This book is a superb all-in-one guide to success GCSE English Language and English Literature - GCSE English 2003

What The Examiner Wants
Section Three — Drama

Basically, the examiner wants to know that you've understood the play. It's as simple as that.

Show You’ve Understood the Play

1) The examiner wants to know you understand the order everything happens in. This is quite simple — you just have to avoid making stupid mistakes like "Juliet kills herself in Act 1".

2) The examiner wants to know you're familiar with all the characters, not just the main ones. So, it'll look really good if you refer to some minor characters in your answer.

You've also got to know stuff about the characters — who's related to whom, what are they like, how they behave, etc... If you get people mixed up, you'll lose marks.

3) You need to quote little bits of text every now and then, to back up your points and prove you've understood the play.

Explain the Major Issues the Play Deals With

Plays are about more than just the plot — they deal with wider issues.

Look out for these 3 things in any play — you'll boost your grade if you mention them:

1 Social Issues 'Death of a Salesman' deals with the American Dream of the self-made man.

2 Moral Issues 'An Inspector Calls' deals with what drives people to suicide.

Lots of Shakespeare's plays ask questions about what love

3 Philosophical Issues actually is, not just how people act when they're in it.

Show You Know that Plays Should be Watched not Read

You need to show that you realise plays are meant to be performed, not read silently.

The examiner wants to know you've thought about the impact a play would have on an audience

You can do this easily by throwing in the odd line a bit like this —

Come Up With Some Ideasof Your Own

1) Examiners love it if you can come up with something original.

2) If something occurs to you but you're not sure if it's right, try and stick it in anyway.

3) As long as you can back it up with a QUOTE from the text, you'll be fine.

Stop playing around — and get this learnt

Remember that plays are meant to be acted, not read in your head. So if you're struggling, put on your best thespian's voice and read it aloud — that way the characters will be clearer.

You always have to write about these things in drama essays — whether it is in exams or coursework.

Write About the Style

Show You Understand the Significance of the Play

Almost all plays have something to say about society at the time they were written in — even light-hearted comedies and histories that were set in different periods.

You need to think very carefully about which of these themes comes up, and what the playwright might have been trying to say.

Show You Appreciate Stagecraft

'Stagecraft' means the writer's skill at writing for the stage.

Appreciating it means asking yourself a few key questions —

1) How would this scene look on stage? 2) How would the audience react? 3) Is it effective?

The final act of Romeo and Juliet features above average 'stagecraft':

Stagecraft is relevant to ANY play you write about

This is all worth learning for sure, as it's relevant for any play you end up studying.

So learn the headings and mention them in any drama essay. Even ones about Shakespeare.