AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE PAPER 1

Tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character

Protaganist

main character

Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character

Prologue

A speech, passage, or event coming before the main speech or event

Monologue

A long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.

Soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

Sonnet form

ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Dramatic irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

Prose

written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

Religious imagery

a work of visual art that is representational and has a religious purpose, subject or connection.

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Plosives

Consonant sounds that form a small explosion when spoken eg 'b', 'p', 't', 'd'

Sibilance

a hissing sound

Pun

A play on words

bawdy humour

A sexual related humour.

patriachy

Male domination, Rule of men

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces

Love

A decision to "will the good of another" person

Fate

destiny

death

end of life

secrecy

The act of keeping something private

family

Group of genera that share many characteristics

youth vs age

conflict between young and old

Romeo

A young Montague. Not interested in violence, only love. He's passionate and sensitive and yet somehow impulsive

Juliet

A young Capulet. Naive and sheltered at the beginning, develops into a strong character

Friar Lawrence

Friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Civic-minded. Also an expert with potions and herbs

Nurse

Like a mother to Juliet. Sexual. Often saying inappropriate things

Capulet

Juliet's father. Prudent and caring but can fly into a rage if respect is lacking

Mercutio

Romeo's close friend. witty, bawdy, cynical and a hot-headed character

Benvolio

Romeo's cousin; tries to keep the peace

Prince

Leader of Verona, concerned with keeping order between the families

Tybalt

Juliet's cousin obsessed with family honour

Duelling and the concept of honour

Maintaining your honour and family name was important, if you were challenged to a duel and refused you were considered a coward

Courtly love and cures for lovesickness

Various cures and could lead to madness

Role of women in a patriarchal society

Controlled by men and considered the weaker sex, obedient to their male half

arranged marriage

the process by which senior family members exercise a great degree of control over the choice of their children's spouses

Fin-de-siècle fears

At the end of the 19th century there were growing fears about: migration, disease, sexuality, promiscuity, moral degeneration

Victorian values

From the 1850's to the turn of the century British society was outwardly displaying values of sexual restraint, low tolerance of crime, religious morality

Darwinism

The idea that humans evolved from apes and amphibians let to worries about our linage

Physiognomy

Lombroso reckoned you could tell someone's character by their facial features

Victorian London

Became biggest city in the world and global capital for politics, finance and trade under Victoria

Urban terror

London wealthier, but poverty and crime grew; overcrowded city rife with crime. Crowd as something that could hide criminals = trope Victorian literature

Robert Louis Stevenson

Born and raised in Edinburgh; dual identity British and Scottish. Raised in wealthy New Town area of Edinburgh, but spent youth exploring darker side of town

Deacon Brodie

Respectable member of Edinburgh's society and town councillor; secret life as burglar, womaniser, gambler; hanged 1788. As youth Stevenson wrote play about him.

Aberration

something that differs from the norm

abhorrent

hateful

allegory

A story in which each aspect of the story has a symbolic meaning outside the tale itself.

Anxiety

The condition of feeling uneasy or worried about what may happen

Atavism

a reappearance of an earlier characteristic

Consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

debased

reduced in quality or value

degenerate

to break down; to deteriorate

depraved

marked by evil and corruption

duality

a dual state or quality

duplicity

intentional deceit in speech or conduct

epistolary

concerned with letters; through correspondence

ethics

the principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions

eugenics

science dealing with improving hereditary qualities

feral

wild, savage

genre

a major category or type of literature

metamorphis

change of form

perversion

corruption; turning from right to wrong

professional

relating to or belonging to a profession

respectability

emphasises role modelling and valuing

restraint

moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction

savage

fierce, violent, and uncontrolled

suppression

holding back or restraining

supernatural

beyond the laws of nature

unorthodox

breaking with convention or tradition

be original

develop our own interpretations

Be critical

Give your own justified opinions

Get to grips with the context

What effect does it have on Novel and readers understanding

Comment on themes

Consider the applications

Duality of human nature

The idea that humans are made from more than one aspect

Science and the unexplained

The advance of science during the Victorian period was a source of pride and fear

The supernatural

beyond the laws of nature

Reputation

An idea held by the public about something or someone

Rationality

logic and reasoning

Urban terror

Fear of crime in the big, anonymous city

Science

A way of learning about the natural world

Secrecy

The act of keeping something private

addiction

compulsive drug craving and use

Dr Henry Jekyll

A doctor and experimental scientist who is both wealthy and respectable

Mr. Edward Hyde

A small, violent and unpleasant-looking man; an unrepentant criminal.

Gabriel Utterson

A calm and rational lawyer and friend of Jekyll

Dr Hastie Lanyon

A conventional and respectable doctor and former friend of Jekyll.

Richard Enfield

A distant relative of Utterson and well-known man about town

Poole

Jekyll's manservant

Sir Danvers Carew

A distu

Mr Guest

Utterson's secretary and handwriting expert.

Good luck everyone tomorrow

!!!