Looking for inspiration? Look no further than these popular characters from English literature and modern movies. 1. Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)- As a lawyer and father, Atticus imparts lessons of empathy, justice, and moral integrity to his children and the community, highlighting the importance of standing up for what is right. 2. Professor Dumbledore (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)- The wise and compassionate headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore, provides guidance, wisdom, and support to Harry and his friends, encouraging them to believe in themselves and the power of love. 3. Mr. Keating (Dead Poets Society) - Portrayed by Robin Williams, Mr. Keating is an English teacher at an all-boys preparatory school who inspires his students to seize the day, think independently, and embrace the beauty of poetry and self-expression. 4. Miss Honey (Matilda by Roald Dahl) - A kind and nurturing teacher, Miss Honey supports and believes in Matilda’s extraordinary talents, fostering a safe and encouraging learning environment in the face of adversity. 5. Ms. Gruwell (Freedom Writers) - Based on a true story, Ms. Gruwell, played by Hilary Swank, is a high school teacher who motivates her at-risk students to rise above their circumstances by expressing themselves through writing. 6. John Keating (Stand and Deliver)- Another portrayal by Robin Williams, John Keating is a dedicated math teacher who challenges his students to strive for academic excellence and recognize their potential, regardless of societal expectations. 7. Mr. Feeny (Boy Meets World) - As a high school teacher, principal, and neighbor, Mr. Feeny offers life lessons in addition to academic teachings, guiding his students through their personal growth with wisdom and humor. 8. Professor McGonagall (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling) - A strict yet fair Transfiguration professor, McGonagall emphasizes discipline, loyalty, and courage, fostering her students’ abilities and ensuring their well-being. 9. Jaime Escalante (Stand and Deliver)- Based on a true story, Jaime Escalante, played by Edward James Olmos, is an unorthodox math teacher who successfully prepares his underprivileged students to pass the rigorous AP Calculus exam. 10. Jean Brodie (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark) - A charismatic and unconventional teacher, Miss Jean Brodie leaves a lasting impact on her students by encouraging them to embrace art, culture, and nonconformity, though her methods are often controversial.

When we think of heroes, we often picture sword-wielding muscular men dispatching their enemies. Here, we take a look at heroes and heroines known more for their heart than guile than their physical bravery.

Maximize your Assessment Objective 3 marks for GCSE Literature with a quick read on the Biblical influences behind your set texts.

From love and war to downright betrayal, no one did it better than the Greeks.

Top Ten Life Lessons From Shakespeare. Julius Caesar: Your best friend has just been killed and the murderers, their knives dripping with his blood, approach you. What would you do? Well, Mark Anthony had to face this very dilemma after the death of his friend, Julius Caesar. Anthony neither ran nor fought. Instead, he pretended to side with the murderers’ cause, his timid manner even persuaded the murderers to let him speak at Caesar’s funeral. Anthony then used the speech as an opportunity to turn the crowd against the murderers. With the crowd on his side, Anthony would eventually avenge his beloved friend. Life Lesson: A lion dressed as a sheep is far more dangerous than a sheep dressed as a lion. Sometimes you have to act weak to be strong. Henry V: History is full of underdog stories and Henry V’s war against the French at Agincourt will forever remain one of England’s most loved underdog stories. But what makes an underdog rise to battle? What leads them to victory against all odds? Shakespeare would say men are moved by words. Words are the elixir of life. He encapsulates this to perfection in King Henry’s ‘St Crispian’ speech which remains one of the most moving and motivational speeches in literary history. Life lesson: Never underestimate the power of public speaking. Romeo & Juliet: Though heartaches are part and parcel of life, they never cease to hurt us no matter how old we get. What we all need is a good friend to get us through it. A good friend like Benvolio was to Romeo. In the aftermath of hearing of Rosaline’s rejection of Romeo, Benvolio utters the lines ‘Compare her with some that I shall show and you will think thy swan a crow’. Ouch. Life Lesson: There’s plenty of fish in the sea Hamlet: We learnt from Benvolio in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ that there’s plenty of fish in the sea but is there such thing as moving on too quickly? How about marrying your dead husband’s brother a few days after his funeral? That’s exactly what Hamlet’s mother did, prompting Hamlet to say: ‘The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish the marriage tables’. Ouch, that one’s got to hurt. Life Lesson: Don’t schedule a marriage right after a funeral, especially not the funeral of your ex. Othello : Othello, the brave and noble warrior of Venice, has it all. He is a commander in the Venetian military and married to the beautiful Desdemona. But success brings him enemies and none more damning than Othello’s own servant and master manipulator, Iago. Slowly but surely, the servant spins his web of deceit and brings his master, Othello, to the depths of mental hell. A brave warrior is brought to his knees by his servant. Life Lesson: No power in the world is stronger than the mind. Control your mind or be at the mercy of others who seek to control it. Macbeth: In a play where the witches set in motion the murder of a King, it would seem strange for us to take life lessons from them. However, the witches are supernatural beings who Shakespeare presents as having a firm grasp on human nature. At one point, the witches conclude that ‘security is mortal’s chiefest enemy’- i.e. that we are at our weakest when we are comfortable and secure. Life Lesson: Victory can breed arrogance and laziness. Never let the ball drop. Never think you are invincible. Merchant of Venice: Where does hatred come from? And who does it benefit? In this often dark and shocking play, Shakespeare reminds us that men are not born evil but often made that way. After suffering years of discrimination for being Jewish, Shylock, finally has enough and seeks violent revenge on his foe, Antonio. Hatred breeds hatred. Life lesson: Don’t expect the people you demonize today to be so nice to you tomorrow. What goes around comes around. The Tempest: We’ve all heard that revenge is a dish best served cold but as Prospero proves in ‘The Tempest’, it takes years of meticulous planning to get the dish right. However, the years of scheming can take a toll on a person’s morality. From enslaving Ariel and Caliban to using his own daughter as a pawn in his games, Prospero shows us that the quest for revenge can take us down dark paths. Paths that may make us as bad as the very people we seek revenge upon. Life lesson: Revenge isn’t as sweet as its cracked up to be. Richard the Third: Shakespeare presents King Richard as a bitter and brutal ruler. Nothing symbolizes this more than when he kills Lady Anne Warwick’s husband and then turns up at the funeral to propose to her. As you’d expect, she spits on his face. Richard then pulls out a ring and a sword and offers her the chance to either wed him or kill him. Lady Anne gave in to his charm and the pair were married and, surprise surprise, Richard later had her murdered too. Life lesson: A good ring goes a long way toward making up for whatever character deficiencies we may have. A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Hermia’s father, Egeus, is furious when he discovers that she is in love with Demetrius. It was not the match that he had envisioned for his daughter. So, the King gives her three choices: Marry someone of her father’s choosing, join the nunnery or die by execution. Not exactly the best of choices. Hermia rejects all three options and instead opts to run away into the forest with her lover. Good on her. Life lesson: We live and die by our choices but they are our choices. Nobody has the right to decide for us.

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