GCSE and A-level English Literature
Study guides
The Shakespeare plays, novels and other set texts on the current GCSE and A-level English Literature lists that are out of copyright, here in full. While you read, switch the Companion to Studying mode for chapter summaries, key quotes and why they matter, and the themes examiners ask about. Study guides are available for A Christmas Carol, Dracula, The Duchess of Malfi, Frankenstein, Great Expectations, Hamlet, Henry V, Jane Eyre, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, The Sign of the Four, Silas Marner, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Tempest, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Twelfth Night, The War of the Worlds and Wuthering Heights.
GCSE
AQA GCSE
English Literature (8702). The board's specification
Paper 1, Section A: Shakespeare
Paper 1, Section B: the 19th-century novel
Edexcel GCSE
English Literature (1ET0). The board's specification
Component 1, Section A: Shakespeare
Component 2, Section A: 19th-century novel
OCR GCSE
English Literature (J352). The board's specification
Component 02, Section B: Shakespeare
Component 01, Section B: 19th-century prose
Eduqas GCSE
English Literature (C720QS). The board's specification
Component 1, Section A: Shakespeare
Component 2, Section B: 19th-century prose
A-level
AQA A-level, Literature A
English Literature A (7712). The board's specification
Paper 1, Love through the ages: Shakespeare
Paper 1, Love through the ages: comparing texts
AQA A-level, Literature B
English Literature B (7717). The board's specification
Paper 1, Aspects of tragedy: Shakespeare
Paper 1, Aspects of tragedy: further texts
Paper 1, Aspects of comedy: Shakespeare
Paper 2, Elements of crime writing
Edexcel A-level
English Literature (9ET0). The board's specification
Component 1, Section A: Shakespeare
Component 1, Section B: other drama
Component 2, Prose: Science and Society
Component 2, Prose: The Supernatural
Component 2, Prose: Women and Society
OCR A-level
English Literature (H472). The board's specification
Component 01, Section 1: Shakespeare
Component 02, The Gothic: core set text
Component 02, The Gothic: suggested set text
Component 02, Women in Literature: suggested set text
Eduqas A-level
English Literature (A720QS). The board's specification
Component 2, Section A: Shakespeare
Component 2, Section B: drama
These lists were checked against each exam board's own specification on 21 October 2026, including the changes announced for exams from 2027. Only the set texts that are out of copyright are here. Your school chooses texts from its board's list, so check with your teacher which ones you are studying.