# English HL Grade 12 P2 NSC November Prediction 2026 QP > Grade 12 English HL Paper 2 question paper from the NSC November Prediction Exam 2026, 26 pages. Read online or download the free PDF. - Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12-english-hl-2026-nsc-november-prediction-exam-question-paper-paper-2-english/740eb1ed-8747-4861-a3f6-67b934b586d1 - Updated: 2026-10-29 - Subject: English HL - Grade: Grade 12 - Language: English - Document type: Question paper - Year: 2026 - Exam period: NSC November Prediction Exam - Paper: 2 - Publisher: Hlayiso - Curriculum: CAPS - Pages: 26 Breadcrumbs: [Home](https://www.hlayiso.com/) › [Library](https://www.hlayiso.com/library) › [Grade 12](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12) › [English HL](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12/english-hl) › [English HL Grade 12 P2 NSC November Prediction 2026 QP](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12-english-hl-2026-nsc-november-prediction-exam-question-paper-paper-2-english/740eb1ed-8747-4861-a3f6-67b934b586d1) ## About this document English Hl · Grade 12 · NSC November Prediction Exam · 2026 · English. Question paper, 26 pages. Read online or download the PDF. Read it free online on the page above; download the PDF from there. ## Document text Text extracted from the PDF. Layout, diagrams and tables may not survive extraction. ### Page 1 Prediction hlayiso mock exams Practice Series: Grade 12 NSC Preparation WWW.HLAYISO.COM NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 12 ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE P2 PREDICTION EXAMINATION 2026 MARKS: 80 TIME: 2½ hours This question paper consists of 26 pages. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 2 English Home Language/P2 2 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION 1. Read these instructions carefully before you begin to answer the questions. 2. Do NOT attempt to read the entire question paper. Consult the table of contents on page 3 and mark the numbers of the questions set on texts you have studied this year. Thereafter, read these questions and choose the ones you wish to answer. 3. This question paper consists of THREE sections: SECTION A: Poetry (30) SECTION B: Novel (25) SECTION C: Drama (25) 4. Answer FIVE questions in all: THREE in SECTION A, ONE in SECTION B and ONE in SECTION C as follows: SECTION A: POETRY PRESCRIBED POETRY – Answer TWO questions. UNSEEN POEM – COMPULSORY question SECTION B: NOVEL Answer ONE question. SECTION C: DRAMA Answer ONE question. 5. CHOICE OF ANSWERS FOR SECTIONS B (NOVEL) AND C (DRAMA): • Answer questions ONLY on the novel and the drama you have studied. • Answer ONE ESSAY QUESTION and ONE CONTEXTUAL QUESTION. If you answer the essay question in SECTION B, you must answer the contextual question in SECTION C. If you answer the contextual question in SECTION B, you must answer the essay question in SECTION C. Use the checklist to assist you. 6. LENGTH OF ANSWERS: • The essay question on Poetry should be answered in about 250–300 words. • Essay questions on the Novel and Drama sections should be answered in 400–450 words. • The length of answers to contextual questions should be determined by the mark allocation. Candidates should aim for conciseness and relevance. 7. Follow the instructions at the beginning of each section carefully. 8. Number your answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this question paper. 9. Start EACH section on a NEW page. 10. Suggested time management: SECTION A: approximately 40 minutes SECTION B: approximately 55 minutes SECTION C: approximately 55 minutes 11. Write neatly and legibly. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 3 English Home Language/P2 3 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION A: POETRY Prescribed Poetry: Answer ANY TWO questions. QUESTION NO. QUESTION MARKS PAGE NO. 1. 'The child who was shot dead by Essay question 10 5 soldiers at Nyanga' 2. 'The Morning Sun is Shining' Contextual question 10 5 3. 'At a Funeral' Contextual question 10 7 4. 'Fern Hill' Contextual question 10 7 AND Unseen Poetry: COMPULSORY question 5. 'Binsey Poplars' Contextual question 10 8 SECTION B: NOVEL Answer ONE question.* 6. The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay question 25 10 7. The Picture of Dorian Gray Contextual question 25 10 8. Life of Pi Essay question 25 14 9. Life of Pi Contextual question 25 14 SECTION C: DRAMA Answer ONE question.* 10. Hamlet Essay question 25 16 11. Hamlet Contextual question 25 16 12. Othello Essay question 25 20 13. Othello Contextual question 25 20 14. The Crucible Essay question 25 25 15. The Crucible Contextual question 25 25 *NOTE: In SECTIONS B and C, answer ONE ESSAY and ONE CONTEXTUAL question. You may NOT answer TWO essay questions or TWO contextual questions. