K
Examiner Notes 2025: Section A
General: Top Level responses
-Avoid having a fixed idea about which topics will be -Prepare for any passage in the selected play to be
addressed in Qs-> transferable set for this question
-Done this XX-> crafted, used, utilised -Evidence spent half time (1hr thus 30mins) for
-Technical accuracy-> time to check through in the end. section
Candidates who did well: -Linguistic and Dramatic devices-> consider BOTH!
-Original and imaginative-> confident to leave ideas -Discursive way (although not line-by-line) flexible
behind!! Judicious and creative
-Know the Assessment Objectives -Only use technical terminology with
-Knowledge of ‘poetry’ ‘verse’ ‘blank verse’ ‘prose’ ‘iambic discrimination-> only when adds to answer
pentameter’-> poetic terminology-> blank verse majority -Clear they have taken time to read, think about,
(unnecessary to mention), look for the obvious differences- and annotate the set passage
> blank verse 10 syllables (long line, similar), short line or -Discussion of punctuation in the passage with care-
dramatic line (extra syllable or beat?). Prose-> normal > some could be edited (i.e. exclamations)-> rather
paragraph-type writing, scrivener, murderers?, caesura, look at how others are responding.
exits and entrances -Dramatic consequences-> how will it be delivered?
-AO5-> Organic elements of the response. Basic historical -Sensible judgements what to include and what not
context (Tillyard) to
-Clear organisation of material. -Think ahead to pb-> linked in some way to context
-Literary trends and approaches passage.
Candidates who did less well: -Feels like you are being taken through the text->
-General writing or ‘twisted responses’ confident. Not ‘ploddy’. Own it! Use tentative
-Incorrect Aos for that part of the paper language well.
-Too ‘knowledge ‘ intensive Holistic view of the extract.
-Complex literary terms for own sake
-Didn’t blend AO5 and ‘
-‘bolted on’ context
-Answers which employed some of the more obscure
technical terminology didn’t always gain great deal for this
approach
Section B
Top Level responses
-Interpretation doesn’t have to be plays or
named critics-> generic readings (new
historicist, Tudor Myth), personal readings
-Evidence that the candidate has prepared for
wide range of major topics
-Planning is key-> Topic sentences for
beginning of each paragraph.
-L6-> selected range of performances/critical
views
-Changing texts OVER TIME.
,Examiner reports
2024 Examiner report:
2022 Examiner report:
2021 Examiner report:
Overall: Accurate, don’t bolt on AO5,
understand what different poetic devices
actually mean, don’t feature spot, focus
on the question. Provide a unique
response.
,Villainy: Conscience
1.1-> ‘leave the world for me to -His soul becomes victim to ‘the
bustle in’
worm of conscience’, sleepless
Murder of the Princes,
4.3 Tyrell: ‘the most arch deed of except for ‘some tormenting
piteous massacre that ever yet this dream’.
land was guilty’ ‘the bloody King’ ‘O, coward conscience, how dost
4.2 ‘I wish the bastards dead’ thou afflict me’
A1S3 ‘clothe my naked villainy’
‘seem a saint when most I play the
devil’
A1S3 ‘Cannot a plain man live, and
think no harm’
Richard Quote Bank
Religion
Blames Edward for the death of ‘I thank God for my humility’ A2S1
Clarence-> ‘by your first order died’
Conscience
‘must weep’ ‘loved him’ ‘daubed his
vice with show of virtue’
Overview Historical:
-Victorious Richmond represents the -Richmond’s victory is shaped by
sacred force of right providentially the Tudor myth of divine union, as
triumphing over the forces of evil-> the blood-soaked land is
For Tillyard, Richard III is a regenerated and the violence is
profoundly religious play: ‘The Play’s redeemed with peace and joy.
main end is to show the working out Ivring Ribner- R’s actions are
of God’s will in English history’ ‘cleansing operations’ ‘roots evil
‘deux ex machina’ out of society and restores the
world at last to the God-orientated
goodness embodied in the new
rule of Henry VII.’
Henry Tudor, Henry 7th
AO5-> Blades ‘Richmond the
A5S2-> ‘reap the harvest of perpetual peace’ healer is immediately linked to
A5S3-> ‘golden set’. Of the sun ‘how fares our loving mother?’ To
the imagery of healing and
thee I do commend my watchful soul’ sweetest sleep and fairest-
boding dreams’ warmth’
A5S5-> ‘smile upon… fair and prosperous days’ Emma Smith-> Speeches ‘pios
‘unite the white rose and the red’ ‘Smile heaven’ and platiudinous’
, Queen Margaret
Women
Galloway-> ‘The women of this play function as voices of
protest and morality’-> illuminate role of female
characters+ corruption/destruction created through war.
