Mark Scheme

Section A: Shakespeare — Assessment Objectives

Section A: Levels of Response

Level 6 (30-34 marks): Exceptional, integrated analysis • Critical, exploratory, conceptualised response to task and whole text • Judicious use of precise references to support interpretation(s) • Analysis of writer's methods with subject terminology used judiciously • Exploration of effects of writer's methods on reader • Exploration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by specific, detailed links between context/text/task • Excellent: cogent, controlled writing with excellent spelling, punctuation and grammar; extensive and ambitious use of vocabulary and sentence structures

Level 5 (25-29 marks): Thoughtful, developed consideration • Thoughtful, developed response to task and whole text • Apt references integrated into interpretation(s) • Thoughtful consideration of writer's methods with subject terminology used effectively • Exploration of effects of writer's methods on reader • Thoughtful consideration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by examination of detailed links between context/text/task • Consistent: effective writing with consistently correct spelling, punctuation and grammar; extensive vocabulary and varied sentence structures

Level 4 (19-24 marks): Clear, explained response • Clear, explained response to task and whole text • Relevant references to support ideas • Clear explanation of writer's methods with appropriate use of subject terminology • Understanding of effects of writer's methods on reader • Clear understanding of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by links between context/text/task • Clear: generally accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar; clear vocabulary and sentence structures

Level 3 (13-18 marks): Explained, structured comments • Explained, structured response to task and whole text • References used to support a range of relevant comments • Explained comments on writer's methods with subject terminology used appropriately • Awareness of effects of writer's methods on reader • Explained awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by comments on links between context/text/task • Mostly accurate: generally accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar; reasonable vocabulary and appropriate sentence structures

Level 2 (7-12 marks): Supported, relevant comments • Some supported response to task and whole text • Some use of relevant references to support comments • Identification of writers' methods with some use of subject terminology • Some identification of effects of writers' methods on reader • Some awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by simple comments on links between context/text/task • Some accuracy: some accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar; some variety in vocabulary and sentence structures

Level 1 (1-6 marks): Simple, limited comments • Simple, limited response to task and whole text • Reference(s) used with limited relevance • Simple comment(s) on writer's methods with limited use of subject terminology • Limited awareness of effects of writer's methods on reader • Simple awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by reference to context/text/task • Limited accuracy: spelling, punctuation and grammar may be incorrect; limited vocabulary and sentence structures

Level 0 (0 marks) • Nothing worthy of credit

Section A: Question-Specific Guidance

Question 01 — Macbeth: Internal conflict

Indicative content (This is not a model answer or a complete response. Nor does it seek to exemplify any particular content. Students are expected to respond to all aspects of the question.)

In the extract: • The hesitant opening ("If it were done when 'tis done") suggests Macbeth's inability to commit to a clear decision, showing psychological torment • The euphemistic language ("assassination", "his surcease") reveals Macbeth's reluctance to name the deed directly, highlighting moral conflict • Religious imagery ("jump the life to come", "chalice") shows fear of damnation and spiritual consequences • The metaphor of "even-handed justice" and "poisoned chalice" suggests Macbeth understands moral law and fears retribution • Listing his reasons against murder ("kinsman", "subject", "host") demonstrates his awareness that the act violates multiple codes • The broken syntax and repetition ("done... done... done") reflects mental agitation and inability to think clearly

In the play as a whole: • Earlier hesitation after meeting the witches, being "rapt" in thought, showing the beginning of internal conflict • The dagger soliloquy (Act 2 Scene 1) where his imagination conjures the weapon, showing a mind split between ambition and morality • His immediate regret after murdering Duncan ("Will all great Neptune's ocean...") • Contrast with Lady Macbeth's initial certainty, which highlights his internal struggle • Growing paranoia and ordering further murders (Banquo, Macduff's family) suggesting unresolved guilt • His despair in Act 5 ("Life's but a walking shadow") showing the psychological consequences of violating his own moral code • Contextually, the divine right of kings and regicide as a violation of natural and divine order

Accept: Any valid interpretations of the extract and play supported by appropriate textual references. Students may focus on different aspects of internal conflict, including moral, psychological, spiritual dimensions.