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 4 English Home Language/P2 4 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction CHECKLIST Use this checklist to ensure that you have answered the correct number of questions. SECTION QUESTION NO. OF TICK (✓) NUMBERS QUESTIONS ANSWERED A: Poetry 1–4 2 (Prescribed Poetry) A: Poetry 5 1 (Unseen Poetry) B: Novel 6–9 1 (Essay or Contextual) C: Drama 10–15 1 (Essay or Contextual) NOTE: In SECTIONS B and C, ensure that you have answered ONE ESSAY and ONE CONTEXTUAL question. You may NOT answer TWO essay questions or TWO contextual questions. NOTE ON THIS PREDICTION PAPER (Hlayiso): The texts and question types in this paper were chosen from an analysis of every DBE November paper from 2018 to 2025, the DBE May/June papers from 2018 to 2026 (where written: there was no separate May/June paper in 2020) and the 2026 provincial preparatory papers (see the Hlayiso prediction board). All set works are on the DBE prescribed list for English Home Language that was examined in November 2025 and May/June 2026. Poems and extracts are printed only from works in the public domain. 'The child who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga', 'At a Funeral' and 'Fern Hill', Life of Pi and The Crucible are protected by copyright, so they are NOT reprinted here: use the poems in your prescribed anthology (line numbers follow the DBE printing), and read the examiner's own scene descriptions for the novel and the drama. In the real examination the full poems and extracts are printed. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 5 English Home Language/P2 5 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction SECTION A: POETRY PRESCRIBED POETRY Answer any TWO of the following questions. QUESTION 1: ESSAY QUESTION Read the poem in your prescribed anthology and then answer the question that follows. THE CHILD WHO WAS SHOT DEAD BY SOLDIERS AT NYANGA – Ingrid Jonker (translated from the Afrikaans) Hlayiso note: This poem (23 lines) is protected by copyright and is not reprinted in this prediction paper. Read it in your prescribed anthology before you answer. In the real examination the full poem is printed with line numbers. In this poem, the death of a child is transformed into a powerful symbol of defiance and hope. With close reference to diction, imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of the above statement. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 250–300 words (about ONE page). [10] QUESTION 2: CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow. THE MORNING SUN IS SHINING – Olive Schreiner 1 The morning sun is shining on 2 The green, green willow tree, 3 And sends a golden sunbeam 4 To dance upon my knee. 5 The fountain bubbles merrily, 6 The yellow locusts spring, 7 Of life and light and sunshine 8 The happy brown birds sing. 9 The earth is clothed with beauty, 10 The air is filled with song, 11 The yellow thorn trees load the wind 12 With odours sweet and strong. 13 There is a hand I never touch 14 And a face I never see; 15 Now what is sunshine, what is song, 16 Now what is light to me? 2.1 What does the word, 'merrily' (line 5) suggest about the speaker's surroundings? (2) 2.2 Refer to lines 7–8: 'Of life and … brown birds sing.' Account for the use of the conjunction 'and' in line 7. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 6 English Home Language/P2 6 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 2.3 Refer to lines 11–12: 'The yellow thorn … sweet and strong.' 2.3.1 Identify the figure of speech in these lines. (1) 2.3.2 Discuss the effectiveness of this image. (2) 2.4 Critically discuss how the structure of the poem conveys the speaker's state of mind. (3) [10] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 7 English Home Language/P2 7 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction QUESTION 3: CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the poem in your prescribed anthology and then answer the questions that follow. AT A FUNERAL – Dennis Brutus (for Valencia Majombozi, who died shortly after qualifying as a doctor) Hlayiso note: This poem (12 lines) is protected by copyright and is not reprinted in this prediction paper. Use the poem in your prescribed anthology. Line numbers follow the DBE printing (lines 1–12). 3.1 Refer to line 2. What does the word, 'stubbled' suggest about the graves? (2) 3.2 Refer to lines 3–4. Account for the description of the nurses in these lines. (2) 3.3 Refer to line 10, in which tyranny is presented as a figure wielding a scythe. 