Objectives

• Analyse how Ibsen uses retrospective revelation — characters disclosing the hidden past — to drive dramatic tension in Acts I and II.
• Explain how Mrs. Alving's speeches to Manders in Act I construct Captain Alving as an absent but controlling presence.
• Analyse how Ibsen presents heredity and fate through Oswald's syphilis confession in Act III and connects it to the play's title.
• Evaluate how Engstrand's manipulation of Manders in Acts II–III exposes clerical hypocrisy as a structural theme, not merely a background detail.
• Write a fully evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds and interrogates a quotation from a named moment in the play.
• Assess the dramatic and moral ambiguity of the final tableau — Mrs. Alving, the morphine pills, and Oswald's repeated utterance of 'the sun' — and argue for an interpretation.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Lie Behind the Memorial: Mrs. Alving's Revelation to Manders in Act I

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Look at the word 'Ghosts'. Jot down three things that come to mind when you hear that word. After that, consider one question that a play titled Ghosts, taking place over a single day in a Norwegian country house, might be exploring. For now, keep it to your own reflections on paper.

   Teacher input

   Model close reading on Mrs. Alving's speech to Manders in Act I, starting with 'You may believe me or not, Pastor Manders, but I have worked hard.' Analyze how Ibsen employs the past tense and the verb 'worked' to reshape the entire orphanage project: it becomes not a tribute but an erasure. Illustrate how the sentence structure — short, declarative, and directly addressing Manders — conveys Mrs. Alving's repressed defiance. Define 'retrospective revelation' as a structural device in this context.

   Independent task

   Students revisit the Act I section where Mrs. Alving explains to Manders her decision to send Oswald away to boarding school to shield him from his father. They will compose an analytical paragraph (using the PEEL structure or a similar approach) that responds to the question: How does Ibsen depict Mrs. Alving as both a victim and an agent in this speech? The paragraph should include at least one quotation and provide commentary on a specific word or grammatical choice.

   Exit ticket

   Mrs. Alving has upheld the deception of her late husband’s honorable legacy, while the orphanage is actually intended to conceal the truth about his immoral actions and the impact they had on their lives.

2. Lesson 2: Overheard and Repeated: The Scene in the Dining Room and the Logic of 'Ghosts'

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read this stage direction from Act I: Mrs. Alving listens, then softly exclaims — "Ghosts!" What could she mean by that? Take two minutes to write down two possible interpretations. You don’t need to have read further.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of the moment in Act I when Mrs. Alving overhears Oswald and Regina in the next room and reflects on a scene she previously witnessed between Captain Alving and the maid Joanna. Emphasize Ibsen's use of offstage space and Mrs. Alving's line, "Ghosts. The couple in the conservatory — over again." Illustrate how the repetition of the past in the present is the play's core structural principle, and how Ibsen evokes Mrs. Alving's horror in the audience through dramatic irony.

   Independent task

   Students should annotate the passage from Act I that includes the overheard scene and Mrs. Alving's reaction. Afterward, they will respond to the question: How does Ibsen use the motif of repetition in this moment to illustrate the theme of the past haunting the present? Their response must reference at least two specific details—one from the stage directions and one from the dialogue—and accurately incorporate the term 'dramatic irony.'

   Exit ticket

   Hearing Oswald and Regina offstage adds a layer of intrigue, allowing the audience to imagine their interaction instead of seeing it unfold. This choice enhances the tension and engages viewers' imaginations, drawing them deeper into the narrative.

3. Lesson 3: Inherited Sin: Oswald's Syphilis Confession and the Title Explained

   60 min · ch. 2, 3

   Do now

   Oswald expresses a deep sense of frustration and confusion about existence in his line from Act II: 'I never asked for life. I never asked for it. What is this life that was given me?' He seems to blame the circumstances of his birth and the nature of life itself for his suffering, indicating that he feels trapped by a reality he never sought. In this moment, Oswald holds the forces that dictate life—perhaps fate, society, or even his parents—responsible for the burdens he carries.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Oswald's confession speech in Act II, highlighting the doctor's words: 'The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children.' Analyze how Ibsen transforms this Biblical phrase (Exodus 20:5) from a source of theological comfort into a stark medical and deterministic judgment. Illustrate how the passive construction — 'are visited upon' — entirely strips Oswald of his agency, and link this to the play's title: the 'ghosts' are not supernatural entities but rather inherited compulsions and consequences.

