Starter quiz
- If decorating a Christmas tree is a 'convention' of Christmas, what might a 'convention' be?
- an idea that many people adopt
- a typical way of doing things ✓
- a perfect example of something
- a standard of accepted behaviour
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- Which of the following would you not expect to find in a frightening text?
- vampires
- monsters
- genies ✓
- werewolves
- witches
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- The ______ marked the shift away from using manpower to farm and manufacture goods, and the turn towards using machinery to resource and create products instead.
- 'Industrial Revolution' ✓
- What did the Enlightenment period place emphasis on?
- reason and rationale ✓
- humour and goodwill
- peace and tranquility
- wealth and prosperity
- knowledge and truth ✓
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- Which weather would create the most tense and frightening atmosphere?
- bright sunshine
- crisp, cold snow
- thunder and flashing lightning ✓
- a light, warm breeze
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- Which of the following settings would create the most tense and frightening atmosphere?
- a quaint little cottage
- rolling hills and vast lakes
- a busy high street with lots of shops
- a ruined and abandoned castle ✓
- a packed bus on its daily commute
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Exit quiz
- What is Gothic literature?
- any story regardless of genre that is horrifying
- a genre of literature that evokes feelings of terror or mystery ✓
- a story with an unresolved ending
- a story that was written by a writer who was a convicted criminal
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- Who wrote the Gothic novel 'Frankenstein'?
- Bram Stoker
- Mary Shelley ✓
- Enid Blyton
- Mary Wollstonecraft
- Percy Shelley
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- Which of the following is not a Gothic convention?
- set in the future ✓
- dark, remote settings
- multiple narrators
- isolated protagonist
- extreme violence
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- Who is the character of Frankenstein in the novel 'Frankenstein'?
- the hideous creature created by the protagonist
- the scientist who pursues knowledge to its limit ✓
- the friend of the protagonist, who is murdered
- the protagonist's younger brother, who is killed in the woods
- the protagonist's saviour, who recounts his story in a series of letters
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- Why does the creature in the novel 'Frankenstein' kill Victor's friend Henry?
- because he hates Henry and thinks he is selfish
- to warn Victor Frankenstein not to come anywhere near him
- because he is angry with Henry for deserting him
- to get revenge on Frankenstein for destroying his mate ✓
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- Why is the line between good and evil blurred in 'Frankenstein'?
- Both the creature and Frankenstein bring joy to the world, but also pain.
- Both the creature and Frankenstein commit acts of atrocity that they regret. ✓
- The creature is the alter-ego of Frankenstein, so they are hard to separate.
- Neither the creature and Frankenstein understand morality, so can't be blamed.
- Victor Frankenstein represents good and the creature represents evil
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Gothic literature is literature that evokes feelings of mystery, fear and terror.
- The horrifying events narrated in Gothic texts are often metaphors for characters' psychological struggles.
- Gothic atmospheres are often tense, created by a fear of the unknown.
- The supernatural is also an important element of Gothic literature.
- Frankenstein tells the story of a scientist who pushes knowledge to its limit by creating a creature out of human parts.
Common misconception
Students think that Frankenstein is the name of the creature.
Frankenstein is the name of the scientist who created the hideous creature that students are often familiar with.
Keywords
Gothic literature - literature that evokes feelings of mystery, fear and terror
Convention - a recognised way of doing things - a standard expectation of something
Supernatural - something that cannot be explained by the laws of science or nature
Unsettled - unnerved or uneasy - anxious
Isolated - alone - removed from others
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