Objectives

• Analyse how Ibsen uses dramatic irony and withheld information in Act I to construct Mrs. Alving as a figure of concealed truth.
• Explain how the orphanage fire in Act II operates simultaneously as plot event and symbol of the past's destruction of the present.
• Analyse how Ibsen presents heredity as a form of inescapable fate through Oswald's syphilis revelation in Act III.
• Evaluate how Ibsen undermines religious authority by exposing Pastor Manders's hypocrisy across all three acts.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay arguing a clear interpretation of how Ibsen presents the inescapability of the past in Ghosts.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Architecture of Concealment: Dramatic Irony in Act I

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   If someone spent their entire marriage concealing the truth about their spouse, they might fear the devastating impact of that revelation on their relationship. They could also worry about the loss of trust and the potential for irreparable damage to their lives together.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Act I where Mrs. Alving tells Pastor Manders: 'I had to work, to keep the wolf from the door. That is how I managed to get through it. For Oswald's sake.' Read these lines aloud and then annotate on the board: (1) focus on the verb 'managed' — it reflects survival rather than a moral perspective; (2) note the repeated phrase 'for Oswald's sake' — this shifts the sense of responsibility onto her child; (3) Manders's response, which praises her 'wifely duty' — there's dramatic irony here, as the audience has just learned her real story about Captain Alving. Illustrate to students how Ibsen keeps the full truth from Manders but reveals it to the audience, creating a contrast that makes Manders's praise seem grotesque.

   Independent task

   Students read the part of Act I where Mrs. Alving reveals to Manders that Captain Alving "was dissolute" and that she "covered it all up." Following this, they compose a 150–200 word analytical paragraph discussing how Ibsen employs Mrs. Alving's confession to Manders to generate dramatic irony. The paragraph should include at least two quotations from Act I, feature a clear topic sentence that identifies the technique, and explain its impact on an audience who has just seen Manders commend the Captain's memory. Students will write in their exercise books and underline each quotation.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain what dramatic irony means in the context of Act I of Ghosts — name a specific moment in which the audience knows something that Pastor Manders does not.

2. Lesson 2: The Orphanage Fire: Symbol and Structure in Act II

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   Check out the stage direction at the start of Act II: the orphanage has burned down overnight. Before diving into the dialogue, jot down two sentences on what the fire could symbolize based on your understanding of Mrs. Alving's reasons for building it. You have four minutes and shouldn't peek ahead in the text.

   Teacher input

   Model symbolic reading using the exchange in Act II where Mrs. Alving states: 'The Orphanage was to have stifled all those rumours — and then it goes and burns down.' Project the line and annotate: (1) focus on the verb 'stifled' — the orphanage represents an act of suppression rather than remembrance; (2) consider the passive construction 'goes and burns down' — Mrs. Alving struggles to assign agency to the fire, reflecting her long-standing reluctance to take control over the Captain's reputation; (3) highlight the structural irony that the fire happens the same night the truth is finally spoken aloud. Illustrate to students how a single line of dialogue can convey both plot details and thematic significance at the same time.

   Independent task

   Students will re-read the portion of Act II that covers the discussion between Mrs. Alving and Manders regarding the aftermath of the fire, leading up to Engstrand's arrival and his manipulation of Manders concerning the cause of the fire. They are tasked with writing one analytical paragraph of 150–200 words, arguing that the orphanage fire serves as Ibsen's structural representation of the notion that the past cannot be concealed. The paragraph must include at least two quotations from Act II, identify the structural technique being employed, and explain how the timing of the fire—occurring the night after Mrs. Alving's confession—enhances its symbolic significance for the audience.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why the timing of the orphanage fire — on the same night Mrs. Alving finally speaks the truth about her husband — is dramatically significant rather than merely coincidental.

3. Lesson 3: Sins of the Father: Heredity as Fate in Act III

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Oswald's use of 'they' refers to the forces or people who have imposed a life on him that he did not choose. His exclamation, "take it back!" reveals his deep frustration and desperation, highlighting his rejection of the life he's been handed.

   Teacher input

   Model reading of the syphilis revelation passage in Act III, concentrating on Oswald's line: 'The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children.' Display this line alongside the stage direction that depicts Oswald's physical decline. Annotate: (1) the biblical reference — Ibsen takes a phrase linked to divine justice and reinterprets it as biological determinism; (2) the irony that Oswald, who claims to have led a pure life in Paris, suffers for his father's indulgences; (3) the stage direction — Ibsen transforms the body into a text, revealing the father's concealed past through the son's deteriorating condition. Illustrate for students how Ibsen shifts a theological idea into a naturalist perspective.

   Independent task

   Students read Oswald's confession of his illness to Mrs. Alving in Act III, including his plea for her to keep the morphine pills. They then write an analytical paragraph of 150–200 words arguing that Ibsen uses Oswald's syphilis to illustrate heredity as an unavoidable fate that makes individual moral effort seem futile. The paragraph must include at least two quotes from Act III, specify a technique (such as biblical allusion, stage direction, or dramatic irony), and explain how this technique encourages the audience to empathize with the injustice of Oswald's suffering.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain how Ibsen uses the phrase 'the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children' in Act III to challenge a religious understanding of punishment and replace it with a naturalist one.

