INDEPENDENT LEARNING: HOW TO CONSOLIDATE YOUR A-LEVEL

LITERATURE LEARNING:
REVISE

LITERARY VOCABULARY

Make flashcards of key vocabulary to test yourself

Quiz in partners, defining the term or giving an example of where its used
Categorise terminology into sections so you can memorise them
Select examples from the texts to remember the terms

CONSOLIDATING

THE TEXTS:

Make scene/chapter/section summaries which include:

o Brief plot summaries
o Key themes
o Character development
o Aspects of FSL which are important her
o Several key quotations which highlight essential ideas in the scene
o Mind-map key themes which events/quotes would you use?
After writing essays:
o Reverse plan an essay (create an essay plan from what you wrote)
o Write down the key quotes, ordered by theme, character or chronologically when you
have a bank of essays to draw on, youll likely find some quotes emerging over and over.
o Rewrite a section, applying your targets.
o Highlight assessment objectives
It can be useful to split them e.g. AO5 is about different interpretations and changing
views over time so highlighting them in different colours can help ensure youre writing
about all aspects.
Create a timeline of critical interpretation
o Make flashcards with the critical details on to help quiz yourself
o Make a second set of flashcards with either key quotes or scenes then play snap,
matching the scene and an interpretation or daw one card from each pile the
winner is the one who can most successfully apply or argue the interpretation
related to the scene.

PRACTISING

EXAM TECHNIQUE

Come up with a list of essay questions (theres also lots online as a starting point) and write quick
introductions and essay plans for each, to practice speed of planning
Write a developed paragraph of analysis on a small selected point then self-assess using the markscheme

INDEPENDENT

READING:

Read books about the texts and the writers - there are lots of critical interpretations of Hamlet
and The History Boys. You can either read online or printed texts but remember to think about quality
printed text have already gone through a process of review; do you agree with interpretations online?
Are they reliable?
There are books of essays on Hamlet in the school library and Amazon.
Online websites to star
http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/critical_appreciation_of_hamlet.html
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/hamletcharacter.html
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/critical.html
http://www.stjohns-chs.org/english/shakespeare/Shindex.html

Prof. Harold Bloom William Shakespeares Hamlet

Martin Coyle Hamlet: Contemporary Critical Essays
Linda Cookson Hamlet Critical Essays
Revision guides can be helpful the CGP and York Notes are most useful, but obviously are still a
starting point for your own ideas.