Good luck for Monday
2014 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a central character experiences rejection, isolation or loneliness.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the character’s situation and discuss how it adds to your understanding of character and/or theme in the play as a whole.
2. Choose a play which features one of the following conflicts: traditional values versus modern thinking; duty versus self-interest; delusion versus self-awareness.
Show how the dramatist presents this conflict and discuss how it affects your response to the play as a whole.
3. Choose a play in which the opening scene establishes important elements of mood and/or character.
Show in detail how these elements are established in the opening scene and discuss how this contributes to your understanding of the central concern(s) of the play as a whole.
4. Choose a play in which the setting in time and/or place is an important feature.
Show how the dramatist exploits aspects of the setting in a way which enhances your understanding of the central concern(s) of the play as a whole.
2013 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a central character is slow to understand fully the seriousness of his or her situation.
Explain how this situation has developed and discuss how the character’s behaviour influences your overall assessment of him or her.
2. Choose a play which explores one of the following: the nature of heroism, the impact of self-delusion, the burden of responsibility.
Discuss how the dramatist explores this central concern through her or his presentation of one or more than one character.
3. Choose a play in which the action involves an element of disguise or subterfuge or concealment.
Discuss how the dramatist’s use of this feature adds to your overall appreciation of the play.
4. Choose from a play a scene in which you consider a character makes a significant error of judgement.
Briefly explain the nature of this error of judgement and discuss how this error and its consequences influence your understanding of character and/ or theme in the play as a whole.
2012 Exam Paper
1 Choose a play in which a character shows signs of instability at one or more than one key point in the play.
Explain the reason(s) for the character’s instability and discuss how this feature adds to your understanding of the central concern(s) of the play.
2. Choose a play in which an important part is played by one of the following: crime, punishment, retribution.
Show how the dramatist explores the issue and discuss its importance to your understanding of character and/or theme in the play as a whole.
3. Choose from a play a scene which you found amusing or moving or disturbing.
Explain how the scene provokes this response and discuss how this aspect of the scene contributes to your understanding of the play as a whole.
4. Choose a play in which a central character’s changing view of himself/herself is an important feature.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the character’s changing view of himself/herself and discuss how this affects your understanding of the character in the play as a whole.
2011 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a character feels insecure about his or her position within the society or social group to which he or she belongs.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the character’s insecurity and discuss how it influences your appreciation of character and/or theme in the play as a whole.
2. Choose from a play a scene in which manipulation, temptation or humiliation is an important feature.
Explain what happens in the scene and go on to show how the outcome of the manipulation, temptation or humiliation adds to your appreciation of the play as a whole.
3. Choose a play in which the dramatist creates tension at the beginning or the end.
Explain how the tension is created and discuss how it contributes to an effective introduction or conclusion to the play.
4. Choose a play in which a power struggle is central to the action.
Explain briefly the circumstances of the power struggle and discuss the extent to which it contributes to your appreciation of theme and/or character in the play as a whole.
2010 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a central concern is clarified by contrast between two characters.
Discuss how the dramatist’s presentation of the contrast between the two characters adds to your understanding of this central concern.
2. Choose a play in which a central character experiences not only inner conflict but also conflict with one (or more than one) other character.
Explain the nature of both conflicts and discuss which one you consider to be more important in terms of character development and/or dramatic impact.
3. Choose from a play a scene in which tension builds to a climax.
Explain how the dramatist creates and develops this tensions, and discuss the extent to which the scene has thematic as well as dramatic significance.
4. Choose a play which explores one of the following as a central concern: sacrifice, courage, integrity, steadfastness of purpose.
Show how the dramatist introduces and develops the central concern in a way which you find effective.
2009 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a central character behaves in an obsessive manner.
Describe the nature of the character’s obsessive behaviour and discuss the influence this behaviour has on your understanding of the character in the play as a whole.
2. Choose a play which you feel is made particularly effective by features of structure such as: dramatic opening, exposition, flashback, contrast, turning-point, climax, anticlimax, denouement…
Show how one or more than one structural feature employed by the dramatist adds to the impact of the play.
3. Choose from a play a scene which significantly changes your view of a character.
Explain how the scene prompts this reappraisal and discuss how important it is to your understanding of the character in the play as a whole.
4. Choose a play set in a society whose values conflict with those of a central character or characters.
Describe this difference in values and discuss how effectively the opposition of values enhances your appreciation of the play as a whole.
2008 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a central character is heroic yet vulnerable.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of both qualities and discuss how they affect your response to the character’s fate in the play as a whole.
