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### Assessment Objectives Covered:
* **AO2**: Analyze how language, form, and structure are used by writers to create meanings and effects.

### Model Outline for a High-Level Response:

* **Introduction**:
- Thesis statement: The poet presents the orchard as a melancholy symbol of the passage of time, transitioning from a state of human-dominated utility and summer warmth to a state of natural neglect, decay, and winter cold. However, the final lines offer a counter-narrative of resilience and memory through the single surviving apple.

* **Body Paragraph 1: The Imagery of Aging and Abandonment**:
- Analyze the opening metaphor: 'rusted hinge of summer's gate' marks a threshold of time, indicating that summer is locked away in the past.
- Explore the personification: 'crooked postures' and 'tired dancers'. The simile compares the trees to weary performers, suggesting their natural cycle is winding down, leaving them 'frozen' and vulnerable.
- Look at the auditory and tactile silence: 'silent, drunken wasps' and the 'woven blankets' of grass, which suggest a heavy, suffocating sleep associated with seasonal change.

* **Body Paragraph 2: The Lack of Human Connection and Utility**:
- Examine the use of anaphora and negation: 'No ladders lean... / No baskets wait...'. This highlights the complete absence of human care and harvest, showing how nature has reclaimed the space.
- Note the contrast between past productivity ('once were sold') and present isolation ('slips unchecked into the dark'), representing how time erases human purpose.

* **Body Paragraph 3: The Climax of Defiance and Hope**:
- Analyze the sudden shift in the final quatrain: 'Yet in the crown of one stubborn, ancient tree...'
- Examine the vibrant, fiery diction: 'scarlet globe', 'burning spark'. This contrasts sharply with the muted tones of 'shadows' and 'dark'.
- Explain the symbolic weight of 'defies the frost'—it represents hope, endurance, and the persistent warmth of memory in the face of inevitable cold and death.

* **Body Paragraph 4: Structural and Formal Devices**:
- Discuss the steady iambic rhythm and consistent rhyme scheme (ABAB), which mimics the predictable, cyclical rotation of the seasons.
- Point out how the volta (turn) at 'Yet' in line 13 disrupts the mood of despair and introduces a final note of triumph.

**Marking Scheme & Level Descriptors (Total: 20 marks)**

This question assesses **AO2**: Analyze how language, form, and structure are used by writers to create meanings and effects.

* **Level 1 (1–4 marks) - Simple/Literal Response**:
- Offers a basic reading of the poem with limited understanding of the central themes.
- Identifies a few simple language features (e.g., 'it mentions apple trees') but offers minimal explanation.
- Relies heavily on paraphrase or narrative summary.

* **Level 2 (5–8 marks) - Broad/Descriptive Response**:
- Shows some understanding of the orchard's decline and the onset of autumn.
- Makes broad references to descriptive language or simple imagery (e.g., noting that 'tired dancers' is a comparison).
- Offers general comments on structure or rhyme but struggles to link them to the poem's meaning.

* **Level 3 (9–12 marks) - Clear/Relevant Response**:
- Explains clearly how the poet conveys the passage of time and the state of the orchard.
- Selects relevant quotes to support points, demonstrating a clear understanding of metaphor, simile, and personification (e.g., analyzing 'rusted hinge' or 'drunken wasps').
- Comments purposefully on the structure (e.g., the transition in the final stanza).

* **Level 4 (13–16 marks) - Detailed/Thorough Response**:
- Offers a thoughtful, detailed interpretation of the presentation of autumn and neglect.
- Explores the effects of language and imagery with precision (e.g., the connotations of 'prophetic blow' or 'burning spark').
- Discusses how the poem's regular form and sudden shift ('Yet') reinforce the theme of resilience against time.

* **Level 5 (17–20 marks) - Perceptive/Exploratory Response**:
- Delivers an organic, highly perceptive reading of the poem, showing sensitive engagement with nuances.
- Offers a sophisticated analysis of how form, rhythm, imagery, and structure work together to present the complex tension between natural decay and endurance.
- Uses precise literary terminology seamlessly and backs up all assertions with closely analyzed textual evidence.

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Introduction: Both poets reflect deeply on their childhoods and the profound, shaping influence of a parent. However, while Lawrence's 'Piano' depicts a speaker overwhelmed by a painful, irresistible longing for the secure past of his mother's music, Walker's 'Poem at Thirty-Nine' presents a mature, reflective appreciation of her father's lessons and legacy, celebrating her identification with him.

Key Comparative Point 1: Presentation of Memories and Feelings. Lawrence presents memory as an intrusive, involuntary force triggered by a woman singing. His memory of his mother is idealized and deeply nostalgic ('cosy parlour', 'winter outside'). The feeling is one of heartbreaking regret and the loss of innocence. Conversely, Walker's memories are active, conscious reflections at the milestone age of thirty-nine. She feels a bittersweet grief ('How I miss my father'), but also pride, peace, and self-actualization as she cooks and lives independently.