Question 02 — Romeo and Juliet: Parental authority

Indicative content

In the extract: • Lady Capulet's direct, imperative statement ("Marry, my child") demonstrates expectation of unquestioning obedience • The positive lexical field ("gallant", "young and noble", "joyful bride") suggests parents believe they know what is best • Juliet's emphatic refusal ("by Saint Peter's Church") marks a rare moment of direct defiance of parental will • Juliet's criticism of "haste" questions her parents' judgement and timing • The ironic statement "Romeo, whom you know I hate" shows Juliet must disguise truth from her mother • Lady Capulet's refusal to engage with Juliet's objections ("tell him so yourself") suggests parental inflexibility

In the play as a whole: • The opening scene establishes patriarchal authority through the feud maintained by older generation • Capulet's initial presentation as a reasonable father (Act 1 Scene 2: "My will to her consent is but a part") contrasts with later tyranny • Capulet's violent threats when Juliet refuses Paris (Act 3 Scene 5: "hang, beg, starve, die in the streets") • The Nurse as surrogate parent who ultimately betrays Juliet by advising bigamy • Friar Lawrence as alternative parental figure whose well-meant plans ultimately fail • Romeo's relationship with his parents shown as more distant—they worry about his melancholy but cannot reach him • The tragic ending where parental authority and the feud have destroyed the younger generation • Context: patriarchal Elizabethan and Italian society, arranged marriages, daughters as property

Section B: The 19th-century novel — Assessment Objectives

Section B: Levels of Response

Level 5 (25-30 marks): Perceptive, assured understanding • Perceptive, assured understanding of task and whole text • Apt and skilful use of references to support interpretation(s) • Analysis of writer's methods with judicious use of subject terminology • Exploration of effects of writer's methods on reader • Thoughtful consideration of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by detailed links between context/text/task

Level 4 (19-24 marks): Clear, sustained response • Clear, sustained response to task and whole text • Effective use of references to support explanation • Clear explanation of writer's methods with appropriate use of subject terminology • Clear understanding of effects of writer's methods on reader • Clear understanding of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by links between context/text/task

Level 3 (13-18 marks): Explained, structured understanding • Explained, structured response to task and whole text • References used to support a range of relevant comments • Explained comments on writer's methods with subject terminology used appropriately • Awareness of effects of writer's methods on reader • Explained awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by comments on links between context/text/task

Level 2 (7-12 marks): Supported, relevant comments • Some explained response to task and whole text • Some use of relevant references to support comments • Some explanation of writer's methods with some use of subject terminology • Some awareness of effects of writer's methods on reader • Some awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors shown by simple comments on context/text/task

Level 1 (1-6 marks): Simple, limited comments • Simple, limited response to task and whole text • Reference(s) used with limited relevance • Simple comment(s) on writer's methods with limited use of subject terminology • Limited awareness of effects of writer's methods on reader • Limited awareness of ideas/perspectives/contextual factors

Level 0 (0 marks) • Nothing worthy of credit

Section B: Question-Specific Guidance

Question 07 — Jane Eyre: Independence

Indicative content

How Brontë presents Jane's independence: • Jane's direct, first-person narrative voice establishes her as an autonomous thinker from the opening • Her passionate outburst to Mrs Reed in Chapter 4 demonstrates early assertion of selfhood • Rejection of Rochester when she discovers his existing marriage despite her love, prioritising moral independence over desire • Refusal of St. John Rivers's proposal—rejecting both loveless marriage and missionary work that would subordinate her identity • The inheritance allowing financial independence before returning to Rochester on equal terms • Her insistence on working as a governess rather than being dependent • The bildungsroman structure traces her journey from dependent child to independent woman • Language emphasising equality: "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me" • The Gothic doubling with Bertha as shadow self—what happens when female passion is imprisoned

How this explores ideas about women in society: • Context: Limited options for middle-class Victorian women (governess, companion, marriage) • Critique of women as property through the marriage plot • Educational access as route to independence (Lowood, however flawed) • Jane's moral independence challenges Victorian ideals of feminine submission • The novel as social protest against women's legal and economic dependence • Contrast with other female characters: Helen Burns (submission), Blanche Ingram (mercenary), Bertha (imprisoned) • The controversial ending: Jane inherits money and Rochester is physically dependent, reversing traditional power dynamics

Accept: Valid interpretations supported by textual references. Students may focus on different episodes or aspects of independence (economic, moral, emotional, intellectual).

