The Tempest Lesson 1

Romance (a description in literature for a certain style of writing) Wordbank - A royal child is lost and rediscovered Sea journeys change men ’ s lives Scenes occur in different countries - most of them remote Main characters struggle against adversity and are rewarded in the end Characters thought dead are miraculously resurrected Final reconciliation is achieved through the agency of young people Story interlaced with strange monsters, savage beasts and supernatural apparitions Central character is a magician who finally renounces his magic and returns to civic life.

Band 5: Clear focus on the question and use of relevant quotations from both extracts. Clear understanding of how characters use language in both extracts. Creates an argument with well-chosen reference to the text to justify comments.

Band 6: Coherent analysis of the text in relation to the question. Appreciation of the effects of features of language in both extracts. Creates a well-developed argument with comments and precisely selected references to the text integrated appropriately.

Both bands require:  integrated quotations  ongoing links to both extracts  sentences that make a point, embed a quotation and explore implications relevant to the question in detail  creation of an argument - a chain of linked points that respond to the question with a point of view that might be maintained or reconsidered if appropriate.

OZYMANDIAS – Shelley I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: ‘ Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear – “ My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! ” Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. ’

KUBLA KHAN – Coleridge In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round: And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; And here were forests ancient as the hills, Enfolding sunny spots of greenery. But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover! A savage place! as holy and enchanted As e ’ er beneath a waning moon was haunted By woman wailing for her demon-lover!

In these poems, how do the poets use language to create a mysterious atmosphere? Both poems contain elements of mystery, drawing the reader in to a different world. The settings are sustained with specific choice of words and use of poetic techniques. Shelley and Coleridge are taking their readers on a journey to escape the reality of the world around them and to explore the possibilities of travel that were opening up with social and political developments. In the first extract, Shelley introduces us to a “ traveller ” from an “ antique land ” who speaks of the “ desert ” and a “ king of kings ”. The “ colossal wreck ” and alliterative “ boundless and bare ” create a sense of immensity and emptiness. The objects in the description are unfamiliar and create mystery in the lack of detail.

Continued … In the second extract, Coleridge introduces us to the character of “ Kubla Khan ” in a land called “ Xanado ” containing a river called “ Alph ”. Again, the reader is taken into another world with unfamiliar images and words. The places and names are mysterious and the alliterative “ sunless sea ” is the familiar made strange. The assonance used in the description of “ twice five miles of fertile ground ”, with the long ‘ i ’ sound repeated is enticing, adding a feeling of excitement and wonder. We, as the readers, are taken on a journey with a surprise, created by inventive use of language, around every corner. As well as creating a mysterious atmosphere, the poets also create a sense of fear and threat, suggesting that the mysterious journey might be fraught with dangers. Shelley gives us the great Ozymandias who is still able to say “ Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair ” whilst Coleridge talks of a “ savage place ” with a “ woman wailing for her lover ”. The images draw us into a world that uses the past to teach us about the future.

The reading skills that are assessed in the Shakespeare Paper are:  your ability to understand a question and select relevant material to suit your answer to it  your appreciation of how the language of the text informs your analysis of the question  your ability to construct an appropriate argument and develop your points in a coherent way  your understanding of character, theme, language or performance in relation to the extract

The Shakespeare Paper does not assess:  your understanding of the whole play or all of the extracts  your version of what happens  quantity of quotations  your opinion of the play

Homework: Use the 2 extracts from the opening of the play to respond to the question: How do these extracts draw the reader into a mysterious world?