Key Comparative Point 2: The Influence of Parents. In 'Piano', the mother is a symbol of absolute security, warmth, and musical guidance ('a mother who smiles as she sings'). The speaker's relationship is passive and dependent. In contrast, Walker's father is a practical, rigorous teacher ('he taught me writing deposit slips', 'he truth-told'). He instilled resilience, honesty, and financial responsibility. The daughter becomes a creative, independent adult who 'smiles to think how much I am like him', whereas Lawrence's adult identity feels weakened by his nostalgia ('my manhood is cast down').

Key Comparative Point 3: Language and Imagery. Lawrence uses rich, sensory, and auditory imagery ('tingling strings', 'glowing chords', 'boom of the tingling strings') to emphasize the overwhelming sensory memory of the music. His language is dramatic ('weeps to belong', 'flood of remembrance'). Walker uses simple, colloquial, domestic imagery ('chopping wood', 'tossing salad', 'seasoning none of it with anger'). Her language is honest and conversational, emphasizing the grounded, everyday virtues her father taught her.

Key Comparative Point 4: Structure and Form. 'Piano' is structured in three neat quatrains with an AABB rhyme scheme, echoing the predictable, comforting rhythm of the piano music itself, which contrasts with the speaker's emotional unravelling. 'Poem at Thirty-Nine' is written in free verse with varying stanza lengths and short, enjambed lines, mimicking the natural flow of thought and representing the freedom and independence her father's upbringing gave her.

Assessment Objectives:
AO1: Demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of prose, poetry and drama texts and their contexts (15 marks).
AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects (15 marks).

Level 1 (1-6 marks): Simple, superficial comparison. Minimal reference to the poems. Little or no analysis of language or structure.
Level 2 (7-12 marks): Straightforward comparison of themes and ideas. Some relevant support from the poems. Basic comments on poetic devices.
Level 3 (13-18 marks): Clear, structured comparison of how memories and parents are presented. Good selection of textual evidence. Some analysis of language, form, and structure.
Level 4 (19-24 marks): Thorough, sustained comparative analysis. Detailed exploration of how D H Lawrence and Alice Walker use poetic techniques (such as sensory imagery and verse form) to shape their speakers' attitudes toward childhood.
Level 5 (25-30 marks): Discriminating, highly perceptive comparison. Mature, sophisticated analysis of the nuances in emotional tone (regretful vs celebratory) and structure. Excellent contextual understanding and integrated textual support.

A successful essay should explore several dimensions of powerlessness in Of Mice and Men:

1. **Racial Powerlessness (Crooks)**: Crooks is segregated because of his race, forced to sleep in the harness room. Despite his pride and possession of books, he is structurally powerless, as shown when Curley's wife threatens to have him 'strung up on a tree' with total impunity.

2. **Gender and Social Isolation (Curley's wife)**: As the only woman on the ranch, she is nameless, defined only as a possession of Curley. Her powerlessness is demonstrated through her failed dreams of stardom and her desperation for conversation, which leads to her tragic end.

3. **Age and Physical Disability (Candy and Lennie)**: Candy's loss of his hand and his advanced age make him vulnerable to being discarded by the capitalist system of the ranch, symbolized by the shooting of his ancient dog. Lennie, despite his immense physical strength, is intellectually powerless, relying entirely on George to navigate a world he does not understand.

4. **Economic Powerlessness**: All the itinerant workers are powerless against the harsh realities of the Great Depression, trapped in a cycle of low-wage labor with no hope of achieving the 'American Dream' of land ownership.

Total Marks: 40.
The essay is assessed against Assessment Objectives AO1 (20 marks) and AO4 (20 marks).

- **Level 1 (1–8 marks)**: Minimal understanding; simple, unstructured response with limited reference to the text or context.
- **Level 2 (9–16 marks)**: Broad understanding; some structured arguments with general references to characters and basic context of the Great Depression.
- **Level 3 (17–24 marks)**: Clear and consistent explanation; sound knowledge of how Steinbeck presents powerlessness, supported by relevant text references and clear context.
- **Level 4 (25–32 marks)**: Thorough and detailed discussion; analytical approach to Steinbeck's techniques and deep integration of historical/social context.
- **Level 5 (33–40 marks)**: Perspective, perceptive, and cohesive analysis; sophisticated evaluation of literary techniques and a highly developed understanding of context.

### Indicative Content

**Introduction**
* Introduce Priestley's socialist agenda and how he uses the play to expose the vulnerabilities of the working class, particularly working-class women, in Edwardian England (1912).
* Identify Eva Smith as the central symbol of this vulnerability, alongside Edna, the Birlings' maid.
* Thesis: Priestley presents working-class women as voiceless, easily disposable, and subject to the economic, sexual, and social whims of the wealthy upper-middle class, in order to challenge his 1945 audience to build a more egalitarian society.