Question 09 — A Christmas Carol: Attitudes to poverty

Indicative content

How Dickens presents poverty: • The Cratchit family as "deserving poor"—presented sympathetically with emphasis on love, gratitude and moral virtue despite material lack • Tiny Tim as innocent victim of poverty, his potential death serving as emotional appeal • Ignorance and Want as allegorical children hidden beneath Ghost of Christmas Present's robes—poverty breeds social ills • Harsh contrast between wealthy characters (Scrooge, Fezziwig) and the poor • The physical descriptions of poverty: the Cratchits' small house, meagre goose, thin clothing • The workhouses and prisons referenced in Stave One as institutional responses to poverty • Fred's modest but cheerful Christmas contrasted with Scrooge's lonely wealth

How this critiques Victorian society: • Context: 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, workhouses, Malthusian economics ("decrease the surplus population") • Scrooge's initial attitudes reflect utilitarian views and social Darwinism common among Victorian middle class • The novella as social protest and call for charitable action • Dickens's critique of industrial capitalism and its human cost • The Christmas setting emphasises Christian duty of charity and compassion • Transformation narrative suggests social attitudes can and must change • The structure (five staves) mimicking a Christmas carol suggests moral lessons • Contemporary readers would recognise debates about "deserving" vs "undeserving" poor • Dickens's journalism and personal experience of poverty (father's imprisonment for debt) informing social criticism

Accept: References to specific characters, episodes, or structural/language features that demonstrate attitudes to poverty and social criticism.

Question 10 — Jekyll and Hyde: Duality

Indicative content

How Stevenson presents duality: • The central premise of Jekyll/Hyde as literal embodiment of dual nature • Physical transformation showing outward manifestation of inner division • The narrative structure: multiple narrators, fragmented accounts, suggesting fractured truth • Setting: respectable London streets with sinister back alleys and doors—physical spaces reflecting moral duality • Jekyll's statement distinguishing his "two natures" as fundamental human condition • Other characters exhibiting duality: Utterson (lawyer but drawn to bohemian friends), Lanyon (respectable but curious) • Hyde described as both smaller and younger—representing suppressed, primitive self • The door imagery: Jekyll's house has respectable front and sinister rear entrance • Language of concealment and revelation throughout • The delayed full explanation (epistolary ending) structurally enacts the theme of hidden truth

How this explores Victorian society: • Context: Victorian emphasis on respectability, reputation, and social propriety • The pressure to maintain public virtue despite private vice • London's geography of wealth and poverty, respectability and criminality • Contemporary scientific debates: Darwin's evolution, emerging psychology, heredity • Addiction and substance use (Jekyll's chemical dependency mirrors opiate use) • Homosexuality and sexual repression (coded within Hyde's "nameless" pleasures) • The professional middle-class male world of the novel—lawyers, doctors, scientists • Anxieties about degeneration and the "criminal type" • The individual self vs. social performance—cost of suppressing authentic nature • Gothic genre allowing exploration of taboo subjects through metaphor

Accept: Different interpretations of what aspects of self/society Hyde represents, supported by textual evidence.

Sample Answers with Examiner Commentary

Question 01 (Macbeth) — Sample Answers

Grade 9 answer

Shakespeare presents Macbeth's internal conflict in this extract through fragmented syntax and euphemistic language, revealing a mind unable to reconcile murderous ambition with moral conscience. The opening conditional clause—"If it were done when 'tis done"—uses repetition of "done" to suggest obsessive circular thinking, while the vague pronoun "it" demonstrates Macbeth's psychological inability to name regicide directly. This linguistic evasion exposes the gap between desire and moral capability, a conflict that will ultimately destroy him.

The metaphor of the "poisoned chalice" is particularly significant, combining religious imagery with ideas of retributive justice. The chalice evokes the communion cup, suggesting that murdering an anointed king is a form of sacrilege against divine order. Shakespeare's audience, familiar with the Divine Right of Kings, would recognise this as not merely political assassination but cosmic violation. The fact that this "chalice" returns "to our own lips" demonstrates Macbeth's prophetic understanding that violence breeds violence—a theme fulfilled when he himself is killed by Macduff. The word "ingredience" suggests the murder is a corrupting poison that will contaminate Macbeth himself, foreshadowing his descent into tyranny and paranoia.