[Women in the play]‘Turn their grief into vengeance in an
attempt to right the monstrosity they have engendered.’ Forceful rhetorician and her intrinsic
understanding of world play
Similarities to Richard
(Nina Levine)
Richard is ‘warring with women’ (Levine)
National Voice for retributive justice Only M and R have asides and
Actually died 1482
‘Elizabeth was merely weak and changeable.’ (Blades) both were considered to be
‘had his teeth before his eyes’
(Belsey and Newnham) R is the ‘demonic other’ of
Margaret
the ‘demonic other’ at some
A1S3-> Rivers ‘were you well served, you would
‘royal women who bring home the horror behind the be taught her duty’-> ‘you serve me well, you point in Shakespearean
should all do me duty’ ‘O serve me well and teach
succession struggles of the history books’ the ‘women
wait’ ‘they stand by, majestically grieving, and count the
yourselves that duty!’ Wordplay histories (Belsey and
cost civil war in human terms’ Lisa Jardin, Programme R-> ‘bunchbacked toad’ ‘withered hag’ ‘slave of Newnham)
notes for RSC version of Richard III 1995
Dollimore-> ‘RIII is unusual among the history plays in
nature and son of hell’
Galloway-> M represents ‘the
the prominence of its female characters’ ‘foul devil’ ‘black magician’ ‘prove as bitter, black,
wrong sort of justice’, based
tragical’
on retribution (opposite to the
Mark Eccles-> R speaks over 1/3 of the plays’
lines and is in 14/25 scenes, that such his
Galloway-> ‘the women of this play function as
voices of protest and morality’
Christian ‘turn the other
‘shadow hangs over the rest’ ‘Turn their grief into vengeance in an attempt cheek’)
to right the monstrosity they have
engendered.’ (Nina Levine)
Excluded from Olivier and
R and Women-> ‘when men are ruled by
women’ (1.4)
Powerful-> Power of female characters to divert
sympathy from Richard in the second half of the play
Female integrity
Queen Elizabeth Impetus to portray women as powerful and effective
leaders-> Elizabeth I on throne. Part of Tudor Myth.
Drive progression of the plot and swaying
perceptions of Richard
Not powerful-> little political power, lack integrity
Moral Reasonings and vivid imagery-> venale nature of R’s (Anne), passive roles (Elizabeth A4S1)
machinations
A2S4-> ‘tiger now hath seiz’d the gentle hind’ ‘Welcome,
destruction, blood and massacre’. Blatant tyranny.
A3S7 ‘afternoon of her best days’
‘pitchers have ears’
‘foul, bunch-backed toad’ Queen Anne
Weakness in Act 4S1-> ‘I am their mother. Who shall bar me
from them?’-> doesn’t attempt to gain access to her sons
‘foolish sorrows bid your stones farewell’->
A4S4-> words only ‘attorneys to their clients woes’ A1S2-> ‘be made more miserable by the
R->‘love her everlastingly’ death of him’ ‘virtuous lancaster’ ‘foul
QE-> ‘But how long shall that title ‘ever’ last? devil’
R->‘unto her fair life’s end’
QE->‘How long fairly shall her sweet life last?’ ‘ ‘the devil’ ‘deeds inhuman and unnatural’
R->As long as heaven and nature lengthens it’ ‘defused infection of a man’
QE-> ‘As long as hell and Richard likes of it.’ ‘joys me // to see you become so penitent’
Allows herself to succumb to Richard’s
‘shall I say her uncle?’ ‘tender years’
manipulation.
Passivity and lack of influence
‘relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!’
Opens with Margaret’s soliloquy-> launches and prefigures the final action of the play ‘prosperity begins to mellow
and drop into the rotten mouth of death’ ‘prove as bitter, black, and tragical’
Duchess of York
QE-> ‘O God, fly from such gentle lambs // And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?’
M-> ‘hellhound’ ‘hunt us all to death’ ‘hells black intelligencer’. ‘painted queen’.’For she commanding all, obeyed
of none.’
