Official June 2024 AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B 7716/1A Paper 1A Literary genres: Drama: Aspects of tragedy Merged Question Paper + Mark Scheme Ace your Mocks!!! IB/G/Jun24/G4001/E4 7716/1A Thursday 16 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have: • an AQA 12-page answer book. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7716/1A. • Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. • You must answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B. Information • The maximum mark for this paper is 50. • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. • In your response you need to: – analyse carefully the writers’ methods – explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about – explore the connections across the texts you have studied – explore different interpretations of your texts. AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 1A Literary genres: Drama: Aspects of tragedy 2 IB/G/Jun24/7716/1A Section A Answer one question from this section. Either 0 1 Othello – William Shakespeare Explore the significance of aspects of dramatic tragedy in the following passage in relation to the play as a whole. You should consider the following in your answer: • the presentation of Iago’s villainy • the interaction between Othello and Desdemona • other relevant aspects of dramatic tragedy. [25 marks] IAGO (aside) He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper. With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do. I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true, ’tis so indeed. If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play the sir in. Very good: well kissed, an excellent courtesy! ’Tis so indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? Would they were clyster-pipes for your sake! Trumpet (Aloud) The Moor! I know his trumpet. CASSIO ’Tis truly so. DESDEMONA Let’s meet him and receive him. CASSIO Lo, where he comes! Enter Othello and attendants OTHELLO O, my fair warrior! DESDEMONA My dear Othello! OTHELLO It gives me wonder great as my content To see you here before me. O, my soul’s joy! If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have wakened death, And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas, Olympus-high, and duck again as low As hell’s from heaven. If it were now to die, ’Twere now to be most happy; for I fear My soul hath her content so absolute That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in unknown fate. 3 IB/G/Jun24/7716/1A Turn over ► DESDEMONA The heavens forbid But that our loves and comforts should increase, Even as our days do grow. OTHELLO Amen to that, sweet Powers! I cannot speak enough of this content; It stops me here; it is too much of joy. They kiss And this, and this the greatest discords be That e’er our hearts shall make. IAGO (aside) O, you are well tuned now! But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am. OTHELLO Come, let’s to the castle. News, friends; our wars are done; the Turks are drowned. How does my old acquaintance of this isle? Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus: I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet, I prattle out of fashion and I dote In mine own comforts. I prithee, good Iago, Go to the bay and disembark my coffers; Bring thou the Master to the citadel; He is a good one, and his worthiness Does challenge much respect. Come, Desdemona, Once more well met at Cyprus! Exeunt all except Iago and Roderigo (Act 2, Scene 1) Turn over for the next question 4 IB/G/Jun24/7716/1A or 0 2 King Lear – William Shakespeare Explore the significance of aspects of dramatic tragedy in the following passage in relation to the play as a whole. You should consider the following in your answer: • the presentation of Lear • the ways the Fool responds to Lear • other relevant aspects of dramatic tragedy. [25 marks] Storm still. Enter Lear and the Fool LEAR Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurous and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-curriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! And thou all-shaking thunder, Strike flat the thick rotundity o’the world, Crack Nature’s moulds, all germens spill at once That makes ingrateful man! FOOL O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o’door. Good nuncle, in; ask thy daughters’ blessing. Here’s a night pities neither wise men nor fools. LEAR Rumble thy bellyful! Spit, fire! Spout, rain! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters. I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, called you children. You owe me no subscription; then let fall Your horrible pleasure. Here I stand, your slave, A poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man. But yet I call you servile ministers, That will with two pernicious daughters join Your high-engendered battles ’gainst a head So old and white as this. O, ho! ’Tis foul! FOOL He that has a house to put’s head in has a good headpiece: The cod-piece that will house Before the head has any, The head and he shall louse; So beggars marry many. The man that makes his toe What he his heart should make, Shall of a corn cry woe, And turn his sleep to wake.