Historical context
What Historical context means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Historical context
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Reference: Pearson Edexcel
The specific historical, social or political conditions under which a poem was produced, which can explain a textual choice or a change in interpretation.
The social, historical, and cultural contexts relevant to the texts, which shape meaning and influence their production and reception.
The specific social, political and literary contexts of the era in which the text was written, informing production and reception.
The twentieth or twenty-first-century context that influences the themes and reception of the chosen texts.
Cultural, historical and social contexts that shape an audience's interpretation over time.
Topics that use Historical context
- 2c. Content of Drama and poetry pre-1900 (Component 01) (OCR A-Level)
- 2d. Content of non-exam assessment in A Level in English Literature (Component 03) (OCR A-Level)
- Drama and poetry pre-1900 (Component 01) - Section 1 set texts: Shakespeare (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Task 2: Comparative essay (OCR A-Level)
- Component 3: Poetry (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Linguistic analysis
- Audience reception
- Context of production
- Context of reception
- Critical reception
- Dramatic structure and stagecraft
- Form and structure
- Genre conventions
Using Historical context in the exam
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