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AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE A
Paper 1 Love through the ages: Shakespeare and poetry
Thursday 16 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 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 7711/1.
• Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked.
• Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Information
• The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• 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.
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Section A: Shakespeare
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 Othello – William Shakespeare
Read the extract from Othello, provided below, and respond to the following:
• How does Shakespeare present aspects of love in this extract?
• Examine the view that, in this extract and elsewhere in the play, lago easily turns
Othello from a loving husband into a suspicious fool.
[25 marks]
OTHELLO By heaven, I’ll know thy thoughts.
IAGO
You cannot, if my heart were in your hand,
Nor shall not, whilst ’tis in my custody.
OTHELLO
Ha!
IAGO O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss
Who certain of his fate loves not his wronger,
But O, what damnèd minutes tells he o’er,
Who dotes yet doubts, suspects yet fondly loves!
OTHELLO
O misery!
IAGO
Poor and content is rich, and rich enough;
But riches fineless is as poor as winter,
To him that ever fears he shall be poor.
Good God, the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!
OTHELLO Why, why is this?
Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy,
To follow still the changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions? No, to be once in doubt
Is once to be resolved. Exchange me for a goat,
When I shall turn the business of my soul
To such exsufflicate and blown surmises,
Matching thy inference. ’Tis not to make me jealous
To say my wife is fair, loves company,
Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well:
Where virtue is, these are more virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt,
For she had eyes and chose me. No, Iago,
I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And on the proof, there is no more but this:
Away at once with love or jealousy!
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IAGO
I am glad of this: for now I shall have reason
To show the love and duty that I bear you
With franker spirit. Therefore, as I am bound,
Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio.
Wear your eye thus: not jealous, nor secure.
I would not have your free and noble nature,
Out of self-bounty, be abused. Look to’t.
I know our country disposition well:
In Venice they do let God see the pranks
They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience
Is not to leave’t undone, but keep’t unknown.
OTHELLO
Dost thou say so?
IAGO
She did deceive her father, marrying you,
And when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks,
She loved them most.
OTHELLO And so she did.
IAGO Why, go to, then!
She that so young could give out such a seeming,
To seel her father’s eyes up close as oak –
He thought ’twas witchcraft. – But I am much to blame,
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon
For too much loving you.
OTHELLO I am bound to thee for ever.
IAGO
I see this hath a little dashed your spirits.
OTHELLO
Not a jot, not a jot.
IAGO In faith, I fear it has.
I hope you will consider what is spoke
Comes from my love. But I do see you’re moved.
I am to pray you, not to strain my speech
To grosser issues, nor to larger reach
Than to suspicion.
OTHELLO
I will not.
IAGO Should you do so, my lord,
My speech should fall into such vile success
Which my thoughts aimed not at. Cassio’s my worthy
friend.
My lord, I see you’re moved.
OTHELLO No, not much moved.
I do not think but Desdemona’s honest.
(Act 3, Scene 3)
Turn over for the next question
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