1. Romeo and Juliet (And A Christmas Carol)
EXTRACT TO WHOLE
Romeo and Juliet
(And A Christmas Carol)

2. What’s being ASSESSED? AO1: AO2: AO3:
Read, understand and respond to texts. Candidates should be able to
Maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response.
Use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
AO2:
Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
AO3:
Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.

3. What’s being ASSESSED? AO4 (4 MARKS):
Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

4. How is it marked?
Whilst the question is set out in two bullet points, the first referencing the extract, and the second referencing the whole, it remains an essentially holistic approach to the text. There are not separate marks allocated to each bullet point within the mark scheme. Instead, it is the overall quality of the response that is rewarded. This allows students to take different and flexible approaches to the question.

5. TO a question
At this point in the play Juliet is waiting for the Nurse to come back from meeting Romeo. Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents attitudes towards love in Romeo and Juliet. Write about: • what Juliet says about love in this speech • how Shakespeare uses language to present attitudes to love in the play as a whole.
The extract will always be in context
Guides your answer
Clearly addressing AO1 – inviting personal response and thought
Reference to author to remind you of AO2
AO3 – it’s giving you a theme which invites you to think about the context of love

6. NONE OF THESE IS BETTER OR WORSE
So, you have a choice:
You can:
Spend half of your time responding to the extract, and half referencing the text as a whole; OR
Spend longer on the extract, and less on the whole;
Choose to spend longer on the whole and less on the extract.
NONE OF THESE IS BETTER OR WORSE

7. THE EXTRACT: A few TIPS READ THE QUESTION
…because it will give you the focus.
If it mentions JULIET, look for SOMETHING – ANYTHING – about Juliet in the extract.
If it mentions LOVE, look for something – ANYTHING – about love in the extract ready for the whole play part.

8. THE EXTRACT: A few TIPS
IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE EXTRACT, DON’T PANIC
…because it doesn’t stop you answering on the whole text.
Even if it’s only ONE POINT from the extract, it’s something.
You have the focus for the essay, so even if the extract doesn’t help you, you will know something about the topic.
Say the extract is focusing on Romeo and you can’t understand it: you STILL KNOW LOTS ABOUT ROMEO from the rest of the play

9. THE EXTRACT: A few TIPS THE EXTRACT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT
…because examiners choose it carefully.
It may be a TURNING POINT in the play
It could contain a SIGNIFICANT SHIFT in the action or our feelings about something
It might be the FIRST or LAST time we see someone

10. THE EXTRACT: A few TIPS USE THE CONTEXT OF THE EXTRACT
…because it may help focus your attention for the whole text part.
What has ALREADY happened?
What is ABOUT TO happen?

11. THE EXTRACT: A few TIPS
USE THESE IDEAS TO HELP YOU
…because I said so.
I think at this point in the text, the writer is trying to establish for the reader ….
One aspect of the character that the writer focuses on, or develops here is ….
What strikes me as important in the way that I respond to the character (or relate to the theme of) here is … because of the way that the writer ….
It is interesting to note that this is (early, in the middle, or late in the text) so that by this stage, the writer focuses the reader’s attention on …
The writer seems to want the reader to feel … (towards the character, or about the theme etc) and this is developed in the way that he/she …

12. LOOK AT THE EXTRACT
Read it. Highlight or underline anything which helps you with bullet point one • what Juliet says about love in this speech 4 minutes – or as long as it takes this chap to drink his poison…

13. THE WHOLE TEXT: A FEW TIPS
THINK ABOUT OTHER IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN THE TEXT THAT ARE LINKED BECAUSE THE EXTRACT:
reinforces an audience’s perception of the character or theme etc, or confirms the way that the writer is shaping the reader’s response
develops an audience’s perception
changes an audience’s perception
conflicts or confounds an audience’s perception
introduces the potential for different interpretations.

14. THE WHOLE TEXT: A FEW TIPS
FOR EXAMPLE, WERE THE EXTRACT ABOUT MERCUTIO DYING, WE MIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT
When Mercutio goes a bit mental talking about Queen Mab
His anger with Romeo for not leaving the party with them
Him winding Benvolio up for being short-tempered
Mercutio being the one who started this fight with Tybalt

15. THE WHOLE TEXT: A FEW TIPS
OR, WERE THE EXTRACT FOCUSED ON IDEAS ABOUT LOVE WHEN ROMEO IS TALKING ABOUT ROSALINE, WE MIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT
His change when he meets Juliet
The speed at which he becomes involved bearing in mind he was ‘in love’ already
The way he talks about Juliet at the party
The extreme action he takes in killing himself

16. THE WHOLE TEXT: A FEW TIPS
THINK ABOUT USING THESE PROMPTS
One point that I notice in this extract is the way in which the writer…
Later, (or earlier) in the text, we see a change (or development, or confirmation) to this in that …
Another point of significance in the extract is …
Again, this relates to a point (later or earlier) in that …
As this extract comes from the end of the play, it is interesting to think about when the writer first introduces…

17. LOVE
Take 4 minutes – the time it takes to break a heart - to jot down key moments about love for you.

18. Now, can you link them?
Using your extract and the points you have made about love, can you see where your ideas directly link – either as SIMILARITIES OR DIFFERENCES – to the extract? 3 minutes or until the dagger has stabbed the heart. Cheery.

19. Let’s have a go
I want you to have a go at writing one paragraph that focuses on the extract. I then want you to have a go at one paragraph which launched into a wider consideration of love in the play. 10 minutes… until the rose has withered.