This presentation explores F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, The Great Gatsby. The slides outline its publication, reputation as ‘The Great American Novel’, and themes such as corruption, the American Dream, class, nostalgia, and love. An in-depth character outline depicts all of the major characters with reference to the themes associated with their actions/role in the novel. Three slides are dedicated to close textual analysis of important moments/themes in the novel. The scholarship of Sarah Churchwell is referred to and there are also suggestions for further reading. This powerpoint is useful for A Level and undergraduate students looking at The Great Gatsby.

This presentation is aimed at GCSE English literature students studying J. B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. It contains in-class activities as well as homework questions. It focuses on the idea of social responsibility in the play and also helps students to understand the importance of stage directions and set. A great resource for anyone teaching or studying An Inspector Calls at GCSE level.

This presentation focuses on theatre during the 1960s and Postmodernism. It is useful for anyone interested in the artistic trends and socio-political events of the '60s. It refers to the work of Patrice Pavis to discuss the shift of focus from the actor to the spectator and then looks at ‘Off-Off Broadway’ performances. Jerzy Grotowski’s ‘Poor Theatre’, The Living Theatre, The Open Theatre, and Robert Wilson’s productions are looked at in turn. The Wooster Group moves the presentation forward to explain Postmodernism with reference to the ideas of Jacques Lacan, Jean-François Lyotard, Fredric Jameson, and Baudrillard.

Ideal handout for university and A Level students working on Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine. The handout offers: Questions to encourage discussion and analysis of Cloud Nine An explanation of Mikhail Bakhtin’s Carnivalesque **Carefully selected extracts from Cloud Nine ** **Scholarly readings of Churchill’s play ** Perfect for students writing an essay or preparing for a class/seminar on Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine.

This presentation outlines the shift in drama from Realist to Symbolist to Modernist forms of theatre. It uses work by Chekhov, Maeterlink, and Beckett to illustrate the differences between representational and Avant-Garde playwrighting and scenography. The explanation of Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiotics is supported by examples form Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author. The presentation also covers the work of Ionesco and Tom Stoppard when discussing the Theatre of the Absurd (a term coined by Martin Esslin).

This presentation highlights some of the major shifts in recent theatre history that have become significant moments for the recognition of women’s playwrighting and theatre making. With examples from Judy Chicago’s Feminist Art Program, the first Women’s Theatre Conference, critic Michelene Wandor’s influential study of sexual politics in the theatre, and women’s theatre groups from the 1970s, the slides trace the history of women’s playwriting. The powerpoint then focuses on the work and influence of Caryl Churchill, especially her play Vinegar Tom. Critics like Janelle Reinelt and Elin Diamond are also quoted in a clear, easy to follow manner. A final slide contains some recommended reading suggestions.

M. Butterfly , a play by David Henry Hwang is the focus of this presentation and handout. M Butterfly is explored alongside themes of gender, sexuality, Orientalism, representations of East/West. The powerpoint and handout include: Quotes from the playwright, David Henry Hwang Quotes from the play, M Butterfly Tasks, discussion questions, and thinking points Extracts from Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble Extracts from Edward Saïd’s Orientalism (and other texts) Academic criticism with questions for students Recommended reading This is a very useful interactive powerpoint and accompanying handout for any course that covers M Butterfly and drama concerned with gender, performativity, race and ethnicity. Suitable for A Level and undergraduate students.

A helpful resource for any student who needs to submit an annotated bibliography or any teacher/lecturer wanting to explain how to put together an annotated bibliography. The PowerPoint goes through the following aspects of an annotated bibliography: What is an annotated bibliography? How to record research for your bibliography A 3-Step Process to writing an annotation Creating an annotated bibliography: what goes into each annotation Examples for discussion / reference Useful phrases for your own annotations Further examples asking students to identify strengths and weaknesses in the annotations Summary checklist for writing annotations This resource can be used by students of any subject.

This presentation is on George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch. It gives an outline of George Eliot’s life and focuses on the themes of politics, feminism, and religion that Eliot explores in Middlemarch. This is an ideal resource for university and A Level students working on George Eliot, Middlemarch, and Victorian Literature. It includes quotes from literary critics and reviewers useful for essays on Dorothea’s feminist and political ambitions & constraints within the novel. This presentation is useful as an introduction to Middlemarch’s themes.

This resource is aimed at undergraduate university students and A Level students aiming to gain high grades in English Literature. The question is focused on Dystopian Literature and takes George Orwell’s 1984 as its example. With a step-by-step guide, the resource answers the question: To what extent does dystopian literature reflect the society in which we live? By focusing on George Orwell’s 1984, debate the relevance of dystopian literature. It includes guidance on how to: ** Write an introduction, main body, and conclusion Develop an argument Make detailed points Quote literary critics Use footnotes Reference Compile a bibliography** The resource explains how to write an essay and also provides examples through a sample essay.

