Titles

books, plays, poems, tv programmes, films, documentaries… subject source material for posts aimed at students and teachers

  • Romeo and Juliet: The Study Guide Edition

    Written by a teacher who has taught the text for more than twenty years in various secondary schools, this version is aimed at students who must analyse the text in depth or teachers wanting to deliver outstanding lessons on it. The book contains the complete text together with a parallel modern translation, which most students will be able to read independently or in small groups: the language is entirely appropriate for ages 11-18 years.

  • Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde: The Play

    This compelling play is a dramatic adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde”, bringing out the full horror of the original story. This is the only stage version which is genuinely faithful to the text, using Stevenson’s words where appropriate.

  • Analysis and Study Guide: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

    This brilliant edition of Stevenson’s novel may be the answer to your prayers. Written by an experienced teacher and best-selling author, this version is aimed at students who must analyse the text in depth or teachers wanting to deliver outstanding lessons on it.

  • The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — A Study Guide

    The study guide focuses upon the text of the book, providing generous quotations from the text itself, followed by detailed analysis written in the formal academic style expected in coursework and examinations. An excellent way of revising the book would be to read through the second half of this study guide, absorbing the key quotes, reading the analysis, and answering the discussion point questions either in your head or on paper.

  • Star-crossed: Romeo and Juliet for Teenagers

    A modern version of Romeo and Juliet which updates Shakespeare’s classic play in a very entertaining fashion. This play-script is not suitable for children under the age of fifteen.

  • Good links for Wilfred Owen’s poetry

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/wilfred_owen_gallery.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/03/16/wilfred_owen.shtml

  • Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, my YouTube Videos on Stevenson’s novel

  • My YouTube videos which explain Wilfred Owen’s Exposure and Spring Offensive

    A blog post containing various videos I made some time ago explaining Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Exposure’ to my pupils in secondary school, studying it for GCSE.

  • Wilfred Owen’s poetry — a Prezi with links to YouTube explanations of the poems

    Wilfred Owen’s poetry and life on Prezi

  • How did Edinburgh influence the writing of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

    I think I’m getting a bit better at making these videos now. I produced this video for my GCSE pupils who have not been to Edinburgh but really need to know how the city influenced the writing of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for their English Literature exam. Robert Louis Stevenson had a love-hate relationship with […]

  • The Opening of the Novel — True or false questions, analysing the opening

    True or false?   Gabriel Oak complains about Bathsheba’s vanity in the first chapter. Gabriel Oak is a shepherd NOT a farmer at the beginning of the novel. Oak rescues Bathsheba from dying of suffocation in his hut. Bathsheba doesn’t want to marry Oak because she does not love him. Oak would have been financially […]

  • How successfully does Hardy open Far From The Madding Crowd?

    Learning Objectives To learn about the techniques Hardy uses to create a suspenseful opening to Far From The Madding Crowd To learn about the contexts of Hardy’s novel An important point Starter activity: put these elements of the opening in the correct order Gabriel Oak loses his sheep Oak is rescued from suffocation in his […]

  • Complications leads to a crisis, chapters 24-43, attraction

    Learning Objective: To explore the concept of attraction and explore what it is… What makes a person attractive? Rank these qualities and add your own, with the most important first Good looks? A kind and generous personality? A dangerous and risk-taking personality? A high-status, respectable profession such as lawyer/celebrity A dangerous, romantic profession such as […]

  • Far From The Madding Crowd – complications, chapters 13-26

    Learning objectives: to learn how Hardy develops complications in Far From The Madding Crowd Hardy takes some time to ‘open’ the novel – justify your answers Why is this? Because he was a writing in serial form and therefore needed to put cliffhangers in his opening which meant it was longer than most modern openings. […]

  • Far From The Madding Crowd — CHARACTERISATIONS

    Learning objectives To learn how to answer exam questions To learn about CHARACTERISATIONS as opposed to CHARACTERS Important definition – COPY THIS, LEARN IT! CHARACTERISATION is how and why an author presents a character in the way he does. CHARACTER is a person in a novel WHY does more sophisticated analysis discuss CHARACTERISATIONS as opposed […]

  • Betrayal — Chapters 27-46

    What is betrayal? What’s your definition of it? Situations – what would you do? You learn that your partner is havinng an affair You learn after you have committed to each other that you partner had an important relationship they haven’t told you about You learn your partner has a secret love child An attractive […]

  • Complications — The intrusion of Serjeant Troy

    Complications – The Intrusion of Serjeant Troy   Revision of Chapters 1 – 24 Who did what? STARTER ACTIVITY   Caused a stir in the Casterbridge Corn Exchange and set the farmers’ pulses racing. Lost his sheep, became a tramp and then got a job as a shepherd. Missed a wedding because of going to […]

  • Teacher’s comments on two Romeo and Juliet essays on hatred

      Important note   TEACHER COMMENTS ARE IN CAPITALS. Pupils’ work are in lower case. Essay 1     ‘This play is as much about hate, as it is about love.’ Analyse how the theme of hatred is explored in Shakespeare’s play, discussing how it is represented in the language of the play and could […]

  • ‘This play is as much about hate, as it is about love.’

    Analyse how the theme of hatred is explored in Shakespeare’s play, discussing how it is represented in the language of the play and could be presented dramatically.    Hate plays a pivotal role in the play. The long feud between the families (‘from ancient grudge’) and when individuals fight like Tybalt and Mercutio (‘Tybalt, you […]

  • Romeo and Juliet: To what extent does Shakespeare present Capulet as being to blame for the death of his daughter?

    A pupil’s essay with teacher comments TEACHER COMMENTS ARE IN CAPITALS AND ITALICS Capulet’s character is very deceiving form the very beginning and Shakespeare makes it very clear at the end that both Capulets and Montague’s actions were to blame for the outcome as, “heaven found a means to kill your joys with love”. This […]