   Independent task

   Students will write a comparative paragraph addressing the following question: How does Ibsen use Oswald's confession in Act II to explore the theme of fate, and how does this relate to Mrs. Alving's earlier revelation about Captain Alving in Act I? They should include quotes from both acts and analyze how these two moments connect structurally.

   Exit ticket

   Complete this sentence in your own words: 'Ibsen uses Oswald's illness to argue that…' You should conclude it with an insight into the play's deeper meaning, rather than merely summarizing a plot detail.

4. Lesson 4: Engstrand's Con: Clerical Hypocrisy and the Orphanage Fire in Acts II–III

   60 min · ch. 2, 3

   Do now

   Here are two important points: (1) Manders told Mrs. Alving not to insure the orphanage. (2) The orphanage ends up burning down. Now, consider this: what dramatic effect does Ibsen achieve by having Manders offer that advice? Reflect on the consequences and the irony. You have three minutes, and please, no discussion.

   Teacher input

   Model analysis of the exchange in Act II where Engstrand manipulates Manders into thinking he accidentally caused the fire. Pay particular attention to Engstrand's line 'But it's not so very terrible for you, Mr. Manders' and how he swiftly shifts to asking for funds for his sailors' home. Show how Ibsen employs Engstrand's transactional language — debt, guilt, obligation — to reveal Manders's vanity and cowardice as the true vulnerabilities being exploited. The orphanage fire isn't just incidental: it obliterates the monument to a lie.

   Independent task

   Students should write a paragraph addressing the question: How does Ibsen use Engstrand's manipulation of Manders in Act II to portray religious authority as corrupt and self-serving? They must include direct quotes from Engstrand's dialogue and analyze how his choice of words demonstrates his approach. Additionally, the paragraph should contain a second sentence that links this analysis to the overarching theme of deception in the play.

   Exit ticket

   The orphanage fire symbolizes the destruction of innocence and hope, while Manders's response exposes his self-serving nature and inability to confront uncomfortable truths.

5. Lesson 5: 'The Sun' — The Final Tableau: Ambiguity, Mercy, and the Unresolved Ending

   60 min · ch. 2, 3

   Do now

   Read the final stage direction: Oswald sits in the armchair, motionless and without expression; Mrs. Alving stands still, holding the morphine pills in her hand. Write: what are three possible actions Mrs. Alving could take? For each action, explain what it reveals about her character and what Ibsen would convey about freedom.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the final two pages of Act III, focusing on Oswald's repeated phrase 'the sun… the sun' and the stage direction that describes Mrs. Alving's frozen posture with the pills. Illustrate how Ibsen intentionally withholds resolution — no action occurs, and no line is spoken after Oswald's repetition — emphasizing that this silence is a significant dramatic statement. Highlight how 'the sun' echoes Oswald's earlier remarks about joy and light in Act II, transforming the final repetition into a grotesque inversion of that earlier hope.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write a complete analytical essay response (three to four paragraphs) addressing the question: 'Ibsen ends Ghosts without resolution. How does this ambiguity reflect the play's central concerns?' They should reference at least two acts, include specific quotes, and present an argument rather than simply summarizing the plot.

   Exit ticket

   Here’s my take on the ending: it suggests a sense of closure and hope for the characters’ futures. However, a strong counter-argument is that it leaves several unresolved issues that could undermine that optimism.

Activities

Assessment

• Exit Ticket Lesson 1 — checks whether students can distinguish between Mrs. Alving's public performance of grief and her private motive for building the orphanage.
• Exit Ticket Lesson 2 — checks whether students can explain Ibsen's use of the offstage space and dramatic irony in the dining-room scene.
• Exit Ticket Lesson 3 — checks whether students can articulate a thematic claim about fate and heredity, not merely restate the plot of Oswald's confession.
• Annotated parallel passages (Lesson 3 / Parallel Passages activity) — checks whether students can track a structural device across two separate moments in the text.
• Exit Ticket Lesson 4 — checks whether students can connect a local symbol (the orphanage fire) to the play's broader argument about deception and consequence.
• Exit Ticket Lesson 5 — checks whether students can hold two competing interpretations of the ending simultaneously and articulate the tension between them.

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.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• 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.
• 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 interprets a literary text and requires defence with evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including their relationship to other characters and to the text's central ideas.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how an author's structural choices contribute to meaning.
• Narrator and Speaker (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and dramatic perspective in shaping meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO5 — Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

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, with reference to dramatic form, structure, and language.
• 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, including the relationship between Ghosts and the naturalist dramatic tradition.