Analysing a Manifesto — a May 2025 IB English Past Paper 1

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SL & HL Essays

The following essays are modified versions of essays written by IB English students under exam conditions.

(SL) Standard Level Essay

A manifesto is a statement that challenges old ideas, includes everyone, and imagines a better future. The Gate Theatre's manifesto does all these things. It inspires people who love theatre to make a difference. To reach readers, the manifesto uses commands, strong statements, repeated words, inclusive pronouns, hopeful ideas, and bold challenges to encourage readers to see the Gate Theatre as a vehicle for change and to join its cause. 

The manifesto uses commands, also called imperative language, to push readers to act. For example, the phrase “Amplify the voices silenced by the canon” informs readers to help people whose voices have been ignored. This makes readers feel responsible to help create fairness and inclusion. Another command, “Look outside what you know,” asks readers to leave their comfort zones, face their biases, and learn new things. Perhaps the most powerful command, “Don’t portray the world, change it,” urges readers to stop just observing and start reshaping the world through art and responsibility. Because these commands give clear instructions on how to help bring change, they make the audience feel motivated to take action. 

The manifesto also uses strong statements to share its ideas clearly and make readers think. The declarative sentence “It is relevant who makes the work”, for example, shows how important diversity is in creative spaces. It reminds readers to support voices that are not often heard. Another fact-based example is “Our artists are international,” which celebrates working together across cultures and highlights the value of inclusivity. Moreover, the powerful line, “We declare a climate emergency,” presents how serious the theatre is about protecting the environment. These assertive ideas appeal to the reader’s rational side, and so encourage them to trust the manifesto’s vision and to take it seriously

Repetition is another tool the manifesto uses to make its messages stick. Anaphoric “Celebrate subjectivity,” “Celebrate the mess and imperfection of humanity,” and “Celebrate liveness.” creates a positive tone while reminding readers to value diversity and imperfection. Another example is the tricolon “Change. Transition. Transform.”, which uses the power of three to build excitement by focusing on growth. Additionally, the epiphoric statements “Process is political.” and “Form is political.”, stress how art is a “political” medium. By repeating key ideas, the manifesto makes its message memorable and powerful.

The manifesto uses words like “we,” “our,” and “everyone” to make readers feel included as evident in “Our artists are international”, which creates a sense of pride and connection by making readers feel part of a global community. Another line, “Everyone in the room is part of the show (this includes the audience),” makes everyone feel important by breaking the barrier between performers and the audience. Also, the idea that “Nature is us” connects people with the environment, showing a shared responsibility to protect it. Finally, inclusive “We can’t do this without you” directly involves readers, making them feel valued. These inclusive pronouns make readers feel like they are part of a team working for change.

The manifesto uses hopeful language to show what the future could look like. The positive command “Imagine the future”, for instance, encourages readers to dream about what could be possible. And the phrase “Make work in a circular economy (and only 20% of materials can be new)” promotes sustainability and creativity. Another example of a forward-thinking tone is “Our artists are international. Our shows are multilingual,” which envision a world where collaboration and diversity are celebrated, while “At least one show in every season must be made outside the UK” spotlights the importance of global teamwork. Visionary language like this inspires readers to believe in and work towards a better future.

Finally, the manifesto challenges traditional ideas to make readers think differently. The authoritative tone conveyed in “Text is not the only form of authorship”, for instance, questions the focus on written text and encourages other forms of storytelling, like visual or digital art. Another bold idea, “Rethink definitions of excellence,” asks readers to move away from old, exclusive ideas about success and embrace new, inclusive ones. These challenges push readers to leave behind outdated ideas and embrace change.

In conclusion, the Gate Theatre’s manifesto uses language effectively to inspire readers to see theatre as a vehicle for activism. Through imperatives, declaratives, repetition, inclusiveness, a forward-thinking tone, and bold challenges, the manifesto’s clear and innovative vision makes it a powerful call for transformation.

(HL) Higher Level Essay

The text, from the website of the Gate Theatre, a London-based theatre company, which focuses on staging groundbreaking international plays. It is a manifesto designed to inspire change in the arts, society, and the environment. The purpose of the text is to challenge traditional ideas, promote diversity and sustainability, and encourage bold, creative action. The audience includes artists, theatre enthusiasts, and socially aware individuals who are interested in making a positive difference. To connect with its audience and communicate its vision effectively, the manifesto uses emotive language, figurative language, contrast, tone, direct address, and informal language. These techniques work together to engage the reader emotionally, create a sense of urgency, and inspire them to embrace the manifesto’s call for transformative change.

