MEG-02 British Drama: guess paper and solved papers
MEG-02 is built around a small number of full plays, so depth matters more than breadth. If you know each prescribed play well, the paper becomes predictable in its shape even when the questions change.
Need the MEG-02 guess paper or solved papers?
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Quick facts
| Course code | MEG-02 |
|---|---|
| Course | British Drama |
| Programme | MA English (MEG) |
| Exam | Term End Examination, held in June and December |
| Assignments | Must be submitted to your Learner Support Centre before you take the exam |
What this course covers
The course studies British drama from the Elizabethan stage to the twentieth century through prescribed plays. Typical texts include the ones below; confirm with your blocks.
| Unit / area | What you study and what the exam looks for |
|---|---|
| Marlowe: Doctor Faustus | Faustus as a Renaissance overreacher; morality play elements; the final soliloquy. |
| Shakespeare: a tragedy and a comedy | Tragic hero, soliloquy, comedy of love and disguise, the role of the fool or clown. |
| Restoration comedy | Wit, manners, satire of fashionable society, the stock characters of the period. |
| Shaw and the drama of ideas | Drama of ideas, the 'discussion play', Shaw's use of paradox and the problem play. |
| Twentieth century drama, including absurdist theatre | Absurdism, waiting and repetition, silence and the breakdown of language. |
How the exam paper is usually set
Expect essay questions on each play: characters, themes, dramatic technique and the period the play belongs to. Some papers include short notes. Choices are usually given, so you can leave one play if you are short of time, but not more.
| Question type | Suggested length in the exam | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Long answer (about 20 marks) | 3 to 4 pages | 35 to 40 minutes |
| Medium answer (about 10 to 12 marks) | 2 pages | 18 to 20 minutes |
| Short note (about 5 to 6 marks) | Half to one page | 8 to 10 minutes |
Marks per question vary by paper; read the marks printed against each question and divide your 3 hours in that ratio.
Where to spend your preparation time
| Area | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare | Usually the largest unit and asked in most papers. |
| Doctor Faustus | Questions on the tragic hero and the morality play tradition are common. |
| Twentieth century and absurd drama | Students often skip this, so a clear answer here stands out. |
| Dramatic terms | Terms like tragic flaw, comedy of manners and chorus help in short notes. |
Practice questions in exam style
Write answers to these without looking at notes, then compare with your study material. These are our own practice questions in the IGNOU style, not copied from any paper.
- Discuss Doctor Faustus as a Renaissance tragedy.
- Examine the role of disguise and mistaken identity in the Shakespearean comedy you have studied.
- What makes Restoration comedy a comedy of manners?
- Comment on Shaw's use of the play as a vehicle for ideas.
- What do you understand by the Theatre of the Absurd? Illustrate from your text.
- Write a note on the use of soliloquy in the Shakespearean tragedy you have studied.
- Discuss the role of women in Restoration comedy.
- Examine Shaw as a social critic.
- Comment on the treatment of time in an absurd play.
- What is a morality play? How far is Doctor Faustus one?
How to write a high scoring answer: worked outline
Question: Discuss Doctor Faustus as a Renaissance tragedy.
Introduction (4 to 5 lines): Introduce the Renaissance spirit: thirst for knowledge, power and individual achievement; Marlowe's 'overreacher'.
Main body (one short heading per point):
- Faustus's ambition in the opening soliloquy: rejecting traditional learning for magic.
- Medieval morality elements: Good and Evil Angels, the Seven Deadly Sins, damnation.
- The tension between Renaissance aspiration and medieval punishment as the heart of the tragedy.
- The final soliloquy: time, fear and the failure to repent.
- Marlowe's mighty line and its role in the play's power.
Conclusion (3 to 4 lines): Conclude that the play is tragic because Faustus embodies the age's ambition and also pays its medieval price.
Use this shape for any long answer in this course: define, develop four or five points with examples, conclude.
A 4 week study plan
| Week | What to do for MEG-02 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read the blocks for: Marlowe: Doctor Faustus, Shakespeare: a tragedy and a comedy. Make one page notes per unit. |
| 2 | Read the rest: Restoration comedy, Shaw and the drama of ideas, Twentieth century drama, including absurdist theatre. Add notes. |
| 3 | Solve two previous year papers under time. Compare with solved answers and note gaps. |
| 4 | Revise notes and the guess paper. Write two full answers by hand. Rest the night before. |
Mistakes that cost marks in MEG-02
- Retelling the plot scene by scene.
- Ignoring dramatic technique (soliloquy, chorus, structure).
- Using the same character sketch for every question.
- Not naming the period or movement of the play.
Our tip for MEG-02
For every play, prepare one answer on the main character, one on the central theme and one on technique. Those three answers can be reshaped to fit almost any question on that play.
What you get in the guess paper and solved papers
The Gullybaba guess paper for MEG-02 groups likely questions by unit, with answers written to the length the exam needs. The solved paper set has complete answers for recent June and December papers.
A guess paper is a revision tool. Nobody can promise which questions will come, so read the whole syllabus and use the guess paper to revise faster.
Official IGNOU resources
- Current assignments: IGNOU assignments portal
- Previous question papers from December 2024: IGNOU question papers page
- Older papers: IGNOU's previous question paper archive (linked from the Downloads page of ignou.ac.in)
- Official study material: eGyanKosh, IGNOU's digital repository
Frequently asked questions
How many plays should I prepare for MEG-02?
Prepare all prescribed plays at least at summary and theme level, and three or four in depth.
Are solved MEG-02 papers useful?
Yes. Reading solved answers shows how long an answer should be and how to bring in quotations from the play.
Do I need to quote from plays in MEG-02?
Short quotations help a lot, especially from soliloquies. Two or three lines per answer are enough.
Need the MEG-02 guess paper or solved papers?
Send your course code and medium (English or Hindi). We reply with price and a sample page.