OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation Past Papers & Mark Schemes

The World of the Hero component demands close reading of epic poetry in translation. While you do not need to know Greek or Latin, you must be able to analyse the translated text with precision — identifying similes, epithets, narrative structure, divine intervention, and characterisation. When quoting from the text, use the specific translation prescribed by OCR and cite book and line numbers. Examiners can tell when students are paraphrasing vaguely rather than engaging with the actual text. The strongest Classical Civilisation essays engage with the ancient material on its own terms before applying modern analysis. For the Odyssey, this means understanding xenia (guest-friendship), kleos (glory), nostos (homecoming), and metis (cunning intelligence) as culturally specific concepts rather than imposing modern psychological interpretations. Then, having established what the text means within its original context, you can evaluate how it resonates — or clashes — with modern values. For Culture and the Arts options, visual evidence is integral to the argument. If studying Greek Art, you must be able to describe specific artworks (naming them, dating them, identifying their stylistic features) and use them as evidence. A response about the development of Greek sculpture that does not name specific works (the Riace Bronzes, the Doryphoros, the Laocoön) lacks the specificity that the mark scheme requires. Politics of the Late Republic and Democracy and the Athenians both require engagement with ancient sources — Cicero's speeches, Plutarch's Lives, the Athenian Constitution. As with Ancient History, source evaluation is essential: consider the author's political position, rhetorical purpose, and the gap between the event described and the date of composition.