One technique the manifesto uses is emotive language, which seeks to evoke powerful feelings, connecting with the audience’s values and inspiring action. For example, the phrase “Amplify the voices silenced by the canon” uses striking words like “amplify” and “silenced” to underscore historical exclusions and injustices. This language stirs in a sense of urgency and empowerment, encouraging readers to confront systemic marginalization. Another example, the statement “Acknowledge and hold the suffering of the past” relies on the evocative term “suffering” to evoke empathy and encourage reflection, inviting readers to engage in accountability. Yet another example, “Texts from earlier than 2010 must be radically interrogated,” conveys a tone of boldness and intensity, a directive that challenges the audience to critically examine outdated ideas and practices, driving home the manifesto’s call for action. Through these examples of emotive language, the text appeals to the audience’s sense of responsibility, empathy, and determination, and whether it’s effective or not may depend on the reader’s willingness to engage with such emotionally charged language.

Another prominent device used to provoke thought and deepen the audience’s engagement with the manifesto’s ideas is figurative language. The metaphor “Process is political” equates the arts with politics, suggesting that the act of creation itself is inherently tied to activism, implying that artistic expression contributes to social and political change. In a similar way, the paradox “What happens after the play is the point of the play” reframes theatre as a means to inspire real-world action, urging readers to consider how performances create lasting impact beyond the stage. Lastly, the hyperbolic declaration “We declare a climate emergency” amplifies the urgency of environmental issues, linking the arts to activism and pressing for immediate attention. This use of figurative language challenges the audience to see art not just as a form of expression but as a transformative tool for activism.

Contrast is also used effectively to challenge established norms and to encourage transformative thinking. The antithesis “Don’t portray the world, change it” rejects the notion of art as passive reflection, instead emphasizing its potential to reshape societal, political, and environmental realities. Similarly, the juxtaposition in “Texts from earlier than 2010 must be radically interrogated” contrasts older, traditional works with the manifesto’s call for critical revision, encouraging readers to align with contemporary values like diversity and equity. The chiasmus “We are nature and nature is us” further highlights the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment, prompting readers to reconsider the artificial divide often placed between the two. In presenting opposing ideas this way, the manifesto urges its audience to embrace change by rethinking assumptions.

The tone of the manifesto blends urgency, motivation, and optimism. Commands like “Acknowledge and hold the suffering of the past” and “Don’t portray the world, change it” underscore the moral imperative to address historical injustices and adopt transformative practices. High-modality “must” reinforces the necessity of confronting these challenges head-on, creating a sense of immediacy. At the same time, contrasts such as “We are nature and nature is us” encourage readers to rethink systems and relationships, while declarations like “We declare a climate emergency” lend authority and seriousness to the manifesto’s message. Optimistic phrases such as “Imagine the future” soften the urgency, inspiring hope and inviting collective participation. This combination of tonal elements motivates readers to engage with the manifesto’s vision for change.

Direct address is also used to engage the audience and fosters a sense of shared responsibility. The subject pronoun in “Look outside what you know”, for instance, challenges individuals to broaden their perspectives and embrace transformative change, while the object pronoun in “We can’t do this without you” stresses the audience’s essential role in achieving the manifesto’s goals, creating a sense of partnership and collective action. By engaging readers directly, the manifesto makes them feel both valued and accountable, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in driving meaningful change.

Lastly, the manifesto’s use of informal language makes the message approachable, breaking down barriers between the organization and its audience. Referring to “The Gate” instead of “The Gate Theatre” creates a casual, familiar tone, making the theatre feel more personal and accessible. Phrases like “Celebrate the mess and imperfection of humanity” reject polished or formal language in favor of language that’s relatable and authentic. The parenthetical aside in “The shows (and all the conversations too) must leave the building” adds an informal, conversational tone, while “There must be space to come together and talk” uses simple and approachable phrasing to emphasize inclusivity. By avoiding hierarchical language, the manifesto encourages participation in its vision for transformative change.

In sum, the manifesto’s clear and passionate message, along with its strong use of language, makes it an effective tool for promoting its vision of change.