3.3.1 Identify the figure of speech in this line. (1) 3.3.2 Discuss the effectiveness of this image. (2) 3.4 Critically discuss how the shift in tone in the poem conveys the central message of the poem. (3) [10] QUESTION 4: CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the poem in your prescribed anthology and then answer the questions that follow. FERN HILL – Dylan Thomas Hlayiso note: 'Fern Hill' is not reprinted in this prediction paper. Use the poem in your prescribed anthology. It has SIX stanzas of nine lines each; the questions below refer to stanzas. 4.1 Refer to stanza 1, in which the speaker describes himself as 'young and easy'. What does this description suggest about the speaker's childhood? (2) 4.2 Refer to stanza 4, in which the farm, 'like a wanderer white / With the dew, come[s] back' each morning. Account for the speaker's reference to 'Adam' in this stanza. (2) 4.3 Refer to the last line of the poem, in which the speaker says that he sang in his chains 'like the sea'. 4.3.1 Identify the figure of speech in this line. (1) 4.3.2 Discuss the effectiveness of this image. (2) 4.4 Critically discuss how the speaker's attitude towards Time changes from the first stanza to the last stanza of the poem. (3) [10] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 8 English Home Language/P2 8 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction UNSEEN POETRY (COMPULSORY) QUESTION 5: CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow. BINSEY POPLARS – Gerard Manley Hopkins felled 1879 1 My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled, 2 Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun, 3 All felled, felled, are all felled; 4 Of a fresh and following folded rank 5 Not spared, not one 6 That dandled a sandalled 7 Shadow that swam or sank 8 On meadow and river and wind-wandering weed-winding bank. 9 O if we but knew what we do 10 When we delve or hew – 11 Hack and rack the growing green! 12 Since country is so tender 13 To touch, her being só slender, 14 That, like this sleek and seeing ball 15 But a prick will make no eye at all, 16 Where we, even where we mean 17 To mend her we end her, 18 When we hew or delve: 19 After-comers cannot guess the beauty been. 20 Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve 21 Strokes of havoc únselve 22 The sweet especial scene, 23 Rural scene, a rural scene, 24 Sweet especial rural scene. Glossary: Binsey: a village near Oxford, England, where a row of poplar trees beside the river was cut down in 1879; aspens: trees of the poplar family; quelled: subdued, calmed; dandled: gently bounced, as one bounces a baby; sandalled: criss-crossed with light and shade, like the straps of a sandal; delve: dig; hew: chop down; únselve: destroy the unique identity of; especial: special, particular 5.1 What does the word, 'cages' (line 1) suggest about the way in which the trees affected the sunlight? (2) 5.2 Refer to line 3: 'All felled, felled, are all felled'. Account for the repetition of the word, 'felled' in this line. (2) 5.3 Refer to lines 14–15: 'That, like this … eye at all'. 5.3.1 Identify the figure of speech in these lines. (1) 5.3.2 Discuss the effectiveness of this image in the context of the poem. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 9 English Home Language/P2 9 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 5.4 Refer to lines 20–24: 'Ten or twelve … especial rural scene.' 5.4.1 Identify the tone of these lines. (1) 5.4.2 Critically discuss how the repetition in these lines conveys the speaker's message about human beings and nature. (2) [10] TOTAL SECTION A: 30 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 10 English Home Language/P2 10 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction SECTION B: NOVEL Answer ONLY on the novel you have studied. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – Oscar Wilde Answer EITHER QUESTION 6 (essay question) OR QUESTION 7 (contextual question). QUESTION 6: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – ESSAY QUESTION Dorian Gray is more a victim of the influences around him than the author of his own destruction. With close reference to the novel, critically discuss the validity of the above statement. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages). [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 11 English Home Language/P2 11 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction QUESTION 7: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the extracts below and then answer the questions that follow. EXTRACT A As he was turning the handle of the door, his eye fell upon the portrait Basil Hallward had painted of him. He started back as if in surprise. Then he went on into his own room, looking somewhat puzzled. After he had taken the button-hole out of his coat, he seemed to hesitate. Finally, he came back, went over to the picture, and examined it. In the dim arrested light that struggled through the 5 cream-coloured silk blinds, the face appeared to him to be a little changed. The expression looked different. One would have said