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GCSE English Literature · key term
Temporary, permitted disruption of ordinary rules, especially during a festival; it does not necessarily mean permanent freedom from those rules.
Used by Edexcel and Eduqas
Paper 1
Revise: ContextThis was licensed disorder: ordinary rules could be suspended for a limited festive period. The idea of temporary permission matters. Playing at being a master did not normally make a servant a master once the festival ended.
Component 1
Temporary, accepted freedom to overturn ordinary rules and social roles during a festive occasion.
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This was licensed disorder: a temporary freedom to overturn normal rules, rather than a permanent abolition of them. Shakespeare’s comedy suits this atmosphere. Viola changes her outward gender, servants outwit their social superiors, and Sir Toby treats Olivia’s household as a place for late-night drinking and singing.
