Predictions

mmahony18

Just a heads up to everyone who is ruling out banquo, he is still an important character and my teacher is convinced he will be on it. Sure he was the question when the paper was leaked in 2009 it was banquo and deception or something, he isn't a particularly hard character compared to say getting asked Macduff alone, there's plenty to write on him so I don't think a banquo question is a particularly "evil" move by the SEC

Rachel_96

My teacher is quite convinced Banquo is up too.
It's basically how he's a shady character & you can't trust him.. He's not too difficult at all, he's much more manageable than other characters in the play! I really doubt there would be something on Malcom. Banquo has surprisingly a lot to speak off, others don't. Him, Macbeth & Lady mac are the most popular in my opinion

laylaax

What do ya think the odds of kinship in macbeth coming up are?

mmahony18

laylaax wrote: »

What do ya think the odds of kinship in macbeth coming up are?

Kingship in my opinion is one of the most useful essays to learn.You not only learn the theme of kingship but you also learn about minor characters in case a question was ever asked about minor characters and the impact they have or whatever, I also know it hasn't been asked since 1994 or 95 I believe so definitely worth knowing

millypop

An Triail anybody???

Rachel_96

mmahony18 wrote: »

Kingship in my opinion is one of the most useful essays to learn.You not only learn the theme of kingship but you also learn about minor characters in case a question was ever asked about minor characters and the impact they have or whatever, I also know it hasn't been asked since 1994 or 95 I believe so definitely worth knowing

What would you write on for kingship? We mainly focused on the character question rather than theme..

sarahkiely125

My teacher predicted the witches/supernatural, larkin and cultural context

Rachel_96

sarahkiely125 wrote: »

My teacher predicted the witches/supernatural, larkin and cultural context

Mine thinks General Vision :L

mmahony18

Rachel_96 wrote: »

What would you write on for kingship? We mainly focused on the character question rather than theme..

Well if the question was solely just theme of kingship, we did 1.brief intro of what kingship is and how Duncan, Malcolm, and Edward are good kings compared to Macbeth the tyrant. Kingship is basically talking about the 4 kings and how they ruled Scotland and for Edward England.
2. How Duncan is the model of good kingship, rewards Macbeth and punishes previous thane of Cawdor

3. But Duncan was a flawed king he was a poor judge of character and too trusting
4. King edward is a saintly king who can apparently heal the sick and sends an army to help over throw Macbeth

Paragraph 5,6,7 and 8 are all Macbeth just how he becomes a tyrant and out of control and Scotland suffers under him

9. Malcolm is the rightful heir to the throne and will rightly rule Scotland compared to Macbeth.
It's in the Macbeth book also for quotes but it's one of the easier theme questions I think

randylonghorn

FatRat wrote: »

Why would they try to 'catch people out' though? They don't exactly go out of their way to see that people do poorly in exams. There has to be an element of predictability in the exams, otherwise they would be too difficult. That's the way I see it anyway, that's why they rarely put the same poets 2 years in a row. They want people to do well.. It'd make them look good.

Badwulf wrote: »

This. The SEC want to see people do well in there exams, there not some kind of faceless boogy men who think every year "NOW HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS PAPER AS HARD AS POSSIBLE THIS YEAR?!?!" They want to see you do well

The SEC aren't interested in "catching people out" or tricking students or giving people nervous breakdowns.

On the other hand, they have a responsibility to examine the curriculum as set. Too much predictability (something they have been criticised for in recent years) simply means that students (and teachers) completely ignore vast chunks of the curriculum.

For example, if you could guarantee the poets which would come up each year, why would anyone do more than one?

laylaax wrote: »

Is it really risky doing only 3 poets Larkin , yeats and kinsella ?

Fairly tbh. I've seen people on here in other years who walked into the exam with 4 poets prepared, and opened the paper to find none of them. While the statistical chances of getting at least getting one out of three is fairly good, it's worth looking over another two quickly so that you could cobble together some kind of answer if you're stuck. And you will be much less panicky on the day as well.

nn123

My English teacher told us this:
Macbeth- macbeths relationships/minor character ie Macduff and Banquo, the dramatic devices used in macbeth ie the supernatural/witches, soliloquies,imagery
Comparative- general vision and viewpoint!
Poetry- Dickinson, Plath, Larkin....I think heaney may come up in P1 as a comprehension/ p2 as unseen poetry

MikeSD

By the sounds of things, people in the department of education are leaking information of the paper. Suppose it's not surprising. How could all the people keep quiet?

accountname

MikeSD wrote: »

By the sounds of things, people in the department of education are leaking information of the paper. Suppose it's not surprising. How could all the people keep quiet?

