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O-LevelLiterature in EnglishDrama2010/22 · May/June 2021 · Q725 Marks

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: Romeo and Juliet Remember to support your ideas with details from the writing. Read this passage carefully, and then answer the question that follows it: [Capulet's house.] [Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse.] Lady Capulet: Nurse, where's my daughter? Call her forth to me. Nurse: Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old, I bade her come. What, lamb! what, lady-bird! God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet! [Enter JULIET.] Juliet: How now, who calls? Nurse: Your mother. Juliet: Madam, I am here. What is your will? Lady Capulet: This is the matter. Nurse, give leave awhile, We must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again; I have rememb'red me, thou's hear our counsel. Thou knowest my daughter's of a pretty age. Nurse: Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour. Lady Capulet: She's not fourteen. Nurse: I'll lay fourteen of my teeth And yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four - She's not fourteen. How long is it now To Lammas-tide? Lady Capulet: A fortnight and odd days. Nurse: Even or odd, of the days in the year, Come Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen. Susan and she - God rest all Christian souls! Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God; She was too good for me. But, as I said, On Lammas Eve at night shall she be fourteen; That shall she, marry; I remember it well. 'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years; And she was wean'd – I never shall forget it - Of all the days of the year, upon that day; For I had then laid wormwood to my dug, Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall; My lord and you were then at Mantua. Nay, I do bear a brain. But, as I said, When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool, To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug! Shake, quoth the dove-house. 'Twas no need, I trow, To bid me trudge. And since that time it is eleven years; For then she could stand high-lone; nay, by th' rood, She could have run and waddled all about; For even the day before, she broke her brow; And then my husband – God be with his soul! 'A was a merry man took up the child. 'Yea,' quoth he 'dost thou fall upon thy face? Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit, Wilt thou not, Jule?' And, by my holidam, The pretty wretch left crying, and said 'Ay'. To see, now, how a jest shall come about! I warrant, an I should live a thousand years, I never should forget it: 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he; And, pretty fool, it stinted, and said 'Ay'. Lady Capulet: Enough of this; I pray thee hold thy peace. (from Act 1 Scene 3) How does Shakespeare make this such an entertaining introduction to the Nurse?

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [23-25] demonstrates knowledge by incorporating well-selected reference to the text skilfully and with flair (AO1)
  2. [23-25] sustains a critical understanding of the text showing individuality and insight (AO2)
  3. [23-25] responds sensitively and in considerable detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects (AO3)
  4. [23-25] sustains personal and evaluative engagement with task and text (AO4)

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About this question

Topic
Drama, O-Level Literature in English (syllabus 2010). Structured question, 25 marks.
Source
O-Level Literature in English, May/June 2021 Paper 2 Variant 2, question 7.

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