Shakespeare intensifies the conflict through Macbeth's listing of bonds he would violate: "kinsman", "subject", and "host". The tricolon structure emphasises the multiple codes—familial, political, and social—that he would break simultaneously. This rational analysis of his moral position contrasts sharply with Lady Macbeth's dismissive pragmatism ("A little water clears us of this deed"), highlighting how Macbeth's conscience operates throughout the play as both his greatest strength and fatal weakness.

Earlier in the play, Macbeth's internal conflict manifests physically when he is "rapt withal" after the witches' prophecy, withdrawing into troubled contemplation. His aside—"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man"—uses the abstract noun "thought" to show how imagination alone destabilises his identity. The verb "shakes" suggests a physical, involuntary response, as if his body rebels against his ambition. This conflict between thought and action, desire and morality, creates the dramatic tension of Act 1.

The dagger soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 1 represents the crisis point of internal conflict. The hallucinatory "dagger of the mind" externalises his psychological division—is it "a false creation" or genuine supernatural manifestation? The uncertainty mirrors his moral confusion. However, once the murder is committed, Shakespeare shows how internal conflict transforms into external consequences. Macbeth immediately recognises he has destroyed his own peace: "Macbeth does murder sleep". The third-person reference to himself suggests a fragmented identity—he can no longer recognise himself as the honourable thane he once was.

As the play progresses, unresolved guilt generates further violence. Ordering Banquo's murder, Macbeth reveals his tortured state: "O, full of scorpions is my mind". The metaphor suggests his thoughts are venomous creatures that attack him from within. Unlike the earlier soliloquies where he debates morality, here he has abandoned moral reasoning for pure paranoia. This represents the tragic cost of suppressing conscience rather than heeding it.

By Act 5, internal conflict has been replaced by nihilistic despair. His response to Lady Macbeth's death—"Life's but a walking shadow"—uses theatrical metaphor to suggest existence has become meaningless performance. The man who began the play with acute moral sensitivity ends it emotionally dead, suggesting that violating one's conscience destroys the capacity for meaning itself. Shakespeare thus presents internal conflict not as weakness but as the foundation of moral identity, and its suppression as the path to damnation both spiritual and psychological.

Mark: 34/34

Examiner commentary: This is a sophisticated, conceptualised response that explores the extract and whole text with exceptional integration. The student analyses specific linguistic choices (pronouns, metaphor, syntax) with precise subject terminology and explores their dramatic and thematic effects. Context is woven seamlessly throughout, particularly regarding Divine Right of Kings and early modern religious beliefs. The argument is sustained and developed across the whole play, tracking the evolution of internal conflict. Writing is controlled and ambitious, with excellent technical accuracy.

Grade 6 answer

In this extract, Shakespeare shows Macbeth's internal conflict through his uncertainty about whether to kill Duncan. The opening line "If it were done when 'tis done" shows he is confused and can't think straight because he repeats the word "done". This suggests he is very stressed about the decision. He also uses euphemisms like "assassination" instead of murder, which shows he doesn't want to face what he's really planning to do.

Macbeth knows that killing Duncan is wrong because he lists all the reasons why he shouldn't do it. He says Duncan is his "kinsman" (relative), he is Duncan's "subject" (so he should obey him), and he is his "host" (so he should protect him). This shows Macbeth has a conscience and understands morality. The problem is that he also has ambition because the witches said he would be king. This creates the internal conflict because he wants to be king but knows murder is wrong.

The metaphor about the "poisoned chalice" is important because it shows Macbeth understands he will be punished for the murder. A chalice is a cup, often used in church, so this could be a religious reference. If you poison someone else's drink but then have to drink from the same cup, you poison yourself. This means Macbeth knows that if he kills Duncan, violence will come back to him. This is exactly what happens at the end of the play when Macduff kills Macbeth.

Throughout the play, Macbeth struggles with his conscience. In Act 1 Scene 3, after meeting the witches, he goes quiet and thinks about what they said. He imagines murdering Duncan and this thought "shakes" him, showing how disturbed he is. Later, in the dagger soliloquy, he sees a floating dagger which isn't really there. This could represent his guilty conscience or his mind breaking down from the stress of the decision. He asks "Is this a dagger which I see before me?" which shows he's confused about what's real.

After murdering Duncan, Macbeth immediately feels guilty. He says he heard a voice saying "Macbeth does murder sleep" and he can't say "Amen" when the guards pray. This shows his guilt is already punishing him. Lady Macbeth tells him "A little water clears us of this deed" but Macbeth knows it's not that simple. He says "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?" which means no amount of water can wash away his guilt.

