Bold Girls
Rona Munro
We are learning to:
• Write an effective CEL on the play ‘Bold Girls’ by Rona Munro.
What should our CEL focus on?
• With regards to Bold Girls, you should be focussing on aspects
such as:




The use of tension
The theme of truth / escapism
Relationships between the characters
Scene 4 (this is where all the “truths” are revealed)
 Remember: You cannot just memorise an essay and hope
your question comes up. Ensure that you use the knowledge
you possess in order to answer the question!
Introductions
• Remember the elements that must be present
within an introduction:
 Title
 Author / Playwright
 Genre
 Summary 3-5 lines maximum
 What your essay will attempt / explore
 Reference to question
Choose a scene from a play in which
suspense or tension is built up.
Show how the suspense or tension
is built up and what effect this scene
has on the play as a whole.
For example:
•
‘Bold Girls’ by Rona Munro is a play in which there
is a scene that involves tension. Munro uses
numerous techniques to convey the tension
between the characters in Scene four of her play.
This is where Cassie confesses to Marie about her
affair with Michael, Marie’s husband and this, in
turn, proves to be the climax of the whole play. To
study how the tension is built up, it is necessary to
look at Cassie’s confession to Marie; Cassie’s
confrontation with Nora; the setting and the use of
Deirdre as a catalyst.
Group Task – 7 minutes
•
Write an introduction for Bold Girls using
the following question:
•
Choose a scene from a play in which suspense or
tension is built up.
Show how the suspense or tension is built up and
what effect this scene has on the play as a whole.
•
Peer Assessment – 4 minutes
• Swap introductions with another group.
• Tick the mention of the following criteria:
•





Title
Author / Playwright
Genre
Summary
What your essay will attempt / explore
Reference to question
• If a section of this has not been done – make a note of this on your peer’s
paragraph.
Feedback
Main Body
• This is where the main discussion of your essay
will take place.
• It MUST be structured efficiently, otherwise it
will read as though your are “waffling” on.
• Remember to use…
P.E.A.R
• Point: This is where you tell the marker what you are going
to be discussing
• Evidence: This is your quotation. This backs up what point
you are trying to make in your point
• Analysis: This is where you analyse your quotation. What
techniques have been used? What does this quote reveal
about characterisation/plot/setting/theme? How does it
effect the play as a whole?
• Refer to Question: This is where you link this discussion back
to the question. It is here you are showing the marker that
you are answering the question!
For example:
• The scene where Munro reveals the most tension is scene four,
where Cassie confesses to Marie that she was having an affair
with Michael. This tension has been building up throughout
the play with Cassie, hinting that Michael was not such a
perfect husband as Marie believes. She tells Marie earlier,
‘sure he was hardly ever here when he was alive.’
Throughout scene four, Munro makes Cassie’s dialogue more
direct and blunt, ‘not much perfect about him’. She talks
about men going with women for sex and claims ‘they’re all
the same’ and says specifically about Michael, ‘all the times
he made a fool of you to your face and making a fool of you
with all those women.’ The climax finally occurs when Cassie’s
hinting stops and she confesses the sordid truth. Marie claims
that ‘Michael would no more lie to me than you would,
Cassie’ and Cassie replies, ‘well, we both did…..we were both
lying to you for years.’ She goes on to explain the details of
the affair and the stage directions state that Marie has
frozen, showing that the tension has reached its peak.
P.E.A.R
• Point: The scene where Munro reveals most tension is scene four, where
Cassie confesses to Marie that she was having an affair with Michael. This
tension has been building up throughout the play with Cassie hinting that
Michael was not such a perfect husband as Marie believes.
• Evidence: She tells Marie earlier, ‘sure he was hardly ever here when he
was alive.’
• Analysis: Throughout scene four, Munro makes Cassie’s dialogue and hints
more direct and blunt; ‘not much perfect about him’. She talks about
men going with women for sex and claims ‘they’re all the same’ and says
specifically about Michael, ‘all the times he made a fool of you to your
face and making a fool of you with all those women.’ The climax finally
occurs when Cassie’s hinting stops and she confesses the sordid truth.
Marie claims that ‘Michael would no more lie to me than you would,
Cassie’ and Cassie replies, ‘well, we both did…..we were both lying to you
for years.’
• Refer to Question: She goes on to explain the details of the affair and the
stage directions state that Marie has frozen, showing that the tension has
reached its peak.
Main Body Paragraphs – 5 mins
• Think about what we would discuss in our
paragraphs.
• As a group – mind map what we would discuss in
our main body for that question.
• Choose a scene from a play in which
suspense or tension is built up.
• Show how the suspense or tension is built
up and what effect this scene has on the
play as a whole.
Feedback
Main Body
• Choose a scene from a play in which suspense or
tension is built up.
• Show how the suspense or tension is built up and
what effect this scene has on the play as a whole.
 MB 1: Discuss how Deirdre in Scene 3 has caused a
chain of events in Scene 4
 MB2: Cassie v.s. Nora
 MB 3: Cassie v.s. Marie
 MB 4: Marie v.s. Deirdre
Group Task – 10 mins
• As a group, select one of
those Main Body
paragraphs and write it
using the PEAR structure.
•
Point: This is where you tell the
marker what you are going to be
discussing
•
Evidence: This is your quotation. This
backs up what point you are trying
to make in your Statement
•
Analysis: This is where you analyse
your quotation. What techniques
have been used? What does this
quote reveal about
characterisation/plot/setting/theme?
How does it effect the play as a
whole?
•
Refer to Question: This is where you
link this discussion back to the
question. It is here you are showing
the marker that you are answering
the question!
• Choose a scene from a play in
which suspense or tension is built
up.
• Show how the suspense or
tension is built up and what
effect this scene has on the play
as a whole.
Peer Assessment – 5 mins
• Swap paragraphs with another group.
• Using highlighters, highlight the use of POINT,
EVIDENCE, ANALYSIS and REFERENCE TO
QUESTION. Remember, you also have to
refer to the play as a whole.
• If a section of this has not been done – make
a note of this on your peer’s paragraph.
Feedback
Conclusions
 Remember that a conclusion will sum up what you
have discussed throughout your essay.
 Do not mention anything in your conclusion that
you did not discuss in the remainder of the essay.
 Reference to the question!
Example
• Munro creates tension throughout the play
using many techniques such as… and by using
the character of Deirdre as a catalyst; she
evokes a rising tension that builds to a climax
in scene four, when Cassie confesses to Marie
about her affair. This becomes the turning
point that forces Marie to engage with a
truth she is trying to escape from.
Group Task – 5 minutes
• As a group, write an effective conclusion.
• Choose a scene from a play in which suspense
or tension is built up.
• Show how the suspense or tension is built up
and what effect this scene has on the play as
a whole.
Peer Assessment
• Swap conclusions with another group.
• Tick the mention of the following criteria:
 Summed up the contents of the essay/discussion
 Personal Response
 Reference to Question
• If a section of this has not been done – make a note of this on
your peer’s paragraph.
Homework
• For homework, I want you to plan and write an essay on Bold
Girls using the following question:
• Choose a scene from a play in which suspense
or tension is built up.
• Show how the suspense or tension is built up
and what effect this scene has on the play as
a whole.