Write about the role and character of Portia in the play.

Review of essay

Rating: 3 star(s)

Response to the question

I would suggest that in this case the introductory paragraph is used solely to introduce Portia as a character. It is not necessary to go into specific details from the play, this early in the essay. You should use the rest of the essay to pick apart specific scenes. The candidates response to the question is at times a little vague, they sometimes discuss parts of the play without saying how this gives an insight to Portia’s personality. It is essential to make sure that whatever you're discussing, you always come back to the main question.

Level of analysis

There are instances in which the candidate simply retells part of the play, without giving any analysis or mentioning any further points. This is something you need to avoid as much as possible. It is often important to discuss certain scenes in a play, but you need to find a way to do this without retelling part of the story. You should discuss the characters thoughts and feelings, even if it’s just a guess at how you think they might feel. It can also be interesting to the reader if you discuss how certain scenes might have been portrayed, and how Shakespeare made the key points of the play obvious to the audience. In addition you can achieve a higher grade by undergoing independent research, this shows your interest in the play and also makes the essay more interesting for the reader. I would like to point out that there are places in which the candidate refers to Portia as an Elizabethan woman, and although Shakespeare wrote the play at this time, the character Portia is Italian, she was born and lives in Belmont, Italy. The term Elizabethan refers to a British person of this time period. If you’re unsure of a fact, I suggest that you do some research to check whether or not it is accurate. Finally there is no real conclusion to this essay. A conclusion should answer the initial question, summarise your key points and ideas and include your personal opinions (in this case your opinions of the character Portia). This is important as it brings the essay to a close and gives you a chance to leave the reader with a good impression.

Quality of writing

The candidate fails to mention Shakespeare's use of language, and how he writes in way that catches the audience attention. It is necessary to discuss the use of linguistic techniques, such as metaphors and similes, in order to achieve a higher grade at this level. However the candidate does seem to have a good vocabulary and there is no real issue with spelling, grammar or punctuation throughout the essay. Overall the essay is coherent and easy to read. This is an example of the type of work I would expect from an average C grade candidate.