‘A cockatrice’ ‘hatched to the
world’ ‘Thou camest on earth to
QE ‘attorneys to their clients’ woes’. Nonetheless will use words against R. ‘copious in exclaims’
make the earth my hell’
R enters. D wishes she ‘intercepted thee[…] strangling thee in her accursed womb’. QE-> ‘Tell me’ ‘villain slave’ ‘blind sight, dead life’-> England
‘where are my children?’ QE and D confronts him with the murders. R instructs ‘flourish, trumpets! Strike alarums,
drums!’ ‘Let not the heavens hear these tell tale women’-> ‘Do then, but I’ll not hear’ ‘brief’. unnatural under the Yorkists, blind
D-> ‘cam’st on Earth to make the Earth my hell’ R-> ‘Let me march on’. sight is seeing without truly
Curse-> ‘little souls’ of the Princes ‘Whisper the spirits of thine enemies’ ‘Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end’
understanding, dead life is living
physically but spiritually ruined.
‘Wooing’ of QE-> Compare to A1S2, much longer. QE rational, bitter and worthy opponent. Interrupts, twists his
words and deliberately misunderstands him. Sarcastic and Sardonic tone.
‘virtuous visor hide deep vice’
QE understands the aims of R-> will ‘Slander’ herself to make her daughter illegitimate so she ‘may live unscarred ‘one false glass’
of bleeding slaughter’. ’revel in the entrails of my lambs’. R tries to promise QE that he will treat her well after hes
won. Wordplay of QE, R’s questions weaken his wordplay, needs stichomythic exchange explained to him. ‘Say I
will love her everlastingly’ ‘But how long shall that title ‘ever’ last? ‘unto her fair life’s end’ ‘How long fairly shall
her sweet life last?’ ‘As long as heaven and nature lengthens it’ ‘As long as hell and Richard likes of it.’
QE mocks him-> Says he ‘the man that slew her brothers’ should give her a pair of hearts of the princes, wipe up
her tears like the one Margaret did steeped in blood of Rutland, and if that does work send her a letter of ‘thy
noble deeds’, killing Clarence, Rivers and Anne. ‘put on some other shape’-> weakens his ability to ‘clothe my
naked villany’ ‘seem a saint’ Qe-> ‘shall I say her uncle?’ ‘tender years’ ‘King’s King forbids’. ‘Harp not on that
string, madam’ ‘Harp on it still shall till heart-strings break’. Qe great skillfull. ‘God’s wrong is most of all.’
R says he ‘intend to prosper and repent’. Rather pleading and begging, needs her daughter of ‘Death, desolation,
ruin and decay’ will take over-> QE forces R to curse himself. Elizabeth often has last word. QE concedes and exits.
R-> ‘relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!’
Examiner Notes 2025: Section A
General: Top Level responses
-Avoid having a fixed idea about which topics will be -Prepare for any passage in the selected play to be
addressed in Qs-> transferable set for this question
-Done this XX-> crafted, used, utilised -Evidence spent half time (1hr thus 30mins) for
-Technical accuracy-> time to check through in the end. section
Candidates who did well: -Linguistic and Dramatic devices-> consider BOTH!
-Original and imaginative-> confident to leave ideas -Discursive way (although not line-by-line) flexible
behind!! Judicious and creative
-Know the Assessment Objectives -Only use technical terminology with
-Knowledge of ‘poetry’ ‘verse’ ‘blank verse’ ‘prose’ ‘iambic discrimination-> only when adds to answer
pentameter’-> poetic terminology-> blank verse majority -Clear they have taken time to read, think about,
(unnecessary to mention), look for the obvious differences- and annotate the set passage
> blank verse 10 syllables (long line, similar), short line or -Discussion of punctuation in the passage with care-
dramatic line (extra syllable or beat?). Prose-> normal > some could be edited (i.e. exclamations)-> rather
paragraph-type writing, scrivener, murderers?, caesura, look at how others are responding.
exits and entrances -Dramatic consequences-> how will it be delivered?
-AO5-> Organic elements of the response. Basic historical -Sensible judgements what to include and what not
context (Tillyard) to
-Clear organisation of material. -Think ahead to pb-> linked in some way to context
-Literary trends and approaches passage.
Candidates who did less well: -Feels like you are being taken through the text->
-General writing or ‘twisted responses’ confident. Not ‘ploddy’. Own it! Use tentative
-Incorrect Aos for that part of the paper language well.
-Too ‘knowledge ‘ intensive Holistic view of the extract.
-Complex literary terms for own sake
-Didn’t blend AO5 and ‘
-‘bolted on’ context
-Answers which employed some of the more obscure
technical terminology didn’t always gain great deal for this
approach
Section B
Top Level responses
-Interpretation doesn’t have to be plays or
named critics-> generic readings (new
historicist, Tudor Myth), personal readings
-Evidence that the candidate has prepared for
wide range of major topics
-Planning is key-> Topic sentences for
beginning of each paragraph.
-L6-> selected range of performances/critical
views
-Changing texts OVER TIME.
