Othello Exemplar Essays and Essay Plans (A-level)

From AQA A-level English Literature A ‘Love through the ages’ (7711, 7712) -*I sat my exams in June 2018 and achieved an A grade. *

This resource contains a list of 25-mark essay plans (fully-written essays as well as structured plans), and a list of key quotations:

• Discuss how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play (25 marks)

• 'As lovers, Othello and Desdemona either worship or despise one another. There is no middle ground.’
  In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s and Desdemona’s attitudes towards one another in this extract and elsewhere in the play. (25 marks)

• ‘Paradoxically, texts present jealousy as a destructive force existing within the deepest of love’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s feelings for Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play. (25 marks)

Structured plans

• ‘Bleak, pessimistic view on love: it is a cause of misery and sadness’
• Typically, love is presented as an all-consuming, malicious force’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents love in this passage and elsewhere in the play.
• In Othello, females are presented as weak-minded and subservient in their relationships with their husband’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents marital love in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
• ‘Shakespeare presents love as successfully transcending boundaries and difficulties’. In light of this view, examine the relationship between Othello and Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
• ‘Typically, texts present men as unable to control their emotions or act rationally upon them’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s emotions in this extract and elsewhere in the play.