The conflict continues when Macbeth becomes paranoid about Banquo and decides to have him killed. He says his mind is "full of scorpions" which is a metaphor for painful, disturbing thoughts. By this point he's killing people without as much hesitation, suggesting he's suppressed his conscience. At the end, when Lady Macbeth dies, he doesn't seem to care much and says life is meaningless. This shows how the internal conflict has destroyed him emotionally.

In Shakespeare's time, people believed in the Divine Right of Kings, which meant kings were chosen by God. This makes Macbeth's crime even worse because it's not just murder but going against God's will. This would make his internal conflict stronger because he's not just breaking human law but religious law too.

Mark: 22/34

Examiner commentary: This response demonstrates clear understanding of the extract and whole text with relevant references. The student explains key quotations and identifies methods (metaphor, euphemism, repetition) with appropriate terminology. There is clear awareness of context regarding Divine Right of Kings, though this could be more fully developed. The response would benefit from more sophisticated analysis of how specific language choices create meaning and more detailed exploration of dramatic effects. Organisation is clear but the argument could be more developed and integrated. SPaG is generally accurate with clear expression.

Grade 3 answer

This extract shows Macbeth's internal conflict because he is thinking about killing King Duncan but he's not sure if he should do it or not. He is having an argument with himself in his head about whether to go through with the murder. Shakespeare shows this by having Macbeth talk to himself in a soliloquy.

Macbeth says "If it were done when 'tis done" which is confusing but I think it means if the murder was finished quickly it would be good. He wants to get it over with fast so he doesn't have to think about it too much. This shows he knows it's wrong but he still wants to do it because he wants to be king. His ambition is making him want to kill Duncan even though his conscience is telling him not to.

He also talks about Duncan being his relative and his king and his guest. This gives him three reasons not to kill Duncan. If someone is your guest you should look after them not murder them. This was probably even more important in Shakespeare's time when hospitality was a big deal. Macbeth knows all this but Lady Macbeth has persuaded him to do the murder anyway by calling him a coward and saying he's not a real man.

Throughout the play Macbeth keeps changing his mind which shows his internal conflict. At first he doesn't want to kill Duncan but then Lady Macbeth convinces him. Then after he does it he feels really guilty and wishes he hadn't. He can't sleep properly afterwards and keeps seeing Banquo's ghost at the banquet which shows he feels guilty. Lady Macbeth doesn't see the ghost because she doesn't feel as guilty as Macbeth does.

The witches are important because they predict Macbeth will be king which starts his ambition. They are probably evil and want to trick him into doing something bad. If the witches hadn't told him the prophecy he probably wouldn't have thought about killing Duncan. This means it's partly their fault as well as Macbeth's.

Another example of internal conflict is when Macbeth sees the dagger floating in the air before he kills Duncan. The dagger isn't real—it's just in his imagination. This shows he is going crazy from the stress of planning the murder. He asks if it's real or not which shows he's confused.

At the end of the play Macbeth becomes more evil and doesn't seem to have as much conflict. He kills Macduff's family including children which is really evil. When Lady Macbeth dies he doesn't care that much and just says life is pointless. This shows that doing bad things has made him into a bad person who doesn't feel normal emotions anymore. He gets killed by Macduff at the end which is his punishment for all the murders.

Shakespeare wants to show that if you do bad things it will destroy you mentally and you'll get punished. The play teaches a moral lesson about not being too ambitious and listening to your conscience.

Mark: 11/34

Examiner commentary: This response shows some understanding of the task and text with relevant references to both extract and play. However, the analysis is limited. The student identifies internal conflict but explanations remain simple—"he's not sure", "he knows it's wrong but still wants to do it". There is some awareness of methods (soliloquy mentioned, reference to the dagger) but limited exploration of how language creates meaning. The comment that Lady Macbeth doesn't see Banquo's ghost "because she doesn't feel as guilty" shows misunderstanding—she's not present at the banquet. Context is mentioned (hospitality) but not developed. The response would improve with more detailed quotation analysis, clearer explanations of Shakespeare's methods, and better integration of context. Expression is mostly clear but vocabulary and sentence structures are simple.

