Eduqas GCSE English Literature key terms

A passionate, proud and troubled literary figure, associated with Lord Byron’s writing, whose mysterious past and resistance to conventional morality make him both attractive and dangerous.

A pause within a line of verse, often marked by punctuation.

A pile of stones used as a marker or memorial. In ‘Kamikaze’, the boys build these piles as a childhood game.

A Protestant tradition based on John Calvin’s teachings, associated with ideas about human sinfulness, God’s authority and salvation.

An economic system in which businesses are mainly privately owned and operate for profit. Priestley criticises the self-interested version represented by Mr Birling.

A portrayal that exaggerates distinctive characteristics to expose or ridicule them.

The idea of enjoying the present because the future is uncertain and life is short; the Latin phrase means 'seize the day'.

A small chest or box for valuables. In The Merchant of Venice, the three caskets test Portia’s suitors, while Jessica uses another casket to carry stolen wealth.

An inherited social rank. Jane uses the word to describe the class boundaries she fears crossing.

A condition involving bodily rigidity and reduced responsiveness. Eliot describes Silas’s episodes as cataleptic fits.

A song sung as a round, with different singers beginning the same tune at different times.

The emotional release or cleansing associated with experiencing pity and fear through tragedy.

An unpredictable occurrence that is not deliberately planned by the people affected.

A chapel associated with prayers for the dead; Olivia takes Sebastian to a nearby chantry to exchange vows before a priest.

The development of a character’s attitudes, behaviour or understanding across a text.

The creation of a character through description, speech, thoughts, actions and relationships.

A school partly funded by donations to provide education for children whose families cannot afford its full cost.

Sexual purity; in Hero's case, the expectation that she has not had sexual intercourse before marriage.

A reversal of the order of words or ideas in successive phrases. Repeating the same words in reverse order, as in ‘weep at joy’ and ‘joy at weeping’, is also called antimetabole.

The employment of children, often involving long hours and conditions that interfered with their education and wellbeing.

A speaker or group of speakers who introduces or comments on the action of a play.

The Christian ceremony of baptism. Eppie’s christening brings Silas into Raveloe’s church for the first time.

England’s established Christian church, whose parish worship contrasts with the independent chapel community in Lantern Yard.

A pattern in which an ending returns to settings, situations or relationships established at the beginning, allowing readers to recognise what has changed.

An organised society sustained by institutions, shared rules, practical services and cultural activity.

A difference in social standing that shapes relationships and expectations, such as the relationship between a wealthy employer and a household servant.

An unfair judgement based on someone’s social group rather than their individual behaviour or circumstances.