English Literature

Course summary

The study of A Level English Literature involves close reading and study of challenging texts: plays, poems and prose. The examiners reward candidates who attempt to read widely to improve their confidence in responding to the subject matter. English Literature is an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys reading a wide range of books, analysing texts and debating the big questions about being human. FIRST-YEAR COURSE CONTENT Love Through The Ages Candidates will read and study a key Shakespeare play: ”Othello”. Candidates are provided with a Poetry Anthology which contains celebrated Pre-1900 poems about love. Candidates will read one prose text: “The Great Gatsby” - they will need to compare how the theme of love is explored in the prose text and Poetry. IMPORTANT The precise choice of texts can vary from year to year. SECOND-YEAR COURSE CONTENT Literature from 1945 onwards Independent Critical study: candidates select two literary texts to study in depth; one must have been published before 1900. We study The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and candidates select the comparative text Drama: “ Translations” by Brian Friel Prose: “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood Poetry: “Feminine Gospels” by Carol Ann Duffy Candidates will also need to sit an examination based on their study and revision of the texts they focused on in the previous year.