A-level
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 1B Literary genres: Aspects of comedy
AQA A-LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 1B Literary genres: Aspects of comedy QP
MAY 2025
Wednesday 14 May 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30
minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7717/1B.
Answer one question from Section A, one question from Section B and one
question from Section C.
You may answer on the same Shakespeare play in Sections A and B.
For Section C, you must write about two texts, at least one of which must be a pre-1900
drama text.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be
marked.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4009/
7717/1B
E2
, 2
Section A
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 1 The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare
Read the extract below and then answer the question.
Explore the significance of this extract in relation to the comedy of the play as a
whole.
Remember to include in your answer relevant analysis of Shakespeare’s
dramatic methods.
[25 marks]
Enter Lucentio and his man Tranio
LUCENTIO
Tranio, since for the great desire I
had To see fair Padua, nursery of
arts,
I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great
Italy,
And by my father’s love and leave am
armed With his good will and thy good
company, My trusty servant well
approved in all,
Here let us breathe and haply institute
A course of learning and ingenious
studies. Pisa renownèd for grave
citizens
Gave me my being and my father first,
A merchant of great traffic through the
world, Vincentio come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio’s son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become to serve all hopes
conceived To deck his fortune with his
virtuous deeds. And therefore, Tranio,
for the time I study Virtue, and that part
of philosophy
Will I apply that treats of
happiness By virtue specially to
be achieved. Tell me thy mind,
for I have Pisa left.
And am to Padua come as he that
leaves A shallow plash to plunge him
in the deep, And with satiety seeks
to quench his thirst.
TRANIO
Mi perdonato, gentle master
mine. I am in all affected as
yourself,
Glad that you thus continue your
IB/G/
Jun25/7717/1B
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 1B Literary genres: Aspects of comedy
AQA A-LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 1B Literary genres: Aspects of comedy QP
MAY 2025
Wednesday 14 May 2025 Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30
minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7717/1B.
Answer one question from Section A, one question from Section B and one
question from Section C.
You may answer on the same Shakespeare play in Sections A and B.
For Section C, you must write about two texts, at least one of which must be a pre-1900
drama text.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be
marked.
Information
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 75.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4009/
7717/1B
E2
, 2
Section A
Answer one question in this section.
Either
0 1 The Taming of the Shrew – William Shakespeare
Read the extract below and then answer the question.
Explore the significance of this extract in relation to the comedy of the play as a
whole.
Remember to include in your answer relevant analysis of Shakespeare’s
dramatic methods.
[25 marks]
Enter Lucentio and his man Tranio
LUCENTIO
Tranio, since for the great desire I
had To see fair Padua, nursery of
arts,
I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great
Italy,
And by my father’s love and leave am
armed With his good will and thy good
company, My trusty servant well
approved in all,
Here let us breathe and haply institute
A course of learning and ingenious
studies. Pisa renownèd for grave
citizens
Gave me my being and my father first,
A merchant of great traffic through the
world, Vincentio come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio’s son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become to serve all hopes
conceived To deck his fortune with his
virtuous deeds. And therefore, Tranio,
for the time I study Virtue, and that part
of philosophy
Will I apply that treats of
happiness By virtue specially to
be achieved. Tell me thy mind,
for I have Pisa left.
And am to Padua come as he that
leaves A shallow plash to plunge him
in the deep, And with satiety seeks
to quench his thirst.
TRANIO
Mi perdonato, gentle master
mine. I am in all affected as
yourself,
Glad that you thus continue your
IB/G/
Jun25/7717/1B
