Product Description

This is our best-selling York Notes Advanced title.
This book will be packed with features to help the students improve their grade. Talking extensively to teachers, examiners and students there seems to be a need for more information outside what the students already know. Features like check the book, check the film and check the net will now offer students more opportunity to develop their researching skills and provide that extra information. More importantly there will be features that address the specific needs of students studying for the new AS and A2 exams. There will now be text boxes in the margin labelled 'Context' which will describe the literary, historical, cultural, religious, or philisophical context of specific references in the text (contextualisation is the new buzz word in the exam syllabuses). There will be at least 20 of these boxes in every book. The glossaries are now integrated in the text so that students don't need to turn the page to find out the meaning of a word. There will also be regular exam questions integrated in the text which will help students revise. Summaries will be cut down and bulleted where appropriate to make way for extra features (meaning extent remains the same) so that the books are now not only appropriate for students who buy the book to cram, they are also important for higher-level students who need more information to get themselves the top grade.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3350 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

Customer Reviews

Best Revision Guide
All I can say is that if you're studying A-level Othello, this is the book to have. Its informative, detailed, and brings up many good points which you'd otherwise not think of. A definate buy for those who wish to succeed in their exams.

The best study notes around
Designed for 'A' level students within the UK, these York Notes begin with a brief, but vital piece of advice on how to study a play - what to look for and why. A short introduction to 'Othello' is followed by extensive notes on the play, scene by scene, with further extended commentaries on problematic scenes. There is extensive character analysis of the leading actors, notes on the play's language, imagery, and themes, and a short biography of Shakespeare and exploration of his world. Altogether this is an excellent package.

York Notes provide the best available study guide - sophisticated commentary and analysis, yet accessible and readily comprehensible. However, don't assume it's going to give you pre-packaged answers you can reproduce under exam conditions and, especially, assume that reading the notes will obviate the need to study the play in detail. Read the play thoroughly, read it often, and try to watch a live or recorded production of 'Othello'.

A good study guide stimulates your understanding and makes the play easier to comprehend. It's worth collaborating with your fellow students - buy two or three different sets of study notes between you, share them around, and use them to get a broader perspective (have a look at, say Letts, and Spark Notes). Use the notes dynamically, don't just passively try to memorise them.

All together a very helpful and worhwhile A.L study guide
I am confident that I am not exaggerating when I choose to say that never before have I found any study aid so helpful in guiding me through the structured learning of an exam text. I've found learning Othello both rewarding and enjoyable, and would strongly suggest that if anyone else is studying Othello at A level in this way, that they also choose to get hold of this book.
In particular the two areas of characterisation and critical history were well laid out and structured well allowing me to easily refer to them and absorb the knowledge ready to combat structured notes, and then proceed to an essay. The critical history was laid out in a relevant and well-structured format with adequate references for further reading. With the help of this guide I also found quotes easy to find and prioritise for use in an essay.
All together a wonderful study guide. Very helpful and quite surprisingly (for me!) enjoyable to use at A level!
Thank you York notes, thank you Rebecca Warren and thank you Amazon! Hurrah!

Kathryn McClure, London