Edexcel English Literature GCSE Audio Study Guides

Macbeth

Our Macbeth series for GCSE English Literature is one of our favourites. Our authors, Catherine Hartley and Stella Vassiliou, two fabulous teachers (both 1st class honours graduates from Oxbridge) bring to life and explain one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. We are also honoured to have the renowned Shakespearean actor, Guy Henry, play Macbeth throughout the series.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's greatest and best loved tragedies. In this series for GCSE English Literature we analyse all aspects of the play ensuring that you gain a full understanding of the various complexities, including key themes, characters, context and structure. As with Macbeth we have brought together Stella Vassilou and Catherine Hartley, both of whom received Masters in English Literature from Oxford and Cambridge University and are now teaching GCSE English Literature.

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

The GCSE podcast series for JB Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls, will give you invaluable insight for your GCSE and help you prepare for your exams at the end of the school year. It looks at the genre, structure and plot, why the play is enduring, the context of the play and how it was a voice for Priestley’s beliefs, gives a detail overview of the characters involved and then includes a detailed analysis of the play itself as well as giving hints and tips on exams techniques.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or sometimes known more simply as Jekyll & Hyde has entertained readers for over 100 years. Written by Robert Louis Stevenson the novella has impacted our natural language with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next. Our GCSE series has been written so that you will fully understand the context, genres, themes and characters of this wonderful novella and will guide you through the course and help prepare you for your GCSE English Literature exam.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is a turbulent love story with many different themes, twists and compelling characters, making it a fascinating novel to study. In our tutorial series, written by Charlotte Unsworth, an experienced English teacher, we will analyse the key characters and themes within Jane Eyre, as well as having a detailed look at the importance of the settings. We finish with a tutorial that has been designed to help approach exam questions. Best of luck.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was one of the most popular novels of its day and it continues to be so, with many film and small screen adaptations. In this series we examine all the key aspects that you will need to know and understand for GCSE English Literature, ranging from its context, major themes, character analysis and look at all the different chapters. It's penultimate tutorial examines some of the most pertinent of quotations, including; "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”, which gives a clue to the type of book it is. Written by Jan Heron, a English teacher of many years and one who holds 5 stars on the Rate My Teacher website, Jan is also an exam board examiner so knows what is required to achieve good grades.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has horrified readers throughout the generations. In this series, especially written for GCSE students, we provide detailed analysis across all the key elements of this sublime novel, from its context, genre, an in-depth discussion of all the characters.

Animal Farm by George Orwell - Edexcel

Animal Farm is one of the great dystopian novels of it's time and is layered with many different meanings. Our podcast series will examine all the key elements you require for your GCSE, helping you across your coursework and preparing you for your exams.

Of Mice and Men

In John Steinbeck's classic novella, we see two friends working through the farmlands in California during the time of the Great Depression. In this study guide for GCSE, we examine Of Mice and Men in detail, looking at the myriad of themes involved, the key characters, its context, the structure and setting as well as giving a detailed step by step guide to each chapter, so that you can easily follow the book and to prepare you for your exams. The final two tutorials will furnish you with key quotations and how to use them as well as equipping you with exam techniques. Our series has been written by Hannah Walsh, who, when she was studying for her PGCE at Exeter University, won the Ted Wragg Award for Outstanding Trainees in recognition of the high standard of her English teaching.

Blood Brothers

In these podcasts on Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, we’ll be revising each section of the play in some depth, and picking out ideas or details which might come up in your Literature exam. In addition, there are in-depth podcasts on the characters within the play and the first couple of podcasts will give you a bit of background which will, hopefully, help you get the most out of your reading of the text.