4. Lesson 4: Hollow Authority: Pastor Manders as Ibsen's Target

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   In the play so far, one moment where Pastor Manders gave harmful advice occurs when he encourages Mrs. Alving to stay in her unhappy marriage, insisting that it is her duty to uphold the sanctity of the family. This moment suggests that Ibsen is critical of religious authority, highlighting its potential to reinforce oppressive social norms and limit personal freedom.

   Teacher input

   Model character analysis on the Act I exchange where Manders tells Mrs. Alving she should have returned to her husband: 'A wife is not to be her husband's judge.' Project the line and annotate: (1) the imperative framing — Manders speaks in moral absolutes, yet this stance ultimately defends an abuser; (2) the irony that Manders once had romantic feelings for Mrs. Alving (implied earlier in Act I) — his advice is not just theological but also deeply personal; (3) the contrast with Mrs. Alving's calm, measured response, which indicates to the audience that she has long since ceased to regard his authority. Demonstrate how Ibsen employs this single line of dialogue to highlight the disconnect between institutional religion and personal moral experience.

   Independent task

   Students follow Pastor Manders throughout all three acts, pinpointing one instance in each act where his advice, judgment, or actions either inflict harm or reveal hypocrisy. They compose a structured comparison of 200–250 words: a concise introduction that identifies Ibsen's satirical approach, followed by three brief analytical points—one for each act—each including a quotation, a specified technique, and an explanation of how that technique erodes Manders's authority. Students must maintain a clear argument: that Manders's shortcomings stem not from personal weakness but from the inability of institutional religion to confront genuine human suffering.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining how Ibsen uses Pastor Manders across the three acts to argue something specific about the relationship between religious authority and human freedom — name at least one technique and one quotation.

5. Lesson 5: The Past Will Not Stay Buried: Sustained Essay on Ibsen's Central Argument

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Final Stage Direction of Act III: > Mrs. Alving stands frozen, the morphine pills in her hand, as Oswald repeats 'the sun' in a vacant stupor.

   Three words that describe the effect of this ending on an audience:

   1. Tension

   • The silence and Mrs. Alving's stillness create an unbearable suspense, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

   1. Despair

   • This moment encapsulates the hopelessness of the characters’ struggles against their tragic destinies.

   1. Shock

   • Oswald's vacant repetition underscores the devastating impact of his illness, leaving the audience reeling from the emotional weight of the scene.

   Teacher input

   Model essay planning and opening on the final image of Act III — Mrs. Alving, frozen in place with pills in her hand. Start with a weak opening sentence like, "Ibsen shows that the past matters in Ghosts," and contrast it with a stronger option: "In the closing tableau of Ghosts, Ibsen captures Mrs. Alving in a moment of inaction and paralysis, transforming her into a powerful symbol of a society that has buried the truth until the act of concealment becomes unbearable."

   Annotate the strong sentence: (1) it identifies a precise moment; (2) it points out a technique (tableau, staging); (3) it articulates a view on society rather than focusing solely on the character.

   Next, demonstrate how to construct the first body paragraph from this opening by referencing Mrs. Alving’s request for morphine in Act III and linking it back to the concealment of Captain Alving’s true character in Act I.

   Independent task

   Write a detailed analytical essay of 500–600 words in response to the question: 'How does Ibsen convey the inescapability of the past in Ghosts?' Your essay should include a strong introduction that presents a clear, arguable claim about Ibsen's approach; at least three body paragraphs, each focusing on a different act of the play; a minimum of six embedded quotations from at least two of the three acts; analysis of at least two distinct dramatic or linguistic techniques (such as stage direction, dramatic irony, biblical allusion, structural symbolism, or dialogue); and a conclusion that revisits your initial claim and expands upon it based on your analysis. You are allowed to use your annotated texts and the paragraph you composed in Lesson 3. Avoid summarizing the plot — ensure every sentence supports your argument.

   Exit ticket

   Re-read your introduction. Write one sentence explaining what specific claim about Ibsen's method your introduction makes, and identify the single word or phrase in it that carries the most argumentative weight — then explain in one further sentence why that word or phrase does that work.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket checks whether students can name a specific moment of dramatic irony in Act I and explain the gap between Manders's knowledge and the audience's.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket checks whether students can articulate the symbolic significance of the fire's timing — the same night as Mrs. Alving's confession — rather than treating it as coincidence.
• Lesson 3 paragraph checks whether students can connect Oswald's syphilis to Ibsen's naturalist reframing of biblical language, and whether they can name a technique and explain its effect.
• Lesson 4 structured comparison checks whether students can sustain a consistent argument about institutional religion across all three acts, rather than treating Manders as merely personally flawed.
• Lesson 5 introduction self-assessment exit ticket checks whether students can identify the argumentative claim in their own writing and locate the word or phrase that carries it.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view or cultural experience requires referencing the political and cultural context in which a text was written.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and explains a line of reasoning.
• Textual Evidence (SET-1) — Identify and describe what specific textual details reveal about character, setting, and structure.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of figurative language in a literary text.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character changing or remaining unchanged in a literary text.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of structure and point of view in how meaning is conveyed in a dramatic text.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: demonstrate detailed knowledge of the text and construct a persuasive interpretation.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse how authorial choices of language, structure, technique and style shape meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: develop a clear line of inquiry sustained throughout the response.