Tam O'Shanter

Question 1

Aspects of comedy present in Tam O’Shanter (7)

Answer 1

• Ordinary people representation
• Drunkenness
• Comedic flaws
• Male weakness ridiculed
• Strong female characters
• Bawdiness
• Journey

Question 2

Themes and Attitudes in Tam O’Shanter (4)

Answer 2

• Importance of men listening to their wives
• Amusing behaviour of the working class
• Power of superstition
• The way males need females to save the day

Question 3

Contexts in Tam O’Shanter (5)

Answer 3

• Superstitions
• Burns’ Scottish heritage
• Burns’ biculturalism: elements of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture
• Poem originally accompanied by picture of Alloway Kirk
• Marriage and Gender roles

Question 4

Language and Structure in the poem (5)

Answer 4

• Descriptions of weather, setting and atmosphere
• Nature imagery
• Alliteration
• Strong verbs
• Temporal shifts