**Key Points for Analysis:**

1. **Economic Vulnerability and Exploitation (Eva at Birling & Co.)**
* Mr. Birling views working-class female workers simply as 'cheap labour' rather than human beings. When Eva asks for a modest pay rise (25 shillings a week) to meet basic living costs, she is summarily dismissed.
* Analysis of Birling's language: 'unreasonable customer', 'keep labour costs down'. This highlights the extreme precariousness of working-class employment, where a single protest leads to immediate destitution.
* Priestley juxtaposes Birling's capitalism with the harsh economic reality of women who have 'no money, no home, no friends'.

2. **The Illusion of Refuge and Exploitation (Eva at Milwards)**
* Sheila's abuse of her class power at Milwards shows that working-class women are vulnerable not only to male capitalists but also to the petulant whims of wealthy women.
* Eva is fired because of Sheila's 'furious temper' and jealousy. This demonstrates that Eva's livelihood is entirely dependent on keeping her social superiors pleased, showing how easily class privilege can destroy a working-class woman's life.

3. **Sexual Vulnerability and Objectification (Eva as Daisy Renton)**
* Once forced into the gig economy of the Palace Theatre bar, Eva/Daisy is exposed to the sexual predatory behavior of wealthy men (such as Meggarty and ultimately Gerald and Eric).
* Gerald's description of the women at the bar ('hard-eyed', 'dough-faced') contrasts with Daisy, whom he rescues but then turns into a kept mistress. This highlights the transactional nature of relationships between upper-class men and vulnerable women.
* Eric's drunken assault on Daisy ('in that state when a chap easily turns nasty') exposes the physical and sexual danger working-class women faced. She is treated as an object for pleasure, with no agency to resist.

4. **Institutional and Moral Vulnerability (The Brumley Women's Charity)**
* When pregnant and desperate, Eva turns to the Brumley Women's Charity, only to face Mrs. Birling's prejudice. Mrs. Birling uses her influence to deny aid because Eva dared to use the Birling name and showed 'impertinence.'
* This highlights the ultimate vulnerability: the very institutions designed to protect the weak are controlled by the hypocritical wealthy class who judge the poor's morals rather than assisting their survival.

5. **The Presentation of Edna**
* Edna, though a minor character, is physically present on stage, representing the silent, invisible labor of working-class women. She is spoken to abruptly ('Edna, show him in', 'Clear the table') and has very few lines, emphasizing her lack of voice and agency within the Birling household.

**Conclusion**
* Summarize how Eva's journey from factory worker to shop assistant, mistress, pregnant beggar, and suicide victim represents the compounding layers of vulnerability faced by working-class women.
* Reference the Inspector's final warning: 'There are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.' Priestley uses the tragic plight of working-class women to demand social responsibility and political change.

### Marking Scheme (30 Marks total)

This question is assessed against **AO1** (Close knowledge and understanding of the text) and **AO2** (Analysis of language, form, and structure).

| Level | Marks | Performance Descriptors |
|---|---|---|
| **Level 1** | **1–6** | * Minimal or very limited response.
* Shows little awareness of the text or the vulnerability of working-class women.
* Directs very few, if any, relevant examples. Language is simple and lacks literary analysis. |
| **Level 2** | **7–12** | * Basic understanding of characters like Eva Smith and Edna.
* Identifies some simple points of vulnerability (e.g., Eva losing her job).
* Mostly narrative summary rather than active analysis. Shows some awareness of social context (1912 vs 1945) but lacks depth. |
| **Level 3** | **13–18** | * Sound, relevant response to the prompt.
* Demonstrates clear knowledge of how Priestley presents working-class women through Eva's experiences and Edna's role.
* Analyzes some language features and dramatic devices (e.g., the contrast between Sheila and Eva, the hypocrisy of Mrs. Birling).
* Connects the text to Priestley’s social and political contexts. |
| **Level 4** | **19–24** | * Sustained, detailed, and analytical response.
* Thoroughly explores different dimensions of vulnerability (economic, sexual, institutional).
* Effective analysis of dramatic structure, character contrasts, and Priestley's use of language.
* Well-chosen textual evidence used to support a cohesive argument about class and gender inequality. |
| **Level 5** | **25–30** | * Perceptive, critical, and highly engaging essay.
* Deeply evaluates how Priestley constructs the characters of Eva and Edna as symbols of broader social injustice.
* Analytical focus on dramatic techniques, structure (the unfolding of the narrative), and stagecraft.
* Masterful integration of context, showing how the vulnerability of working-class women serves Priestley's overarching socialist critique of Edwardian society. |

**Accept/Reject Guidelines:**
* **Accept:** Essays that focus primarily on Eva Smith, but also accept discussions of Edna, or the comparative treatment of working-class versus upper-class women (e.g., Sheila or Mrs. Birling's power over them).
* **Reject:** Essays that only discuss the Birlings without focusing on the central theme of the vulnerability of working-class women as requested by the prompt.

