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Prompt 01

Essay task

AP LiteratureIB Language & LiteratureAQAEdexcel

In Ghosts, Henrik Ibsen presents inherited sins and societal expectations as "ghosts" that haunt the living. Write a well-organized essay arguing how Ibsen critiques the oppressive influence of social conventions and inherited moral codes through the experiences of Mrs. Alving and Oswald. Analyze how the "ghosts" of the past — be it hereditary illness, religious hypocrisy, or the legacy of Captain Alving — hinder the characters from living authentically, and consider what Ibsen ultimately conveys about the tension between individual freedom and social duty.

Requirements

  • Develop a clear, defensible thesis that articulates a specific claim regarding Ibsen's critique.
  • Support your argument with at least three pieces of textual evidence, including dialogue and stage directions.
  • Address at least one counterargument (for instance, that Mrs. Alving's choices, rather than societal pressures, contribute to the tragedy).
  • Conclude by linking Ibsen's themes to the broader context of 19th-century Naturalism.

Suggested length

4–6 paragraphs

Prompt 02

Essay task

AP LiteratureIB Language & LiteratureAQAEdexcel

In Ghosts, Henrik Ibsen presents the past not just as a memory but as a living, destructive force that affects the present. Write a structured essay in which you argue how Ibsen employs the metaphor of "ghosts" — representing inherited sins, social norms, and hidden truths — to expose the moral hypocrisy of bourgeois society in the nineteenth century. In your essay, analyze at least two of the following elements and discuss how each supports Ibsen's main argument:

Your essay should present a clear, arguable thesis, include textual evidence, and provide analysis that links Ibsen's stylistic choices to his thematic critique of duty, truth, and inherited guilt.

  • Characterization (e.g., Mrs. Alving, Oswald, Pastor Manders)
  • Symbolism (e.g., the orphanage, syphilis, the burning fire)
  • Dramatic irony and the withholding of information
  • Dialogue and subtext — what characters cannot or choose not to say

Suggested time

45–60 minutes

Suggested length

4–6 paragraphs

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