Electives in Stage 6 English
Each of the electives provides students with:
• a range of texts to enable them to develop and demonstrate an
understanding of ways representation occurs in texts
• opportunities through their response to and composition of texts to explore,
analyse and evaluate:
–
effects of textual forms in their personal, social, historical,
cultural and workplace contexts
–
ways texts are modified to suit different audiences and contexts
–
ways technologies influence the structure and language of texts
–
ways language forms and structures are used for meaning
• opportunities for imaginative and affective expression in their response to
and composition of texts.
The rubric in stage 6 English explains what each module is about and what
you need to know and do. It is essential that you familiarise yourself with the
module rubric. The rubric is where the HSC question will be formulated.
What is the rubric telling you to do?
Below the rubric is represented as a checklist, instead of several paragraphs
as it appears in the syllabus. This checklist also appears in the form of a
summary table, which you can expand as a tool for the summary
of Othello and any related text material.

HSC rubric
Students explore various
representations of events.
What you have to do …

Identify the key events in Othello
o
Elopement of Othello
and Desdemona
o
Iago’s motivation
o
Othello falls victim
Iago’s manipulation
o
Desdemona’s death
o
Othello’s realisation

Analyse the ways in which
Shakespeare represents these
events focusing contextual
form, features and language.

Explore how these events have
been represented by other
composers in different contexts
and different textual forms
(mediums of production).

Students explore various
representations of personalities.
Compare and contrast the
conflicting perspectives of
these events in terms of:
Shakespeare’s perspective,
character perspectives, and
the perspectives of other
composers.
 Identify
the key personalities
in Othello
o Iago
o Othello
o Cassio
o Desdemona
o Emilia
 Analyse
the ways in which
Shakespeare represents these
personalities focusing on textual
form, features and language.
 Explore
how these personalities
have been represented by other
composers in different contexts
and different textual forms
(mediums of production).
 Compare
and contrast the
conflicting perspectives of these
personalities in terms of:
Shakespeare’s perspective,
character perspectives, and the
perspectives of other composers.
Students explore various
representations of situations.
 Identify key situations
o Jealousy
o Loyalty vs. Betrayal
o Honesty
o Duplicity
o Love
o Ambition
in Othello
 Explore
how these situations have
been represented by other
composers in different contexts
and different textual forms
(mediums of production).
 Representations
of significant
historical events that interest you,
comparing these with
Shakespeare’s method of
representation.
Evaluate how:




medium of production
textual form
perspective
choice of language
Medium – Othello is a play that was
written to be performed, but you will
be most familiar with the script. Over
the course of your study you may see
a theatre production and view a film
version – how do these mediums of
production influence meaning?
influence meaning.
Textual form – Your prescribed text
is a drama (play script),
you must evaluate the consequences
of performance choices such as
staging, casting and appropriating.
Perspective – Your context,
Shakespeare’s context, the context of
the viewing public of any
appropriation of the text or any text
that deals with the same
events/personalities/situations, the
perspective of the characters within
the text.
Choice of language –
Shakespearean language needs to
be considered in terms of verse,
prose, iambic pentameter, imagery,
allusion, figurative language, irony,
etc.
The study develops students’
understanding of the relationships
between representation and meaning.

Explore how the technical
choices made by the composer
have positioned you to understand
what is going on in the play.

Question what you understand
– do you think it is what
Shakespeare intended or are you
‘reading’ the text alternately or in
opposition? Being clear on your
perspective will ensure you
are personally responding.
In their responding and composing,
Revisit the definitions from the Stage
students consider the ways in which
conflicting perspectives on events,
personalities or situations are
represented in their prescribed text.
6 English syllabus:
– “The activity that
occurs when students read, listen to
or view texts. It encompasses the
personal and intellectual connections
a student makes with the texts. It also
recognises that students and the
texts to which they respond exist in
social and cultural contexts” (p.143).
As an Advanced English student,
most of your responding will involve
higher-order thinking such as
analysing and evaluating. Don’t wait
until the night before the exam to
collect useful evidence, ensure each
of your responses is justified by wellchosen quotes from the text as you
progress through your study.
 Responding
– It is possible to
respond and compose
simultaneously, don’t get confused
that the two actions must always be
separate. The distinction is the
purpose of your text. A response can
simply be an immediate verbal
response to a question from your
teacher asking what you believe is
Iago’s motivation for betraying
Othello. To compose, you are
deliberately thinking of the structure
of your written, spoken or visual text,
your intended meaning and your
intended audience. If time permits,
you will reflect on your composition
and make refinements.
 Composing
 Differing
Viewpoints (in Year 12
Conflicting Perspectives) –A
viewpoint or perspective can be
defined as a way of regarding a
situation or set of facts, often
involving a level of judgment.
Perspective is subjective; therefore,
conflict inevitably arises. In reference
to Othello, you need to consider a
variety of perspectives within and
around the text:
o Shakespeare’s
perspective of the
characters, events and ieas
o Conflicting
character perspectives.
What perspective (opinion, point of
view) does each character have of
each other, of the events and of the
situations in the play?
o In
your search for related material,
how do other composers’
representations of the events,
personalities or situations depicted
in Othello conflict?
o Does
your viewpoint differ rom that
of other students, even your teacher,
in the class?
o Explore
the world you live in! Our
society is information rich, information
(especially news) can reach us
almost instantly. How can events,
personalities or situations be
represented differently resulting in
differing viewpoints? (remember the
importance of medium of production,
textual form and choice of language).
Sample Essay Questions
1. Perspectives of an event, personality or situation may be manipulated
by the ways in which a composer represents them.
Evaluate the ways in which the composer manipulates perspectives in
your prescribed text and in at least TWO other related texts of your
own choosing.
2. Who do you believe is the main protagonist in Shakespeare’s Othello?
How does representation affect the responder’s understanding of who
the central personality is, or what the key event is, or what is the most
significant situation?
In your answer, refer to your prescribed text and at least TWO other
related texts of your own choosing.
3. How audiences view any event, personality or situation are a result of
the ways the composer represents them.
Discuss this statement in reference to your prescribed text and at least
TWO other related texts of your own choosing.
Modified from:
http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/english/advanced/representation/elect1/3689/julius
_caesar.htm