### Key Points for Analysis

1. **Introduction**
- Define the central conflict between legitimate, divinely ordained kingship (associated with order, health, and grace) and illegitimate tyranny (marked by violence, paranoia, and chaos).
- Introduce the Jacobean context: King James I's absolute views on monarchy (*Basilikon Doron*) and the immediate aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot (1605).

2. **Duncan and Legitimate Kingship (The Divine Right)**
- Duncan is presented as a benevolent, saintly king. Shakespeare uses organic, nurturing metaphors to describe his rule: 'I have begun to plant thee, and will labour / To make thee full of growing.'
- His murder is depicted as a sacrilegious violation of the Great Chain of Being. Macduff describes it as the destruction of 'the Lord’s anointed temple'.
- The natural world rebels against Duncan's unnatural death, reflecting the Elizabethan/Jacobean belief that a king's murder disrupts the cosmos (e.g., horses eating each other, darkness choking the day).

3. **Macbeth and the Nature of Tyranny**
- Macbeth's reign is defined by fear, insecurity, and psychological torment: 'To be thus is nothing, / But to be safely thus.'
- Unlike Duncan, who nurtures Scotland, Macbeth acts as a parasite. Scotland under his tyranny is described as a suffering mother: 'It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash / Is added to her wounds.'
- Shakespeare traces Macbeth's descent from a 'valiant cousin' to a 'dead butcher' and 'abhorred tyrant' whose very name 'blisters our tongues'.

4. **The Ideal Kings: Edward the Confessor and Malcolm**
- Edward the Confessor represents the ultimate Christian monarch. He has the 'heavenly gift of prophecy' and can cure disease ('the Evil') with his touch, contrasting sharply with Macbeth, who is himself the 'disease' infecting Scotland.
- In Act 4, Scene 3, Malcolm lists the 'king-becoming graces' (justice, verity, temperance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude). This acts as a checklist that exposes Macbeth's total lack of moral fitness to rule.

5. **Historical and Political Context (AO4)**
- **James I and the Stuart Line**: Shakespeare flatters King James I by depicting his ancestor, Banquo, as noble and showing James's homeland, Scotland, restored to holy peace.
- **Basilikon Doron**: James's own treatise on kingcraft explicitly states that a good king acknowledges his duty to his subjects, whereas a tyrant rules for personal gain.
- **The Gunpowder Plot**: By demonstrating the psychological torture, hallucinations, and eventual violent death of the usurper Macbeth, Shakespeare delivers a stark warning against treason and regicide.

### Assessment Objectives
- **AO1 (10 marks)**: Demonstrate close knowledge and understanding of the text, maintaining a focused, critical argument.
- **AO2 (10 marks)**: Analyse how Shakespeare's language, dramatic devices, and structure shape meanings.
- **AO4 (10 marks)**: Show understanding of the relationship between the text and its Jacobean context.

### Mark Band Descriptors

* **Band 1 (1–6 marks)**:
- Minimal focus on the question. Direct references are sparse or lacking.
- Very basic awareness of Macbeth's role; limited attempt to explain language or dramatic choices.
- Little or no reference to historical context.

* **Band 2 (7–12 marks)**:
- A narrative response that retells the plot rather than analyzing the prompt.
- Some identification of language techniques (e.g., imagery of blood) but explanation is limited.
- Basic historical links are made (e.g., mentioning James I) but not integrated into the literary analysis.

* **Band 3 (13–18 marks)**:
- Clear focus on the contrast between kingship and tyranny. Relevant examples of Macbeth's bad rule and Duncan's good rule are used.
- Explanation of key literary devices, such as metaphors of disease or natural disruption.
- Sound understanding of context (the Divine Right of Kings, Gunpowder Plot) and how it influences the play's themes.

* **Band 4 (19–24 marks)**:
- A structured, critical essay comparing Duncan, Macbeth, and Edward the Confessor.
- Effective analysis of Shakespeare's structural and linguistic methods, including imagery of growth vs. decay.
- Well-integrated contextual details (such as *Basilikon Doron* and the Great Chain of Being) that enrich the reading of the text.

* **Band 5 (25–30 marks)**:
- A sophisticated, perceptive, and highly cohesive argument showing how the conflict between kingship and tyranny underpins the entire play.
- Masterful close-reading analysis of Shakespeare's dramatic and poetic techniques.
- Seamless integration of Jacobean political philosophy, successfully proving how the play serves as both a moral warning and a theological exploration of legitimate power.