This presentation is on Hard Times by Charles Dickens. It is aimed at ALevel and undergraduate level university students exploring the work of Charles Dickens, the Industrial Revolution, and/or Victorian literature. The slides focus on how Dickens explores issues surrounding the Industrial Revolution in Hard Times. With particular focus on Dickens’s views on the rights of workers during Victorian Britain, this presentation draws on literary criticism to debate the two philosophies of that time: Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill) and Political Economy (Adam Smith). The is resource also contains: key quotations, discussion points, and quotes from literary critics (including Mikhail Bakhtin). Perfect for preparing an essay on themes surrounding Dickens’s representation of the lower-class workforce in his novels, especially Hard Times.

This presentation explores Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. With clear character discussions, analysis of themes, quotes, and contextual information, it is an ideal teaching and study resource for anyone studying The Merchant of Venice. It contains: a plot summary; contextual information about Shakespeare’s decision to set the play in Venice; a discussion of racial prejudice (especially from Antonio towards Shylock); character studies of Shylock, Jessica, and Portia; a discussion on the idea of value, and details from three notable performances of the play. The last slide contains a quiz with 10 questions focused on details from the play.

This presentation looks at theatre and nation, specifically the Irish Theatre tradition. It looks at the history of Irish theatre and focuses on comments by W. B. Yeats and the Abbey Theatre. Concepts such as gender politics and the mother nation are explored in relation to Marina Carr’s play The Bog of Cats… The powerpoint includes close analysis of scenes from the play, quotes from notable scholars, and comparisons between Carr’s work and that of John Keats and Samuel Beckett. This powerpoint is useful for anyone studying nation and theatre, Irish theatre, and Marina Carr’s drama.

This presentation explains how to interpret a performance. It provides useful quotes about performance analysis and illustrates how thinking about drama is different to thinking about poems or novels. The presentation explores the impact art has on the world around us and considers what makes a performance a work of art. It also focuses on the role the audience has on the interpretation of a play.

Have you ever been asked to write an essay about a topic like ‘climate change’ or ‘technology and healthcare’ and you don’t know how to begin or what to write? This resource will give you lots of research and writing tips and will give you inspiration so that you can write an engaging and interesting essay. It takes an example question and gives suggestions on how to: brainstorm gather information write an essay ‘hook’ for your introduction write a ‘clincher’ for your conclusion read and quote from & paraphrase an academic article Find relevant information from videos, newspapers, and museums Finally it teaches you how to tie all of your information together to write an essay that flows. The example question is: Researchers such as David Attenborough state that we are heading towards mass extinction due to global warming and climate change. What are some of the factors that have led to the current climate crisis? You may want to focus on the climate crisis in your own country. You can use this PowerPoint as a teaching resource or to help you to find ideas for your own essay.

This handout covers the key concepts explored in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter. It outlines the premiere of The Homecoming in London’s Aldwych Theatre in 1965, exploring aspects of the set, audience reaction, as well as outlining the characters and plot. The handout also covers: Harold Pinter’s life, writing, themes, and contribution to theatre The influence of Samuel Beckett on Harold Pinter Questions that The Homecoming raises Important extracts from scholarship on The Homecoming A key scene between Lenny and Ruth Discussion of the significance of staging at the end of The Homecoming Final thinking point for further discussion Great resource to aid in understanding of one of Harold Pinter’s most well-known plays. Suitable for university students, seminars, and in-depth A Level discussions.

In this Developing a Speech module you will learn how to plan, write, and structure a speech about any given topic. You will gain excellent writing and presenting tools in order to engage your audience in your chosen subject / speech. This PowerPoint covers: Key points in developing a speech The Canons of Rhetoric Strategies for finding a topic Developing your main idea Gathering material Creating an outline / structure Writing introductions Signposting / having purpose and direction Using supporting matierals Writing conclusions This is a great resource for teachers and students of any subject. It is ideal for anyone who needs to do a presentation and wants some guidelines for writing / planning their speech.

This package includes a PowerPoint and detailed handout on Bernard MacLaverty’s novel Cal. The work pacakge includes: Carefully selected extracts from MacLaverty’s Cal to aid discussion and analysis Excerpts from scholarly criticism on Cal Questions to aid interpretation of the novel Short explanation of The Troubles in Northern Ireland Poetry by Seamus Heaney and Douglas Carson Ideal for A Level and university students writing essays on MacLaverty’s Cal

This package includes a PowerPoint lecture, *full written lecture, * and detailed handout on Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street It explores the novel’s concern with gender and race (particularly Hispanic communities in America), drawing parallels between Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street and Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own. The lecture document includes a university-level overview of 20th-century gender theory. Ideal for A Level and university students working on Cisneros’s novel.