Flashcards · 9695 · A Level Topic 3

Paper 3 – Shakespeare and Drama (A Level) flashcards

12 cards on A Level Topic 3, subtopics 3.1 to 3.2. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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How is 9695 Paper 3 Shakespeare and Drama set out?: 2 hours, 50 marks, 25% of the A Level (A Level only): Section A Shakespeare and Section B Drama, 25 marks each, with an essay (a) or passage-based (b) question on each text.
What is AO5 in 9695 English Literature?: Evaluation of opinion: discussing and evaluating varying opinions and interpretations of literary texts. It is assessed only on Papers 3 and 4.
AO3 or AO5: what is the difference?: AO3 rewards your own independent opinion. AO5 rewards discussing and weighing other people's readings (critics, alternative interpretations, productions) alongside your own.
How do you build AO5 into a paragraph?: Make an analytical point (AO2), state your view of its effect (AO3) clearly (AO4), then add how some critics or productions have read it differently and weigh that against your view. Spread this through the essay.
Which Shakespeare plays are set for 9695 Paper 3 in the 2026 series?: Hamlet or The Taming of the Shrew. Set texts rotate, so always check the list for the series you are sitting.
Which Hamlet soliloquy begins "To be, or not to be, that is the question"?: Hamlet's Act 3 soliloquy weighing life against death. Its balanced alternatives and questions dramatise his paralysing deliberation, a central idea in the play.
Which Shakespeare plays are set for 9695 Paper 3 in 2027?: Henry IV, Part 1 or The Taming of the Shrew, from the 9695 syllabus for 2027 and 2028. Hamlet is not set for 2027.

Which drama texts are set for 9695 Paper 3 Section B in 2026?: One of Sweat (Lynn Nottage), Long Day's Journey Into Night (Eugene O'Neill) or Kongi's Harvest (Wole Soyinka).
How does a Paper 3 drama answer differ from a Paper 1 drama answer?: It needs AO5 as well: awareness of how the play has been interpreted differently by critics, readers or productions. Paper 1 drama is marked on AO1–AO4 only.
What is the commonest mistake on a passage-based (b) question?: Answering it in essay style and ignoring the extract printed on the paper. The answer must work closely with that passage.
How can performance history support AO5?: Noting that different productions have staged a scene differently (for example as comic or as tragic) offers an alternative interpretation to weigh against your own reading.
Which drama texts are set for 9695 Paper 3 Section B in 2027?: One of Sweat (Lynn Nottage), Kongi's Harvest (Wole Soyinka) or Our Country's Good (Timberlake Wertenbaker). Long Day's Journey Into Night is not set for 2027.