that there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth. It was certainly strange. … He winced and, taking up from the table an oval glass framed in ivory Cupids, one 10 of Lord Henry's many presents to him, glanced hurriedly into its polished depths. No line like that warped his red lips. What did it mean? … He threw himself into a chair and began to think. Suddenly there flashed across his mind what he had said in Basil Hallward's studio the day the picture had been 15 finished. Yes, he remembered it perfectly. He had uttered a mad wish that he himself might remain young, and the portrait grow old; that his own beauty might be untarnished, and the face on the canvas bear the burden of his passions and his sins … Cruelty! Had he been cruel? It was the girl's fault, not his. He had dreamed of 20 her as a great artist, had given his love to her because he had thought her great. Then she had disappointed him. She had been shallow and unworthy. And, yet, a feeling of infinite regret came over him, as he thought of her lying at his feet sobbing like a little child. He remembered with what callousness he had watched her. Why had he been made like that? Why had such a soul been given to him? … 25 Besides, women were better suited to bear sorrow than men. They lived on their emotions. … Lord Henry had told him that, and Lord Henry knew what women were. Why should he trouble about Sibyl Vane? She was nothing to him now. [Chapter 7] 7.1 Place this extract in context. (2) 7.2 Refer to lines 10–12: 'He winced and … did it mean?' Explain the significance of the fact that the mirror is a present from Lord Henry. (2) 7.3 Refer to lines 16–19: 'He had uttered … and his sins'. Explain how Dorian's 'mad wish' has been fulfilled at this point in the novel. (2) 7.4 Refer to lines 20–22: 'Cruelty! Had he … shallow and unworthy.' Discuss what these lines reveal about Dorian's character at this stage in the novel. (3) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 12 English Home Language/P2 12 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 7.5 Refer to lines 26–28: 'Besides, women were … what women were.' Comment on the influence of Lord Henry on Dorian, as it is shown in these lines. (3) AND EXTRACT B He went in quietly, locking the door behind him, as was his custom, and dragged the purple hanging from the portrait. A cry of pain and indignation broke from him. He could see no change, save that in the eyes there was a look of cunning and in the mouth the curved wrinkle of the hypocrite. The thing was still loathsome – more loathsome, if possible, than before – and the scarlet dew that spotted the 5 hand seemed brighter, and more like blood newly spilled. Then he trembled. Had it been merely vanity that had made him do his one good deed? Or the desire for a new sensation, as Lord Henry had hinted, with his mocking laugh? Or that passion to act a part that sometimes makes us do things finer than we are ourselves? Or, perhaps, all these? 10 … Through vanity he had spared her. In hypocrisy he had worn the mask of goodness. For curiosity's sake he had tried the denial of self. He recognized that now. But this murder – was it to dog him all his life? Was he always to be burdened by 15 his past? Was he really to confess? Never. There was only one bit of evidence left against him. The picture itself – that was evidence. He would destroy it. Why had he kept it so long? Once it had given him pleasure to watch it changing and growing old. Of late he had felt no such pleasure. It had kept him awake at night. … It had been like conscience to him. Yes, it had been conscience. He would 20 destroy it. He looked round and saw the knife that had stabbed Basil Hallward. He had cleaned it many times, till there was no stain left upon it. It was bright, and glistened. As it had killed the painter, so it would kill the painter's work, and all that that meant. It would kill the past, and when that was dead, he would be free. 25 It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warnings, he would be at peace. He seized the thing, and stabbed the picture with it. [Chapter 20] 7.6 Refer to lines 4–6: 'The thing was … blood newly spilled.' Explain what the 'scarlet dew' on the portrait reveals. (2) 7.7 Refer to line 6: 'his one good deed'. Describe the 'good deed' to which Dorian refers. (2) 7.8 Refer to lines 12–14: 'Through vanity he … recognized that now.' Discuss what these lines reveal about Dorian's attempt to reform. (3) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 13 English Home Language/P2 13 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 7.9 Refer to lines 24–25: 'As it had … would be free.' Discuss the irony of Dorian's belief that destroying the portrait will set him free. (3) 7.10 Refer to line 20: 'It had been like conscience to him.' Based on your knowledge of the novel as a whole, critically discuss the extent to which the portrait acts as Dorian's conscience. (3) [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 14 English Home Language/P2 14 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction LIFE OF PI – Yann Martel Answer EITHER QUESTION 8 (essay question) OR QUESTION 9 (contextual question). QUESTION 8: LIFE OF PI – ESSAY QUESTION Pi survives his ordeal because of his own resourcefulness and determination rather than because of faith or good fortune. With close reference to the novel, critically discuss the validity of the above statement. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages). [25] QUESTION 9: LIFE OF PI – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the descriptions of the scenes below and then answer the questions that follow. NOTE: To respect copyright, the extracts below are the examiner's own descriptions of scenes from the novel. No text from the novel is reproduced. EXTRACT C Examiner's description of a scene Part One (Toronto and Pondicherry) – Chapter 4 The adult Pi recalls growing up in the Pondicherry Zoo, which his father ran. He describes the daily routine of the zoo in loving detail and then turns to a criticism that he has often heard: that zoos are prisons and that animals would be happier if they were 'free' in the wild. Pi rejects this view. He argues that animals in the wild are not free at all: their lives are ruled by fear, hunger, rivals and the constant need to defend their territory, and they keep to fixed habits and routes. A good zoo enclosure, he says, is simply a territory that the animal does not have to fight for – like a house for a person – and an animal that feels secure in it has no wish to escape. When animals do escape, he claims, they are running away from something that has frightened them, not towards freedom. Pi admits that zoos are no longer popular, and remarks that religion faces the same problem: in his view, both suffer from mistaken ideas about freedom. 9.1 Give TWO reasons why Pi believes that animals in the wild are not 'free'. (2) 9.2 Explain why Pi compares a zoo enclosure to a person's house. (2) 9.3 What does Pi's loving description of the zoo's daily routine suggest about his attitude towards his childhood? (2) 9.4 Discuss how Pi's knowledge of animal territory later helps him to survive on the lifeboat. (3) 9.5 Pi links the criticism of zoos to the criticism of religion. Comment on the significance of this link in relation to the novel as a whole. (3) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 15 English Home Language/P2 15 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction AND EXTRACT D Examiner's description of a scene Part Two (The Pacific Ocean) – Chapter 90 After months at sea, Pi and Richard Parker are starving and dehydrated, and Pi has gone blind. He hears a voice, and at first thinks that he is going mad or that the tiger is talking to him. In fact, it is another blind castaway, a Frenchman, adrift in a second lifeboat. The two men talk about the food they long for, and Pi lovingly describes meals of vegetables and rice. The stranger admits that he has killed a man and a woman. When their boats meet, Pi welcomes him with open arms, calling him 'brother', but the man attacks him, intending to kill and eat him. Before he can do so, he is killed by Richard Parker, who has been lying in the bottom of the boat. Pi weeps over the man's death. Later he admits that, in his desperate hunger, he ate some of the man's flesh. 9.6 Explain why Pi first believes that the voice he hears belongs to Richard Parker. (2) 9.7 Account for Pi's warm welcome of the stranger. (2) 9.8 Discuss the irony of Pi's being saved by the animal that he has feared since the shipwreck. (3) 9.9 Comment on the significance of this episode in relation to the second story that Pi later tells the Japanese officials. (3) 9.10 Pi's survival depends as much on Richard Parker's savagery as on his own goodness. Based on your knowledge of the novel as a whole, critically discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement. (3) [25] TOTAL SECTION B: 25 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 16 English Home Language/P2 16 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction SECTION C: DRAMA Answer ONLY on the play you have studied. HAMLET – William Shakespeare Answer EITHER QUESTION 10 (essay question) OR QUESTION 11 (contextual question). QUESTION 10: HAMLET – ESSAY QUESTION In Hamlet, betrayal by those who are closest to the characters has devastating consequences. Critically discuss the validity of the above statement in relation to the play. Make reference to a minimum of THREE characters in your response. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages). [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 17 English Home Language/P2 17 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction QUESTION 11: HAMLET – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the extracts below and then answer the questions that follow. EXTRACT E HAMLET Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you. And sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, deal justly with me. Come, come; nay, speak. GUILDENSTERN What should we say, my lord? HAMLET Why, anything. But to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of 5 confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the good King and Queen have sent for you. ROSENCRANTZ To what end, my lord? HAMLET That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and 10 by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for or no. … GUILDENSTERN My lord, we were sent for. HAMLET I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen moult no feather. I have of late, but wherefore I know 15 not, lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of 20 work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. 25 [Act 2, Scene 2] 11.1 Place this extract in context. (2) 11.2 Refer to lines 1–3: 'Beggar that I … nay, speak.' Explain why Hamlet is suspicious of the visit of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 18 English Home Language/P2 18 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 11.3 Refer to lines 9–12: 'But let me … for or no.' What do these lines reveal about Hamlet's expectations of his friends? (2) 11.4 Refer to line 13: 'My lord, we were sent for.' In the light of later events, comment on the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Is their fate deserved? Motivate your response. (3) 11.5 Refer to lines 15–25: 'I have of … to say so.' Discuss how the contrast in these lines reflects Hamlet's state of mind at this point in the play. (3) AND EXTRACT F HAMLET Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee. I am dead, Horatio. Wretched Queen, adieu. You that look pale and tremble at this chance, That are but mutes or audience to this act, Had I but time – as this fell sergeant, death, 5 Is strict in his arrest – O, I could tell you – But let it be. Horatio, I am dead, Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied. HORATIO Never believe it. 10 I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here's yet some liquor left. HAMLET As th'art a man, Give me the cup. Let go; by Heaven, I'll have't. O good Horatio, what a wounded name, 15 Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me. If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. 20 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 19 English Home Language/P2 19 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction March afar off, and shot within. HAMLET (continued) What warlike noise is this? … HAMLET O, I die, Horatio. The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit: I cannot live to hear the news from England, But I do prophesy th'election lights 25 On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice. So tell him, with the occurrents more and less, Which have solicited. The rest is silence. Dies. HORATIO Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. 30 … FORTINBRAS Let four captains Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, For he was likely, had he been put on, To have prov'd most royally; and for his passage, The soldiers' music and the rites of war 35 Speak loudly for him. [Act 5, Scene 2] 11.6 Refer to line 1: 'Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.' Account for Hamlet's forgiving Laertes at this point. (2) 11.7 Refer to lines 10–12: 'Never believe it … some liquor left.' Explain what Horatio intends to do and why. (2) 11.8 Refer to lines 15–20: 'O good Horatio … tell my story.' If you were the director of a production of Hamlet, how would you instruct the actor to deliver these lines? Pay specific attention to body language and tone. Motivate your instructions. (3) 11.9 Refer to lines 25–28: 'But I do … rest is silence.' Comment on the significance of Hamlet's support for Fortinbras as the next king of Denmark. (3) 11.10 Refer to lines 31–34: 'Let four captains … prov'd most royally'. Based on your knowledge of the play as a whole, critically discuss whether Hamlet deserves to be honoured as a noble prince. (3) [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 20 English Home Language/P2 20 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction OTHELLO – William Shakespeare Answer EITHER QUESTION 12 (essay question) OR QUESTION 13 (contextual question). QUESTION 12: OTHELLO – ESSAY QUESTION In Othello, betrayal by those who are closest to the characters has devastating consequences. Critically discuss the validity of the above statement in relation to the play. Make reference to a minimum of THREE characters in your response. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages). [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 21 English Home Language/P2 21 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction QUESTION 13: OTHELLO – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the extracts below and then answer the questions that follow. EXTRACT G OTHELLO Her father lov'd me, oft invited me, Still question'd me the story of my life, From year to year – the battles, sieges, fortunes, That I have pass'd. I ran it through, even from my boyish days 5 To the very moment that he bade me tell it, Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, Of moving accidents by flood and field; Of hair-breadth scapes i' th' imminent deadly breach; Of being taken by the insolent foe, 10 And sold to slavery, of my redemption thence, And portance in my traveller's history, … This to hear Would Desdemona seriously incline. But still the house affairs would draw her thence, 15 Which ever as she could with haste dispatch, She'd come again, and with a greedy ear Devour up my discourse; which I observing, Took once a pliant hour, and found good means To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart 20 That I would all my pilgrimage dilate, … My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs. She swore, in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange; 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful. 25 She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd That heaven had made her such a man: she thank'd me, And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her, I should but teach him how to tell my story, And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake: 30 She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, And I lov'd her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have us'd. Here comes the lady. Let her witness it. [Act 1, Scene 3] 13.1 Place this extract in context. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 22 English Home Language/P2 22 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 13.2 Refer to lines 1–4: 'Her father lov'd … I have pass'd.' If you were the director of a production of Othello, how would you instruct the actor to deliver these lines? Pay specific attention to body language and tone. Motivate your instructions. (3) 13.3 Refer to lines 17–18: 'She'd come again … Devour up my discourse'. What does this image suggest about Desdemona? (2) 13.4 Refer to lines 31–32: 'She lov'd me … did pity them.' In the light of later events, discuss whether the love described in these lines is a secure foundation for the marriage of Othello and Desdemona. (3) 13.5 Refer to line 33: 'This only is the witchcraft I have us'd.' Explain why Othello refers to 'witchcraft'. (2) AND Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 23 English Home Language/P2 23 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction EXTRACT H OTHELLO What sense had I of her stol'n hours of lust? I saw't not, thought it not, it harm'd not me. I slept the next night well, was free and merry; I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips. He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stol'n, 5 Let him not know't, and he's not robb'd at all. IAGO I am sorry to hear this. OTHELLO I had been happy if the general camp, Pioners and all, had tasted her sweet body, So I had nothing known. O, now, for ever 10 Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content! Farewell the plumed troop and the big wars That make ambition virtue! O, farewell, Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife, 15 The royal banner, and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! And, O you mortal engines, whose rude throats The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeit, Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone! 20 IAGO Is't possible, my lord? OTHELLO Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore; Be sure of it. Give me the ocular proof, Or, by the worth of man's eternal soul, Thou hadst been better have been born a dog 25 Than answer my wak'd wrath. IAGO Is't come to this? [Act 3, Scene 3] 13.6 Describe what Iago has told Othello about Cassio and Desdemona before this extract. (2) 13.7 Refer to lines 5–6: 'He that is … robb'd at all.' Comment on how these lines show the change in Othello since EXTRACT G. (3) 13.8 Refer to lines 11–20: 'Farewell the tranquil … occupation's gone!' Explain why Othello believes that his 'occupation's gone'. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 24 English Home Language/P2 24 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction 13.9 Refer to lines 22–26: 'Villain, be sure … my wak'd wrath.' Discuss the irony of Othello's demand for 'ocular proof'. (3) 13.10 Othello is destroyed because he trusts the wrong person. Based on your knowledge of the play as a whole, critically discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement. (3) [25] Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 25 English Home Language/P2 25 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction THE CRUCIBLE – Arthur Miller Answer EITHER QUESTION 14 (essay question) OR QUESTION 15 (contextual question). QUESTION 14: THE CRUCIBLE – ESSAY QUESTION In The Crucible, betrayal by those who are closest to the characters has devastating consequences. Critically discuss the validity of the above statement in relation to the play. Make reference to a minimum of THREE characters in your response. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 400–450 words (2–2½ pages). [25] QUESTION 15: THE CRUCIBLE – CONTEXTUAL QUESTION Read the descriptions of the scenes below and then answer the questions that follow. NOTE: To respect copyright, the extracts below are the examiner's own descriptions of scenes from the play. No text from the play is reproduced. EXTRACT I Examiner's description of a scene Act Two – the Proctors' house in Salem, evening Ezekiel Cheever, the clerk of the court, arrives at the Proctors' house with Marshal Herrick and a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. Cheever has been told to look for poppets. Elizabeth explains that she has not kept poppets since she was a girl, but Cheever notices the poppet that Mary Warren made in court that day and gave to Elizabeth as a gift. He finds a long needle stuck in its belly. Cheever reveals that, earlier that evening, Abigail Williams fell to the floor screaming at the Parris house, and that a needle was found stuck two inches into her stomach. Abigail claimed that Elizabeth's spirit had stabbed her. Mary Warren is called in. She confirms that she made the poppet and that she herself stuck the needle into it for safe-keeping, and that Abigail sat beside her in court while she sewed it. Proctor angrily tears up the warrant and demands to know why the accusers are always assumed to be innocent. Elizabeth, however, agrees to go quietly. She asks John to tell the children that she has gone to visit someone who is sick, and she is led out in chains. Proctor tells Mary Warren that she will tell the court the truth. 15.1 Explain how the poppet came to be in the Proctors' house. (2) 15.2 Give TWO reasons why Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft. (2) 15.3 Explain the irony of the needle being found in the poppet. (2) 15.4 If you were the director of a production of The Crucible, how would you instruct the actor playing John Proctor to perform the moment when he tears up the warrant? Pay specific attention to body language and tone. Motivate your instructions. (3) 15.5 Discuss what Elizabeth's behaviour in this extract reveals about her character. (3) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 26 English Home Language/P2 26 Hlayiso/Prediction 2026 NSC Prediction AND EXTRACT J Examiner's description of a scene Act Three – the vestry room of the Salem meeting house Proctor has brought Mary Warren to court with a signed statement that the girls have been pretending. Deputy Governor Danforth tells Proctor that Elizabeth has claimed to be pregnant and will not be hanged for at least a year. He asks whether Proctor will now drop his charge. Proctor refuses, because his friends' wives are also condemned. Proctor hands over a testimonial, signed by ninety-one landholders, which declares that Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey and Elizabeth Proctor are good Christian women. Parris claims that the petition is an attack on the court. Danforth orders that all ninety-one signers be summoned for questioning. Francis Nurse is horrified: he had promised them that no harm would come to them. Danforth declares that a person is either with the court or must be counted against it. Reverend Hale, who signed Rebecca Nurse's death warrant, becomes increasingly troubled and pleads with Danforth to allow Proctor to bring a lawyer. Later, when Mary Warren is asked to faint as she claims she did in court, she finds that she cannot. 15.6 Describe the events that have led to Mary Warren's statement that the girls have been pretending. (2) 15.7 Explain why Danforth orders the ninety-one signers to be summoned for questioning. (2) 15.8 Comment on how Reverend Hale has changed since his arrival in Salem in Act One. (3) 15.9 Discuss the irony of Mary Warren's being unable to faint. (3) 15.10 Danforth's concern for the authority of the court, rather than for the truth, makes him the most dangerous character in Salem. Based on your knowledge of the play as a whole, critically discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement. 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