English Literature

Course summary

English Literature is one of the staples of A Level study at the School, and its record for excellent outcomes is well noted. English Literature more broadly offers a basis for developing skills of argument, critical thinking, effective communication, and crafting a well-rounded and holistic understanding of the world. Students will study the three core components of English Literature during their A Level course: Drama, Prose and Poetry. In the Drama component, the Shakespeare play ‘Othello’ will be studied alongside Tennessee Williams’s, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ In Prose, students will explore Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Margaret Attwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ linked by the theme of Science and Society. Finally, for the Poetry element, students will immerse themselves in a crucial period of literary transition in a study of The Romantics. The non-examination assessment, worth 20% of the final grade, is an opportunity for students to select texts of their choosing, connected by a theme of their interest that they can analyse and explore in an essay format.