I really doubt anyone's been leaking anything, it's all educated guesswork, it's the same every year. I suppose it's what they get for making terribly predictable exams.

MikeSD

accountname wrote: »

I really doubt anyone's been leaking anything, it's all educated guesswork, it's the same every year. I suppose it's what they get for making terribly predictable exams.

They really should make it later to avoid the possibility.

romanita

EoghanIRL wrote: »

I learned all 3 but would you say theme or issue or cultural context is more likely .

CC definitely more likely... Not only cos it's its last year but it also has only been up 5 times since 2002 whereas theme has been up 7..

AKMCD2014

Would I be ok just focusing on major and minor characters in Macbeth?

I find questions on imagery/language/power etc far too broad.

Hotale.com

AKMCD2014 wrote: »

Would I be ok just focusing on major and minor characters in Macbeth?

I find questions on imagery/language/power etc far too broad.

A character question has came up for the past 50-something years.

Unless we're horribly unlucky you'll be grand.

Lollipop95

For poetry who do you think would be better to focus on between Plath and Bishop? Already have Larkin,Mahon and Heaney done

MrAweesome

Lollipop95 wrote: »

For poetry who do you think would be better to focus on between Plath and Bishop? Already have Larkin,Mahon and Heaney done

Bishop or Dickinson I think, Dickinson is the most tipped out of them all to come up.

fishnetsxD

mmahony18 wrote: »

Just a heads up to everyone who is ruling out banquo, he is still an important character and my teacher is convinced he will be on it. Sure he was the question when the paper was leaked in 2009 it was banquo and deception or something, he isn't a particularly hard character compared to say getting asked Macduff alone, there's plenty to write on him so I don't think a banquo question is a particularly "evil" move by the SEC

I wrote four and a half pages on him with ease. I think it'd be good if he came up cause you'd use the same four points

MikeSD

fishnetsxD wrote: »

I wrote four and a half pages on him with ease. I think it'd be good if he came up cause you'd use the same four points

Could you explain how you go about answering "Banquo and Deception" please?

LeavingCertee

Hi all, I've seen questions about the comparative a lot on boards recently.. just to clarify the difference between General Vision and Viewpoint (GVV) and Cultural Context (CC) for people.. GVV is all about the viewpoint of the author, the perception the author had of the world the text is set in. So was it in GENERAL melancholy or joyous, light or dark? To support your answer you could compare key scenes, endings, key actions taken by characters etc. GVV also encompasses the author's view of the characters he/she creates and how these characters are a vehicle for the authors message. Now, CC on the other hand is more to do with society. Things such as morals, what's right and what's wrong, societal taboos, social divide/conflict, religion, the role of family/women/men. It's really a discussion of how the text explores culture. And one key thing to remember for all the modes of comparison is this: keep saying words like similarly, in juxtaposition.. etc. and remember contrasts are valid too.. i.e. where the texts differ!
Best of luck everybody!

fishnetsxD

MikeSD wrote: »

Could you explain how you go about answering "Banquo and Deception" please?

These are two different qs.
Points to note on banquo
He is initially just as brave in battle as the fierce Macbeth. He is described as Nobel banquo by Duncan.
He is a loyal friend as he goes to the witches with Macbeth.
He is fearless, urges the witches to talk to him.
It is predicted that he will "have kings". When Macbeth asks him if he wants the prophesy for him to come true he says it's best to ignore them.
He warns macbeth that the witches can be evil and describes them as "instruments of darkness"
He says that the witches lure their targets and tend to betray them. He tells Macbeth to take no notice of them.
He also says to Macbeth "that trusted home might yet enkindle you unto a crown" it shows that banquo is loyal and thinks that one should find the path to king ship loyally.
in act 2, he is haunted by the witches, particularly by the fact their prophesies came true for macbeth. "I dreamt last night of the weird sisters"
You could discuss the nature of the cursed thoughts he has.
In act 2, scene 2 macbeth tries to tempt him, "if you shall cleave to my consent, when tis it shall make honour for you". Banquo declines saying his loyalty is with Duncan.
When the murder of Duncan is declared he chooses to investigate and put the murderer to justice.
In act 3 he is extremely suspiscious of macbeth, "I fear thou playdst most foully for't". Despite his suspicions he doesn't act upon them. This in a way makes him a bit evil cause he is hoping with power, possibly along side macbeth.
Last thing you could discuss is the consequences of him not acting, Duncan's death, fleance's life, his life and the state of Scotland In danger.
it's also important to note that he is the only one who knows about the witches.

