exams †¦ Oh, God, you see, I don’t †¦ rita: Say it, go on, say it! frank: In those terms it’s worthless. It shouldn’t be, but it is; in its own terms it’s – it’s wonderful. rita (confronting him across the desk): It’s worthless! You said. An’ if it’s worthless you’ve got to tell me because I wanna write essays like those on there. (She points to the essays on the desk. ) I wanna know, an’ pass exams like they do. frank: But if you’re going to write this sort of stuff you’re going to have to change. ita: All right. Tell me how to do it. frank (getting up): But I don’t know if I want to tell you, Rita, I don’t know that I want to teach you. (He moves towards the desk. ) What you already have is valuable. rita: Valuable? What’s valuable? The only thing I value is here, comin’ here once a week. frank: But, don’t you see, if you’re going to write this sort of thing – (He indicates the pile of essays. ) – to pass examinations, you’re going to have to suppress, perhaps even abandon your uniqueness. I’m going to have to change you. rita: But don’t you realize, I want to change!