Love through the ages: Example answer and commentary 1

Below you will find an exemplar student response to a Section A question in the sample assessment materials, followed by an examiner commentary on the response.

Paper 1, Section A, band 2 answer

[Extract from The Winter's Tale, I. ii. 264-318]

'Paradoxically, texts often present jealousy as springing from the very deepest kind of love.'

In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Leontes' feelings for Hermione in this extract and elsewhere in the play.

Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses the idea of duality and contrasts between different ideas. In the passage alone, there is ideas of love and jealousy and pastoral aspects juxtaposed with courtly aspects.

In the passage, Leontes' jealousy is very clear. He mentions a "cuckold's horn", which identifies that he is ashamed of what has happened to him. During Shakespearean times, a husband being a "cuckold" was shameful, especially a king, which Shakespeare includes in this passage, and continues throughout the text. Leontes also calls his wife a "hobby-horse", which appears to be an insult towards Hermione. However, this "horse" links to pastoral ideas and hints at the connection between the courtly and pastoral aspects of the play. Shakespeare also includes lots of punctuation at the end of lines, which create pauses in Leontes' dialogue. This hints at the idea that Leontes is overcome by emotion and could possibly be losing control on what he's saying. However, it could also suggest that he is just looking for attention and pauses to think very carefully about what he's saying to try and incriminate Hermione even more. This indicates his rage at what she has done, which could arguably be a match for his jealousy. Yet, there is no clear reasoning behind the use of punctuation, and the meaning comes down to how it is portrayed by an actor. The passage also seems to get more extreme as it goes on. Leontes appears to be overwhelmed with his own emotion, which is portrayed through the erratic punctuation – "cuckold's horn – or heard – for to a vision . . ."  He then starts asking rhetorical questions, such as "is whispering nothing?" This indicates that he is trying to get Camillo to agree with him about the severity of Hermione's actions, and could arguably suggest that he is trying to convince himself as well. Yet, by the end of the passage, his jealousy has turned to rage, and threatens to poison her – "might bespice a cup". This highlights that perhaps his jealousy can be matched by his rage.

There are aspects of the play that hint at the idea of Leontes' love being the reasoning behind the jealousy. His friend Polixenes says "this jealousy is for a precious creature." This indicates that the jealousy Leontes is experiencing is a result of Hermione being too "precious" to him. He then goes on to say "as she's rare, it must be great . . it must be violent." This arguably suggests that the severity of his rage must have come from his deep love for her.

The idea of jealousy somehow being linked with love introduces the idea of duality to the play. In the extract there are also signs of the contrast between pastoral themes and royal aspects of the play. This is directly linked to the main themes of the play, tragedy and comedy. The genre of the play is tragicomedy, and Shakespeare highlights this with a clear distinction between the two main ideas. He does this by including a home for comedy, Bohemia, and a home for tragedy, Sicilia. It is clear that Bohemia is the home of comedy because it is the pastoral realm in the play where true love can flourish. Shakespeare introduces Shepherd to the audience, with his obvious rural language – "Mercy on's, a barne! A very pretty barne!" and the way he would have been dressed, the audience would have seen the clear shift between tragedy and comedy. Furthermore, the audience are then introduced to Clown, who acts as comic relief, which further highlights this transition from tragedy to comedy. Yet, even though the shift has been made, the links back to tragedy still remain. The baby Perdita, who belongs in Sicilia, remains in Bohemia. This links the two realms together, and this bond is strengthened by the relationship between Perdita and Florizel. (Shep.) "He says he loves my daughter: I think so too."

A common aspect of comedy that Shakespeare includes in this play is disguise. This also strengthens the ideas of duality and also indicates the theme of comedy. Polixenes and Camillo both disguise themselves as commoners, and visit Perdita and Florizel. This also links to the idea of pastoral or comic, and royal or tragic aspects of the play being mixed in with each other, where the love between Leontes and Hermione can be compared with the love between Perdita and Florizel.

The depth of Leontes' jealousy has clearly come from his love for Hermione, which suggests that they must be equal to each other. However, the comedic aspects of the play are much stronger and even take up more of the play. This shows that comedy will overcome tragedy, and therefore love will over power jealousy. Yet, there is still Leontes' rage that sprung from his jealousy, which could also be equal to each other. Leontes' jealousy can be matched by his rage, but still overpowered by his love for Hermione which is seen at the end of the play when he sees her statue and says, "O thus she stood . . when first I woo'd her."

Examiner commentary

AO1 - A simplistic argument for which there seems to have been little careful planning: the selection of ideas and their organisation are flawed. Terminology is generally appropriate.  The answer is reasonably accurate in respect of spelling, punctuation and grammar, but the expression is narrow in range, inexact and repetitive. A conspicuous error of interpretation occurs in paragraph 2: it is Polixenes that Leontes suggests Camillo might poison, not Hermione.

AO2 - There is simple analysis of the extract - with textual reference to Shakespeare's language choices, punctuation, rhetorical questions and comment on their effect - and an awareness of the play in performance.

AO3 - Mention is made of cuckoldry and its repercussion for husband and wife. There is awareness of the context of the court. Two loving couples are compared in a generalised way, but only to illustrate a dubious argument about the 'duality' of tragedy and comedy, royal and pastoral.

AO4 – Comment is offered on the idea of tragic-comedy and the place of a jealous lover in that kind of drama.  There is discussion of Leontes' jealous behaviour towards his wife; thereby connecting with the theme of love and offering some exploration, with some references chosen from 'elsewhere in the play'. The attendant paradox is only tentatively identified.

AO5 – An attempt is made to present a debate focused on the key words in the questions ('jealousy', 'springing from', 'deepest', 'love'), but it is only partially successful. Material is introduced which is not made relevant, e.g. on 'duality' and on disguises.

[A Band 2 mark would seem appropriate]

This is part of the Love through the ages resource package.