New
New
Year 11
AQA

Using context to inform an argument about 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can use context effectively in an analytical paragraph when writing about 'Jekyll and Hyde'.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Using context to inform an argument about 'Jekyll and Hyde'

I can use context effectively in an analytical paragraph when writing about 'Jekyll and Hyde'.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Context must be precise and avoid generalisations.
  2. Context needs to be anchored to the text by linking it to quotations.
  3. Context needs to be interwoven with analysis and used to develop inferences.
  4. Context needs to focus on key themes and concepts and not on isolated historical facts.
  5. Context can be used to explain the writer's intention and support the overarching argument of the essay.

Keywords

  • Theme - A repeated idea in a story is known as a theme. Concealment is a theme in 'Jekyll and Hyde'.

  • Concept - An abstract idea is known as a concept.

  • Context - Context concerns the circumstances in which a text was written; context helps us to understand the writer’s intentions further.

  • Writer's intention - If an author sets out to deliver a social message or critique, this is known as the writer’s intention.

  • Generalisation - If a statement is applied to more things than to which it directly applies, then it is known as a generalisation.

Common misconception

Context is a bolt-on and can just be added onto the end of a paragraph.

Context should be a considered and interwoven part of any essay.

Consider a mind-map of all relevant contextual information after the extract in learning cycle 2 to give students a foundation ahead of the analytical piece.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
The novella 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' was first published in 1886. As such its first audiences were ...
Correct answer: Victorians
Edwardians
Elizabethans
Georgians
Q2.
Stevenson was influenced by the works of Charles Darwin in the novella. He had recently published a book called 'On the Origin of Species'. What theory did this book popularise?
Correct Answer: Evolution, theory of evolution, the theory of evolution
Q3.
What is being described here: 'the circumstances in which a text was written'?
Correct answer: Context
Characterisation
Writer's intention
Theme
Q4.
'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' contains conventions of monstrosity, moral ambiguity and experimentation. These are conventions of the ...
Correct answer: gothic genre.
romance genre.
tragedy genre.
comedy genre.
Q5.
What is the correct definition of the word 'generalisation'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'Avoid making a generalisation without considering specific cases.'
Correct answer: a statement applied to more things than to which it directly applies
a statement applied randomly to things to which it doesn't apply
a statement that is factually incorrect
a statement that is overused
Q6.
What is the definition of the word 'theme'? Here it is used in a sentence: 'The movie had a theme of love.'
Correct answer: A repeated idea in a story
An ignored idea in a story
A hidden idea in a story
An entertaining idea in a story

6 Questions

Q1.
Context must be and avoid generalisations.
Correct answer: precise
detailed
clear
extended
Q2.
'Victorians were overly obsessed with reputation.' Which of the below highlights best why this is not an effective contextual reference?
Correct answer: It is a generalisation.
It is untrue.
It is effective.
Q3.
Context needs to focus on ...
Correct answer: themes and concepts.
facts and history.
the writer and their life.
the Victorian era generally.
Q4.
How can context be 'anchored in the text'?
Correct answer: by using relevant quotations and contextual references to support it
by showing a detailed knowledge of the plot to support it
by showing a detailed knowledge of Stevenson's life to support it
by effectively key elements of relevant characters to support it
Q5.
Which of the following contextual points could link to the theme of religion in relation to 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?
Correct answer: Fall of man
Correct answer: Science vs. Religion
Correct answer: Victorian religious attitudes
Repression
False appearances
Q6.
Read this sentence: In 'Jekyll & Hyde', Lanyon’s reaction shows how characters return to their religious beliefs when facing difficult situations. What part of an analytical response is this sentence?
Correct answer: topic sentence
writer's intention
concluding sentence
supporting detail

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