'Anne Hathaway' - The Power of Love!

What a poem! Elsewhere in the collection we've had psychotic killers, lady killers, man killers, jealousy and hatred. Here we have a beautiful poem about the power of love. Ahhhhh...

'My Last Duchess' - Deadly Jealousy

Be afraid! Be very afraid! This Duke is a sinister and controlling man. A wife-killer and proud of it, he's only intested in power, status and money. Women are possessions to him. Be very afraid...

'Mother any distance...' Letting go!

This is a higher poem. Letting go of those we love can be hard. In this Simon Armitage poem he shows us that we can feel completely opposite emotions at the same time; it's all part of being human!

Introduction to Much Ado About Nothing and Taming of the Shrew

This is a very general introduction that sets out some of the themes of the two plays. We will contrast the way the two plays portray men, women, love and marriage. This podcast is only designed as a starting point for your own analysis.

Introduction to Shakespearean Theatre

This is a very general introduction to Shakespearean theatre; it includes some things that you may like to think about for your essay. Think about doing some research yourslef after you listen to the podcast.

Feeling Sorry for Fagin!

It is a measure of how good Charles Dickens is as a writer that he makes us feel sorry for a man that we've already seen inspire murder! At the end we can't help but feel sorry for Fagin - it's human nature. You have to have a heart made out of stone not to pity him. He has always been described as an animal of some sort, only at the end he seems defenceless and all alone. Find out how here.

What is Dickens' message in Oliver Twist?

What is Charles Dickens trying to achieve by writing Oliver Twist? How does it relate to the death penalty and the poor laws (the laws governing the care of those who could not look after themselves)? Find out here. Use this podcast as a start point - see what else you can discover.