,Examiner reports
2024 Examiner report:
2022 Examiner report:
2021 Examiner report:
Overall: Accurate, don’t bolt on AO5,
understand what different poetic devices
actually mean, don’t feature spot, focus
on the question. Provide a unique
response.
,Villainy: Conscience
1.1-> ‘leave the world for me to -His soul becomes victim to ‘the
bustle in’
worm of conscience’, sleepless
Murder of the Princes,
4.3 Tyrell: ‘the most arch deed of except for ‘some tormenting
piteous massacre that ever yet this dream’.
land was guilty’ ‘the bloody King’ ‘O, coward conscience, how dost
4.2 ‘I wish the bastards dead’ thou afflict me’
A1S3 ‘clothe my naked villainy’
‘seem a saint when most I play the
devil’
A1S3 ‘Cannot a plain man live, and
think no harm’
Richard Quote Bank
Religion
Blames Edward for the death of ‘I thank God for my humility’ A2S1
Clarence-> ‘by your first order died’
Conscience
‘must weep’ ‘loved him’ ‘daubed his
vice with show of virtue’
Overview Historical:
-Victorious Richmond represents the -Richmond’s victory is shaped by
sacred force of right providentially the Tudor myth of divine union, as
triumphing over the forces of evil-> the blood-soaked land is
For Tillyard, Richard III is a regenerated and the violence is
profoundly religious play: ‘The Play’s redeemed with peace and joy.
main end is to show the working out Ivring Ribner- R’s actions are
of God’s will in English history’ ‘cleansing operations’ ‘roots evil
‘deux ex machina’ out of society and restores the
world at last to the God-orientated
goodness embodied in the new
rule of Henry VII.’
Henry Tudor, Henry 7th
AO5-> Blades ‘Richmond the
A5S2-> ‘reap the harvest of perpetual peace’ healer is immediately linked to
A5S3-> ‘golden set’. Of the sun ‘how fares our loving mother?’ To
the imagery of healing and
thee I do commend my watchful soul’ sweetest sleep and fairest-
boding dreams’ warmth’
A5S5-> ‘smile upon… fair and prosperous days’ Emma Smith-> Speeches ‘pios
‘unite the white rose and the red’ ‘Smile heaven’ and platiudinous’
, Queen Margaret
Women
Galloway-> ‘The women of this play function as voices of
protest and morality’-> illuminate role of female
characters+ corruption/destruction created through war.
[Women in the play]‘Turn their grief into vengeance in an
attempt to right the monstrosity they have engendered.’ Forceful rhetorician and her intrinsic
understanding of world play
Similarities to Richard
(Nina Levine)
Richard is ‘warring with women’ (Levine)
National Voice for retributive justice Only M and R have asides and
Actually died 1482
‘Elizabeth was merely weak and changeable.’ (Blades) both were considered to be
‘had his teeth before his eyes’
(Belsey and Newnham) R is the ‘demonic other’ of
Margaret
the ‘demonic other’ at some
A1S3-> Rivers ‘were you well served, you would
‘royal women who bring home the horror behind the be taught her duty’-> ‘you serve me well, you point in Shakespearean
should all do me duty’ ‘O serve me well and teach
succession struggles of the history books’ the ‘women
wait’ ‘they stand by, majestically grieving, and count the
yourselves that duty!’ Wordplay histories (Belsey and
cost civil war in human terms’ Lisa Jardin, Programme R-> ‘bunchbacked toad’ ‘withered hag’ ‘slave of Newnham)
notes for RSC version of Richard III 1995
Dollimore-> ‘RIII is unusual among the history plays in
nature and son of hell’
Galloway-> M represents ‘the
the prominence of its female characters’ ‘foul devil’ ‘black magician’ ‘prove as bitter, black,
wrong sort of justice’, based
tragical’
on retribution (opposite to the
Mark Eccles-> R speaks over 1/3 of the plays’
lines and is in 14/25 scenes, that such his
Galloway-> ‘the women of this play function as
voices of protest and morality’
Christian ‘turn the other
‘shadow hangs over the rest’ ‘Turn their grief into vengeance in an attempt cheek’)
to right the monstrosity they have
engendered.’ (Nina Levine)
Excluded from Olivier and
R and Women-> ‘when men are ruled by
women’ (1.4)
Powerful-> Power of female characters to divert
sympathy from Richard in the second half of the play
Female integrity
Queen Elizabeth Impetus to portray women as powerful and effective
leaders-> Elizabeth I on throne. Part of Tudor Myth.
