AQA GCSE English Literature · 3.2.1

Other modern drama

50 revision questions with answers for 3.2.1 Other modern drama in AQA GCSE English Literature (spec 8702). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1
Blood Brothers: what is the basic plot?
Answer:
Mrs Johnstone, a poor Liverpool mother, gives one of her twin sons to the wealthy Mrs Lyons. The boys, Mickey and Edward, grow up in different classes but meet and become friends, and the secret leads to tragedy.
Question 2
Blood Brothers: why does Mrs Johnstone agree to give away a twin?
Answer:
She is poor, has seven children and has been left by her husband. Mrs Lyons promises a better life for the baby, and she is forced to give in because of her desperation.
Question 3
Blood Brothers: why does Mrs Lyons make Mrs Johnstone swear on the Bible?
Answer:
To bind her to secrecy and to use her fear of religion and superstition. It shows Mrs Lyons's manipulation and her belief that she can control events with a promise.
Question 4
Blood Brothers: what is the superstition about twins?
Answer:
That if twins who were separated at birth ever learn the truth, they will both die. Mrs Lyons uses it to frighten Mrs Johnstone and keep the secret.
Question 5
Blood Brothers: what does the Narrator do?
Answer:
He comments on the action, warns of fate and addresses the audience directly. He appears threateningly around the characters, building tension and a sense of doom.
Question 6
Blood Brothers: how are Mickey and Edward contrasted as children?
Answer:
Mickey is raised in poverty and is streetwise and rough, while Edward is polite, well-educated and privileged. Their differences illustrate the effects of class and upbringing.
Question 7
Blood Brothers: what is the importance of Linda?
Answer:
She is the childhood friend who loves Mickey but also forms a bond with Edward. She stands between the brothers, and her affair with Edward adds to the final conflict.
Question 8
Blood Brothers: what happens to Mickey as an adult?
Answer:
He loses his job, becomes depressed and is jailed after joining Sammy in a robbery, then relies on pills. His decline shows how unemployment and poverty trap working-class people.
Question 9
Blood Brothers: how does the play end?
Answer:
Mickey, discovering that Edward has been seeing his wife Linda, shoots him, and the police shoot Mickey. Mrs Johnstone reveals they were twin brothers, too late, and the Narrator asks whether superstition or class is to blame.
Question 10
Blood Brothers: which themes does Russell explore?
Answer:
Class and inequality, fate and superstition, nature versus nurture, friendship and family. The play suggests that social conditions shape lives more than birth does.
Question 11
The History Boys: where and when is it set?
Answer:
Cutler's Grammar School in Sheffield in the 1980s. The boys are preparing for the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams, and the school is under pressure to improve its results.
Question 12
The History Boys: how is Hector presented?
Answer:
As an eccentric, passionate English teacher who values learning for its own sake, but who also touches the boys inappropriately. The play leaves the audience divided about his teaching and behaviour.
Question 13
The History Boys: how is Irwin presented?
Answer:
As a young, clever teacher who coaches the boys to give surprising, 'contrary' answers. He represents style over substance and the spin of modern education.
Question 14
The History Boys: what is the role of Mrs Lintott?
Answer:
The history teacher who is practical, sharp and outspoken. She challenges both Hector and Irwin, and stresses the boys' welfare, and she criticises how men dominate history.
Question 15
The History Boys: what is the conflict between Hector and Irwin?
Answer:
Hector believes in knowledge for pleasure and wisdom, while Irwin believes in clever argument and exam technique. It reflects the debate about what education is for.
Question 16
The History Boys: how is Posner presented?
Answer:
As a sensitive, gifted boy who is gay and in love with Dakin. His songs and honesty make him one of the most sympathetic characters.
Question 17
The History Boys: how is the Headmaster presented?
Answer:
As obsessed with league tables, results and reputation, he orders changes to boost Oxbridge success. He is shown as shallow and self-serving, which satirises the education system.
Question 18
The History Boys: what does the idea 'pass it on' mean?
Answer:
Mrs Lintott's closing words urge the boys to pass on what they have learned, as in the game 'pass the parcel'. It suggests education is a gift handed down between people.
Question 19
The History Boys: what are the main themes?
Answer:
The purpose of education, truth versus spin, sexuality, power and the abuse of authority, and the past and history. Bennett also uses humour and the 1980s setting to criticise society.
Question 20
The History Boys: how does Bennett use humour and performance?
Answer:
Through witty banter and playful classroom role-play, such as the boys acting out a French scene in a brothel. The humour entertains and also draws attention to serious ideas about teaching and truth.
Question 21
DNA: what happens at the start of the play?
Answer:
A group of teenagers has been bullying a boy, Adam, and a prank goes wrong when he falls down a shaft. They believe he is dead, panic and need a plan.
Question 22
DNA: how does Phil take control of the group?
Answer:
After John Tate loses control, Phil, who is calm and calculating, comes up with a plan to cover up Adam's death. He uses logic and cold detachment to manipulate the others.
Question 23
DNA: what is the effect of Phil eating throughout the play?
Answer:
His snacking shows his emotional detachment and lack of guilt, while others panic. It also contrasts with Leah's worry and her need to talk.
Question 24
DNA: how is Leah presented?
Answer:
As talkative, thoughtful and moral, she asks big questions about life and humanity. She is the group's conscience and eventually breaks away from Phil.
