AQA GCSE English Literature key terms

The restoration of a friendly relationship after conflict or separation.

Moral or spiritual recovery from wrongdoing; in a Christian reading, deliverance from sin.

A misleading clue that directs attention away from the real explanation. The apparent connection between Grace Poole and the laughter distracts Jane from Bertha’s existence.

A repeated word, phrase or passage in a poem or song.

The period from 1811 to 1820 when the Prince Regent exercised royal powers because George III was too ill to rule; the term also describes a broader cultural period around these years.

The killing of a king or queen.

Genuine regret for having acted wrongly, rather than simply fear of being caught or punished.

An attempt to repair harm caused by wrongdoing, rather than merely expressing regret.

Recognition of wrongdoing accompanied by a sincere desire to change.

The suppression or restraint of feelings and desires. St John experiences romantic passion but deliberately prevents it from directing his life.

A system of government without a monarch. The conspirators claim to defend Rome’s republican traditions against Caesar’s concentration of power.

A person's standing in the eyes of others. In Austen's society, a woman's perceived sexual respectability could affect both her own and her family's marriage prospects.

The appearance of being socially acceptable and morally trustworthy. Dickens explores how respectable manners and clothing can conceal wrongdoing.

A moral obligation to care for someone or to answer for the consequences of one’s actions.

The act of returning something wrongfully kept or compensating someone for a wrong.

Restraint or reluctance in revealing information, feelings or thoughts. In fiction, it can characterise a speaker and leave important matters unexplained.

Storytelling that looks back on past events, allowing the narrator to reflect on what their younger self experienced.

A first-person account that looks back on an earlier experience, allowing the perspective of the remembering speaker to shape its meaning.

A narrator who tells events after they have happened, with knowledge of their later consequences. Jane tells her story after ten years of marriage.

A speaker’s account of past experiences, told from a later point in their life.

Retaliation against someone who has caused injury or harm, usually driven by personal anger rather than impartial judgement.

A fundamental change in who holds power and how a society is organised, often involving the overthrow of an existing government.

Language designed to persuade an audience, using methods such as repetition, questions, emotional appeals and contrasts.

A question asked for persuasive or expressive effect rather than to obtain an answer.

A pair of consecutive lines whose end words rhyme.

The financial and commercial heart of Venice, where merchants conducted business and exchanged news.

A symbol representing a promise or relationship. The rings in The Merchant of Venice connect material objects with love, memory and fidelity.