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King Lear: Contexts, Themes and Questions

Advanced Learner Pack for AS / A Level

King Lear
Set text for:
  • AQA B AS and A Level
  • Edexcel A Level
  • Eduqas A Level
  • WJEC A Level

While based on a semi-historical king, King Lear stands apart from Shakespeare’s history plays as a unique tragedy laced with betrayal, ambition, misrule and family and political conflict. An engagement with its fascinating context also highlights its relevance to modern times.

Inspire your students to explore both themes and contexts to answer the following questions: why do study King Lear in this day and age, and what can the play reveal to us about our own age and its social, political and personal anxieties, fears and needs?

Look out for!
  • Further reading suggestions
  • Detailed analysis of key extracts
  • Sample answers and commentary for AQA B and Edexcel

Comprehensive notes, questions and exam-preparation material investigating the influential contexts and themes of King Lear for a fuller, more sophisticated understanding. Pitched to the 2015 AS and A Level specifications, this pack will inspire your strongest students to go the extra mile in their journey towards exam success.

Pushing high achievers…
  • Informative notes encourage students to think independently about the core aspects of the text, including characters, form, genre and themes
  • Packed with questions to promote intelligent discussion – the perfect springboard for higher-level analysis
  • Suggestions for wider reading empower students to foster an individual critical stance towards the text
To reach those top marks!
  • Exam-style questions provide extensive practice for creative, unique responses
  • Higher-level sample answers with examiner commentary help students recognise what makes a good answer
  • Revision and exam tips help students focus answers to gain top marks
Plus!
  • A carefully constructed historical timeline
  • Indicative content for all questions

What do teachers say about this resource? (11888)

I really enjoyed reviewing this! The info was perfectly pitched at pupils who are aiming for A/A* and the content was engaging and relevant. It felt like CPD for me! The in-depth level of info on a range of topics and themes was brilliant. I liked the constant focus on engaging with the material: the activities following each section were very well thought-out and clearly structured to allow pupils to apply the knowledge contained in that section to the play as a whole. This resource is aimed at stretching and challenging the most able in an A Level class and it perfectly does this: it would be easily used by providing a copy to each relevant pupil and allowing them to go away and work through the information, with perhaps a regular check in point with the teacher. I felt the extra reading that was given and the frequent pointers towards greater research would encourage and develop the most able. There is, of course, lots of merit in this resource in terms of developing knowledge of the play. The information clearly is applicable to any exam board and the content and level of detail is very strong. The resource was clearly aimed at developing knowledge of the Assessment Outcomes in relation to the text as a whole... I genuinely enjoyed reading through this resource and reviewing it. I felt it helped develop my knowledge of Shakespearean tragedy! Brilliant.

J Hathaway, Head of English & Peer Reviewer

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