Drive progression of the plot and swaying
perceptions of Richard
Not powerful-> little political power, lack integrity
Moral Reasonings and vivid imagery-> venale nature of R’s (Anne), passive roles (Elizabeth A4S1)
machinations
A2S4-> ‘tiger now hath seiz’d the gentle hind’ ‘Welcome,
destruction, blood and massacre’. Blatant tyranny.
A3S7 ‘afternoon of her best days’
‘pitchers have ears’
‘foul, bunch-backed toad’ Queen Anne
Weakness in Act 4S1-> ‘I am their mother. Who shall bar me
from them?’-> doesn’t attempt to gain access to her sons
‘foolish sorrows bid your stones farewell’->
A4S4-> words only ‘attorneys to their clients woes’ A1S2-> ‘be made more miserable by the
R->‘love her everlastingly’ death of him’ ‘virtuous lancaster’ ‘foul
QE-> ‘But how long shall that title ‘ever’ last? devil’
R->‘unto her fair life’s end’
QE->‘How long fairly shall her sweet life last?’ ‘ ‘the devil’ ‘deeds inhuman and unnatural’
R->As long as heaven and nature lengthens it’ ‘defused infection of a man’
QE-> ‘As long as hell and Richard likes of it.’ ‘joys me // to see you become so penitent’
Allows herself to succumb to Richard’s
‘shall I say her uncle?’ ‘tender years’
manipulation.
Passivity and lack of influence
‘relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!’
Opens with Margaret’s soliloquy-> launches and prefigures the final action of the play ‘prosperity begins to mellow
and drop into the rotten mouth of death’ ‘prove as bitter, black, and tragical’
Duchess of York
QE-> ‘O God, fly from such gentle lambs // And throw them in the entrails of the wolf?’
M-> ‘hellhound’ ‘hunt us all to death’ ‘hells black intelligencer’. ‘painted queen’.’For she commanding all, obeyed
of none.’
‘A cockatrice’ ‘hatched to the
world’ ‘Thou camest on earth to
QE ‘attorneys to their clients’ woes’. Nonetheless will use words against R. ‘copious in exclaims’
make the earth my hell’
R enters. D wishes she ‘intercepted thee[…] strangling thee in her accursed womb’. QE-> ‘Tell me’ ‘villain slave’ ‘blind sight, dead life’-> England
‘where are my children?’ QE and D confronts him with the murders. R instructs ‘flourish, trumpets! Strike alarums,
drums!’ ‘Let not the heavens hear these tell tale women’-> ‘Do then, but I’ll not hear’ ‘brief’. unnatural under the Yorkists, blind
D-> ‘cam’st on Earth to make the Earth my hell’ R-> ‘Let me march on’. sight is seeing without truly
Curse-> ‘little souls’ of the Princes ‘Whisper the spirits of thine enemies’ ‘Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end’
understanding, dead life is living
physically but spiritually ruined.
‘Wooing’ of QE-> Compare to A1S2, much longer. QE rational, bitter and worthy opponent. Interrupts, twists his
words and deliberately misunderstands him. Sarcastic and Sardonic tone.
‘virtuous visor hide deep vice’
QE understands the aims of R-> will ‘Slander’ herself to make her daughter illegitimate so she ‘may live unscarred ‘one false glass’
of bleeding slaughter’. ’revel in the entrails of my lambs’. R tries to promise QE that he will treat her well after hes
won. Wordplay of QE, R’s questions weaken his wordplay, needs stichomythic exchange explained to him. ‘Say I
will love her everlastingly’ ‘But how long shall that title ‘ever’ last? ‘unto her fair life’s end’ ‘How long fairly shall
her sweet life last?’ ‘As long as heaven and nature lengthens it’ ‘As long as hell and Richard likes of it.’
QE mocks him-> Says he ‘the man that slew her brothers’ should give her a pair of hearts of the princes, wipe up
her tears like the one Margaret did steeped in blood of Rutland, and if that does work send her a letter of ‘thy
noble deeds’, killing Clarence, Rivers and Anne. ‘put on some other shape’-> weakens his ability to ‘clothe my
naked villany’ ‘seem a saint’ Qe-> ‘shall I say her uncle?’ ‘tender years’ ‘King’s King forbids’. ‘Harp not on that
string, madam’ ‘Harp on it still shall till heart-strings break’. Qe great skillfull. ‘God’s wrong is most of all.’
R says he ‘intend to prosper and repent’. Rather pleading and begging, needs her daughter of ‘Death, desolation,
ruin and decay’ will take over-> QE forces R to curse himself. Elizabeth often has last word. QE concedes and exits.
R-> ‘relenting fool and shallow, changing woman!’