Question 09 (A Christmas Carol) — Sample Answers

Grade 9 answer

Dickens presents poverty as both social problem and moral test, using the novella to critique Victorian attitudes that blamed the poor for their own suffering. Through the Cratchit family, Dickens challenges Malthusian economics and the utilitarian logic underlying the 1834 Poor Law, demonstrating how systemic inequality destroys innocent lives while the wealthy prosper.

The Cratchit family exemplifies what Victorians termed the "deserving poor"—those whose poverty results from circumstance rather than moral failing. Dickens carefully establishes their virtue through domestic imagery: despite their "twice-turned gown" and the fact that Martha must work in a milliner's shop, the family radiates warmth and gratitude. The description of their Christmas dinner is both touching and politically pointed. The goose is "a small one" for such a family, and Mrs Cratchit makes sauce "with a little bit of everything" in it, the repeated diminutive "little" emphasising material lack. Yet Dickens describes how "there never was such a goose", using hyperbolic language that comes from Bob Cratchit's perspective to show how love and gratitude transcend poverty.

However, Dickens refuses to romanticise deprivation. Tiny Tim's crutch is an ever-present reminder that poverty has physical consequences—the family cannot afford medical treatment that might save him. When Ghost of Christmas Present predicts Tim's death, he throws Scrooge's earlier words back at him: "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." This direct echoing exposes the violence inherent in Malthusian doctrine, which treated human beings as economic problems to be eliminated. Dickens forces Victorian readers to confront how abstract economic theories translate into dead children. The conditional "if he be like to die" becomes bitterly ironic when we know this death is preventable with resources Scrooge hoards.

The symbolic figures of Ignorance and Want represent Dickens's most explicit social criticism. Revealed beneath the Ghost's robes as "yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish", these allegorical children embody how poverty produces social degradation. They are "devils" but also victims, "shrinking" and "terrible" simultaneously. When Scrooge asks if they have "no refuge or resource", the Ghost again echoes his earlier words: "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" This structural repetition creates devastating irony—the institutions Victorian society created to address poverty are exposed as wholly inadequate, even punitive. The Ghost's warning that "Doom" is written on Ignorance's brow suggests that failing to address poverty's root causes will lead to social collapse, likely referencing fears of working-class revolution that haunted Victorian England.

Dickens contrasts institutional responses to poverty (prisons, workhouses) with individual charity and systemic change. Scrooge's transformation involves not merely giving the Cratchits a turkey but raising Bob's salary—addressing economic inequality directly. By the final stave, he becomes "a second father" to Tiny Tim, suggesting wealth creates responsibility toward those with less. Fezziwig's joyful workplace, where employees are valued and celebrated, offers an alternative model of employer-worker relations that critiques industrial capitalism's dehumanising effects.

The novella's structure reinforces its social criticism. The five staves mirror a Christmas carol's form, positioning the tale as moral instruction. The supernatural frame allows Dickens to literalise economic consequences—Marley's chains are "fashioned" from the ledgers and cash-boxes he prioritised over human connection. This concrete metaphor makes abstract economic choices visible and damning. That Marley is "condemned to wander the world and witness what he cannot share" represents the spiritual death that accompanies hoarding wealth while others starve.

Context is crucial here: published in 1843, the novella responds directly to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, which established workhouses designed to be so unpleasant that only the desperate would seek help. Dickens, who experienced poverty when his father was imprisoned for debt, understood how quickly middle-class stability could collapse. The novella's popularity and emotional power helped shift public opinion regarding social responsibility, demonstrating literature's capacity for political intervention.

Ultimately, Dickens presents poverty as a moral issue rather than an economic inevitability, arguing that a society with sufficient wealth to support Scrooge's counting-house and lavish homes has the resources to ensure no child dies from want. The transformation narrative suggests that changing individual attitudes can create systemic change, though modern readers might critique this as overly optimistic. Nevertheless, the novella remains a powerful indictment of any society that treats poverty as acceptable or inevitable.

Mark: 30/30

Examiner commentary: This is an assured, perceptive response that analyses Dickens's methods with sophistication and precision. The student explores language choices (diminutives, hyperbole, symbolic imagery) and structural features (repetition, stave structure, echoing) with judicious use of terminology. Context is seamlessly integrated, with specific reference to the 1834 Poor Law, Malthusian economics, and Victorian class anxieties. The argument is conceptualised and sustained, moving from presentation of poverty to social critique to Dickens's proposed solutions. The student shows exploratory thinking in the final paragraph, even questioning the transformation narrative's political limitations. Technical accuracy is excellent throughout.

