GCSE English Literature focuses on helping students understand, analyse, and respond to set texts. These usually include: A Shakespeare play A 19th-century novel (e.g. A Christmas Carol, Jekyll and Hyde) A modern text (play or novel) A poetry anthology plus unseen poetryShow understanding of themes, characters, and ideas Analyse language, structure, and key quotations Explain how context (time period, author’s purpose) influences meaning Write clearly, using evidence from the text