4. Choose a play which explores the theme of love in difficult circumstances.
Explain how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how in the course of the play he/she prepares you for the resolution of the drama.
5. Choose from a play a scene in which an important truth is revealed.
Briefly explain what the important truth is and assess the significance of its revelation to your understanding of theme or character.
6. Choose a play in which a character has to exist in a hostile environment.
Briefly describe the environment and discuss the extent to which it influences your response to the character’s behaviour and to the outcome of the play.
2007 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play which has a theme of revenge or betrayal or sacrifice.
Show how the dramatist explores your chosen theme and discuss how this treatment enhances your appreciation of the play as a whole.
2. Choose from a play an important scene which you found particularly entertaining or particularly shocking.
Explain briefly why the scene is important to the play as a whole and discuss in detail how the dramatist makes the scene so entertaining or shocking.
3. Choose a play in which a character makes a crucial error.
Explain what the error is and discuss to what extent it is important to your understanding of the character’s situation in the play as a whole.
4. Choose a play in which the relationship between a male and a female character changes significantly.
Show how the relationship between the two characters changes and discuss to what extent this illuminates a central idea of the play.
2006 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which the dramatist’s use of contrast between two characters is important to your understanding of one of them.
Discuss how your understanding of this character is strengthened by the contrast.
2. Choose a play in which the conclusion leaves you with mixed emotions but clearly conveys the dramatist’s message.
Briefly explain how the mixed emotions are aroused by the conclusion and then discuss how you are given a clear understanding of the message of the play as a whole.
3. Choose a play which underlines how one person’s flaw(s) can have a significant impact on other people as well as on himself or himself.
Explain briefly the nature of the flaw(s) and then, in detail, assess how much the character and others are affected.
4 Choose a play in which an important theme is effectively highlighted by one specific scene or incident.
Explain how the theme is explored in the play as a whole and then show in detail how the chosen scene or incident effectively highlights it.
2005 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which a character keeps something hidden or pretends to be
something she or he is not.
Explain the reasons(s) for the character’s behaviour and discuss how it affects your attitude to the character.
2. Choose a play whose main theme is made clear early in the action.
Show how the dramatist introduces the theme and discuss how successfully he or she goes on to develop it.
3. Choose a play in which one scene or moment determines the fate of a main character.
Explain fully why you think this is the key moment in the character’s fortunes.
4. Choose a play in which a character is seeking the truth, avoiding the truth or hiding the truth.
Explain to what extent the character achieves this aim and discuss how the dramatist uses the situation to reveal important aspects of the character’s role in the play as a whole.
2004 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play which features one of the following themes: appearance versus reality; good versus evil; dreams versus reality; youth versus age.
Show how the dramatist develops one of these themes and discuss how the exploration of this theme enhances your appreciation of the play as a whole.
2. Choose a play in which the dramatist creates a sense of mystery at or near the beginning of the play.
Show how the dramatist creates the sense of mystery and then discuss to what extent the resolution of the mystery is important to the play as a whole.
3. Choose a play in which the mood is mainly dark or pessimistic.
Show how the dramatist creates this mood and discuss how appropriate it is to the main idea(s) of the play.
4. Choose a play in which your attitude to a central character varies at different stages of the action.
Show how the skill of the dramatist causes your attitude to change.
2003 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which the dramatist explores the idea of rebellion against authority.
Explain briefly the circumstances which give rise to the rebellion and discuss how successfully you think the dramatist explores the idea.
2. Choose a play in which there is a scene involving intense emotion.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the intensity of the emotion in the scene and discuss the importance of the scene to the drama as a whole.
3. Choose a play which you have read and watched in performance.
Compare your reading of a key scene with its presentation in performance.
4. Choose a play in which a character feels increasingly isolated from the community in which he or she lives.
Show how the dramatist makes you aware of the conflict and discuss the extent to which you find the resolution of the conflict satisfying.
2002 Exam Paper
1. Choose a play in which there is a scene which provides a turning point in the drama.
Explain why it is a turning point and go on to discuss the importance of the scene to your appreciation of the play as a whole.
2. Choose a play in which there is a breakdown in family relationship(s).
Explain the reason(s) for the breakdown and discuss the extent to which it is important to the play as a whole.
3. Choose a play in which one of the character’s weaknesses were stronger than their strengths.
Explain what happened to this character and then discuss how it affects your view of their situation.
4. Choose a play involving the death of a central character.
Show to what extent the dramatist convinces you that it is an appropriate way to end the play.
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