Grade 6 answer

Dickens presents poverty sympathetically in "A Christmas Carol" to criticise how Victorian society treated poor people. He wanted to show that poverty wasn't the fault of poor people themselves but was caused by how society was organised, and that rich people should help more.

The Cratchit family are the main example of poor people in the novella. Dickens presents them as good, kind people who don't deserve to be poor. Bob Cratchit works hard for Scrooge but doesn't get paid much—only 15 shillings a week. Despite this, the family are happy and grateful for what they have. Their Christmas dinner shows this clearly. They have "a small goose" which "there never was such a goose" according to Bob. This shows that even though they don't have much food, they appreciate it and enjoy it together as a family. Mrs Cratchit makes the pudding which is "like a speckled cannon-ball" and everyone praises it even though it's small. Dickens uses these descriptions to show that poor people can be happy and loving even without money.

Tiny Tim is very important for showing attitudes to poverty. He is a disabled child who needs a crutch and will die if he doesn't get medical treatment. His family can't afford this treatment because they're poor. This isn't Tim's fault or his family's fault—it's just that they don't have enough money. Dickens makes Tim very sweet and innocent, saying "God bless us every one" which shows he's a good Christian child. This makes Victorian readers feel sorry for him and want to help poor children like him. The Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge that Tim will die if things don't change, and this shocks Scrooge into realising that his attitude toward poor people is wrong.

Dickens criticises Victorian attitudes to poverty through Scrooge's character at the beginning. When charity collectors ask him to donate to help the poor, Scrooge asks "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" This shows he thinks poor people should go to these institutions rather than receiving charity. Workhouses were real places in Victorian times where poor people had to live and work in horrible conditions. They were deliberately made unpleasant so that only desperate people would go there. Dickens thought this was cruel. Later in the novella, the Ghost throws these same words back at Scrooge when showing him Ignorance and Want, which shows how wrong this attitude is.

Ignorance and Want are two children who represent the problems caused by poverty. They are described as "yellow, meagre, ragged" and look like monsters. Dickens is showing that if society doesn't help poor people, poverty will create ignorance (lack of education) and want (hunger and need) which will damage society. The Ghost warns Scrooge to "beware them both" but especially Ignorance. This suggests that keeping poor people uneducated is dangerous for society as a whole, not just for the poor people themselves.

Dickens uses the transformation of Scrooge to show how attitudes should change. By the end, Scrooge becomes generous and raises Bob Cratchit's salary. He also sends the Cratchits a huge turkey and becomes "like a second father" to Tiny Tim. This shows that rich people should use their money to help the poor. Scrooge becomes much happier when he's generous, which suggests that helping others is good for everyone, not just the people being helped.

Another character who shows good attitudes to poverty is Fezziwig, Scrooge's old employer. Even though Fezziwig isn't very rich, he throws a Christmas party for all his employees and makes them feel valued. Dickens describes how "the happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune." This shows that treating workers well doesn't require being extremely rich, just being kind and generous. This contrasts with how Scrooge treats Bob Cratchit at the beginning, paying him poorly and begrudging him Christmas Day off.

Overall, Dickens uses "A Christmas Carol" to argue that Victorian society needs to change its attitudes to poverty. He shows that poor people are often good people who deserve help, and that rich people have a responsibility to be generous. The story suggests that if everyone was more charitable like Scrooge becomes, social problems like poverty could be reduced.

Mark: 21/30

Examiner commentary: This is a clear, sustained response that addresses both aspects of the question with relevant references. The student identifies and explains key examples (the Cratchits, Tiny Tim, Ignorance and Want) and shows understanding of Dickens's methods, using some appropriate terminology (description, symbolism). Context is present with reference to workhouses and Victorian society, though this could be more detailed and better integrated. The response explains how Dickens presents poverty and makes clear links to social criticism. To reach higher levels, the answer needs more detailed analysis of specific language choices and their effects, more sophisticated exploration of Dickens's techniques, and deeper engagement with contextual factors. Expression is clear and mostly accurate.

Grade 3 answer

In "A Christmas Carol" Dickens writes about poor people to show they need help. The main poor family is the Cratchits who work