deception
is start with a meaning of the word. You can also discuss loyalty.
I'd discuss the previous thane of Cawdor deceiving Duncan, the same happens with macbeth.
Banquo deceives through not acting
Lady macbeth deceives family by convincing macbeth to kill
the witches deceive macbeth by giving ambiguous prophesies to him.
You can also speak about the loyalty of banquo and macbeth at the start.
Then the loyalty of Malcolm and Macduff who bring the country to justice.

mmahony18

Would anyone be able to tell me if 4 headings are acceptable for the GVV and Theme or Issue? Don't think I'd have enough time to do 5 headings.

bb1234567

mmahony18 wrote: »

Would anyone be able to tell me if 4 headings are acceptable for the GVV and Theme or Issue? Don't think I'd have enough time to do 5 headings.

WHat do you mean by headings?

mmahony18

bb1234567 wrote: »

WHat do you mean by headings?

Basically the layout of the essay. For GVV we use the headings Opening, Relationships, Society and ending and discuss the texts under each of those headings how they're similar and contrast etc, I'm just wondering would those 4 be enough

MikeSD

fishnetsxD wrote: »

These are two different qs.
Points to note on banquo
He is initially just as brave in battle as the fierce Macbeth. He is described as Nobel banquo by Duncan.
He is a loyal friend as he goes to the witches with Macbeth.
He is fearless, urges the witches to talk to him.
It is predicted that he will "have kings". When Macbeth asks him if he wants the prophesy for him to come true he says it's best to ignore them.
He warns macbeth that the witches can be evil and describes them as "instruments of darkness"
He says that the witches lure their targets and tend to betray them. He tells Macbeth to take no notice of them.
He also says to Macbeth "that trusted home might yet enkindle you unto a crown" it shows that banquo is loyal and thinks that one should find the path to king ship loyally.
in act 2, he is haunted by the witches, particularly by the fact their prophesies came true for macbeth. "I dreamt last night of the weird sisters"
You could discuss the nature of the cursed thoughts he has.
In act 2, scene 2 macbeth tries to tempt him, "if you shall cleave to my consent, when tis it shall make honour for you". Banquo declines saying his loyalty is with Duncan.
When the murder of Duncan is declared he chooses to investigate and put the murderer to justice.
In act 3 he is extremely suspiscious of macbeth, "I fear thou playdst most foully for't". Despite his suspicions he doesn't act upon them. This in a way makes him a bit evil cause he is hoping with power, possibly along side macbeth.
Last thing you could discuss is the consequences of him not acting, Duncan's death, fleance's life, his life and the state of Scotland In danger.
it's also important to note that he is the only one who knows about the witches.

deception
is start with a meaning of the word. You can also discuss loyalty.
I'd discuss the previous thane of Cawdor deceiving Duncan, the same happens with macbeth.
Banquo deceives through not acting
Lady macbeth deceives family by convincing macbeth to kill
the witches deceive macbeth by giving ambiguous prophesies to him.
You can also speak about the loyalty of banquo and macbeth at the start.
Then the loyalty of Malcolm and Macduff who bring the country to justice.

Thanks that was very helpful. I was confused when I thought I heard that deception and Banquo was one question :L

AmbiiSmiley

English: I'm predicting Yeats, Dickinson and Plath.
Heaney will no doubt appear on the paper somewhere....I'm presuming he will be on the comprehension on paper 1.
If by chance they do put him on the poems, his question will be really difficult.

Macbeth will probably be between Kingship or Lady Macbeth I would say, but it could be anything.

GVV and Cultural context are both due methinks.

Irish (ordinary level): Gnathrud and colscaradh because they have not come up yet so they are strong contenders.

fishnetsxD

MikeSD wrote: »

Thanks that was very helpful. I was confused when I thought I heard that deception and Banquo was one question :L

He doesn't completely deceive though. He just does nothing. I hope either banquo or lady macbeth come up

Mayo4sam14

If banquo did come up, what would you right about concerning him?