Question 25
DNA: what happens when Adam is found alive?
Answer:
The group is forced to face the consequences of their lie, and Phil leads them to decide Adam must die. It shows how far peer pressure and fear can push people.
Question 26
DNA: how does Cathy change?
Answer:
She starts as a follower, but ends as a leader who has become comfortable with violence. Her change shows how a group can corrupt individuals.
Question 27
DNA: who is John Tate and how is his authority challenged?
Answer:
He is the group's initial leader who tries to control them by threats and by banning the word 'dead'. He crumbles under pressure, and Phil replaces him.
Question 28
DNA: what is the effect of the structure with alternating scenes?
Answer:
The play moves between group scenes and quieter scenes (Leah and Phil, Mark and Jan). It contrasts different reactions and gives space for reflection.
Question 29
DNA: what is the significance of the title?
Answer:
The group fears that DNA evidence will reveal their crime, and DNA also suggests human nature and inheritance. The play asks whether people are programmed to behave badly or can choose to do better.
Question 30
DNA: what are the themes of the play?
Answer:
Peer pressure, guilt and conscience, power and leadership, violence and bullying, and the lack of adult help. Kelly asks how ordinary young people might commit terrible acts.
Question 31
The Curious Incident: who is Christopher Boone?
Answer:
A 15-year-old boy with a gifted mind for maths who lives in Swindon. He is honest and literal, dislikes being touched and feels overwhelmed in crowds.
Question 32
The Curious Incident: what is the 'curious incident' that begins the story?
Answer:
Christopher finds his neighbour's dog, Wellington, killed with a garden fork. He decides to investigate and write a book about it.
Question 33
The Curious Incident: what does Christopher discover about his mother?
Answer:
He finds letters showing that she is alive, not dead as his father said. This reveals his father's lies and shatters his trust.
Question 34
The Curious Incident: why did Ed (Christopher's father) lie?
Answer:
He wanted to protect Christopher and himself from the pain of Judy's departure and her affair. He also admits killing Wellington in anger, which breaks his son's trust.
Question 35
The Curious Incident: why does Christopher go to London?
Answer:
He feels unsafe with his father and wants to be with his mother. The journey is frightening and overwhelming, showing his courage and his difficulties with the world.
Question 36
The Curious Incident: who is Siobhan?
Answer:
Christopher's teacher, who reads his book and acts as a narrator. She is patient and understanding and helps him make sense of the world.
Question 37
The Curious Incident: how does the staging show Christopher's point of view?
Answer:
The set is a grid of lights and projections that suggest maths, order and sensory overload. It lets the audience share his experience of the world.
Question 38
The Curious Incident: how does the play end?
Answer:
Christopher takes his maths A-level, and Ed and Christopher begin to rebuild trust with a puppy. Christopher feels proud and says he can do anything, which is hopeful.
Question 39
The Curious Incident: what are the key themes?
Answer:
Family and trust, honesty and lying, independence, and how different people see the world. The play shows a neurodivergent teenager's strengths and challenges.
Question 40
The Curious Incident: how is the narrative structure unusual?
Answer:
It is a play within a play, as Siobhan reads from Christopher's book while the story is acted out. It lets the audience see events in his voice and from other perspectives.
Question 41
A Taste of Honey: where and when is it set?
Answer:
Salford, in northern England in the late 1950s. The squalid flat and the working-class setting are typical of 'kitchen sink' drama.
Question 42
A Taste of Honey: who are Helen and Jo?
Answer:
Helen is a loud, careless mother who moves from flat to flat, and Jo is her teenage daughter. Their relationship is close but tense, and Jo often feels neglected.
Question 43
A Taste of Honey: who is Peter and what does he do?
Answer:
Helen's wealthy, younger boyfriend who offers her marriage and a more comfortable life. Helen goes off with him and leaves Jo alone, which shows her selfishness.
Question 44
A Taste of Honey: who is Jimmie (the Boy)?
Answer:
A Black sailor who has a short relationship with Jo and leaves for the sea. Jo becomes pregnant and the play tackles racism and the prejudice she will face.
Question 45
A Taste of Honey: who is Geof and why is he important?
Answer:
An art student who moves in and cares for Jo during pregnancy. He is gay, which was illegal at the time, and the play shows him as kind and loyal.
Question 46
A Taste of Honey: what happens when Helen returns?
Answer:
She comes back after Peter leaves her and pushes Geof out of the flat. The mother and daughter are left to face the future, and Helen is shocked that the baby may be Black.
Question 47
A Taste of Honey: how does the play end?
Answer:
Jo is left alone, singing to her unborn baby a song Geof taught her. It suggests loneliness but also determination to cope.
Question 48
A Taste of Honey: what is kitchen sink drama?
Answer:
A style of realistic drama from the 1950s that shows working-class life and social problems in domestic settings. Delaney's play helped to bring working-class women's voices on stage.
Question 49
A Taste of Honey: what are the main themes?
Answer:
Mothers and daughters, poverty, race and prejudice, sexuality and independence. Delaney shows how people survive and find support despite their circumstances.
Question 50
A Taste of Honey: what is notable about the playwright?
Answer:
Shelagh Delaney wrote it as a teenager, and it was first staged in 1958 by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. It was a landmark in British theatre for its honesty about class, race and sexuality.

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