Gce Model Questions Vol1 2024 Literature In English Question 5

Read the following excerpt from the contemporary drama *The Broken Bridge*: > **Scene 3 – The Market Square** > > *[A bustling market. Stalls line the square, their colours vivid against the grey sky. The sound of barter fills the air.]* > > **MARA** (clutching a worn satchel): > "They say the river will rise again, but the bridge that once linked our homes lies in ruins. How can we trust a promise when the stones have crumbled beneath our feet?" > > **ELI** (leaning against a stall, eyes distant): > "Promises are like the wind, Mara—heard by all, felt by none. Yet we must cross, for the market waits for no one." > > *[A sudden shout erupts from the far end of the square. The crowd parts as a figure, cloaked and hurried, darts past, dropping a sealed envelope at Mara’s feet.]* > > **MARA** (picking up the envelope, voice trembling): > "What is this? A message from the council? Or a trap set by those who profit from our fear?" > > **ELI** (softly, almost a whisper): > "Read it, and perhaps the river will speak its truth." > > **[Mara opens the envelope, the paper fluttering in the wind, revealing a single line of ink.]** > > **MARA** (reading aloud): > "The bridge will be rebuilt at dawn, if the river yields its water." > > *[The crowd murmurs, the tension palpable.]* Analyse how the playwright employs **dialogue, stage directions, and dramatic irony** to develop tension in this scene, and **evaluate the effectiveness of the climax** in reflecting the central theme of social division.