Objectives

• Analyse how Shaw uses phonetics, dialect, and stage directions in Act I to construct social class as a performance rather than a fixed identity.
• Explain how the power relationship between Higgins, Pickering, and Eliza is established and complicated in Act II through Shaw's dialogue and stage directions.
• Analyse how Shaw uses dramatic irony and Eliza's 'new small talk' in Act III to satirise Edwardian class conventions.
• Trace how Shaw structures Act IV as a dramatic turning point, examining the specific stage directions and speeches through which Eliza asserts her independence.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that evaluates Shaw's presentation of gender and power across the play, using precise quotation and contextual reference.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Class as Performance: Accent, Appearance, and Act I

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   On your mini-whiteboard, jot down three specific traits about a person that indicate their social class. Instead of saying 'the way they speak,' dive into the exact aspects of their speech. You have four minutes. Please refrain from talking.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Act I where Higgins first imitates and then transcribes Eliza's speech ('Cheer ap, Keptin; n' haw ya flahr orf a pore gel'). Help students recognize how Shaw's phonetic spelling serves as a dramatic tool—it prompts the audience to view Eliza's accent as something tangible and fixable, rather than an inherent part of her voice. Highlight the stage direction 'He is so engrossed in his notebook' to illustrate how Higgins reduces Eliza to a mere object, even in the mechanics of the scene.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate the passage from Act I where Higgins confidently tells onlookers that he can identify any of them "within two miles in London, within two streets in London" just by their accent. In a well-structured paragraph of 150–200 words, students need to argue whether Shaw portrays Higgins's phonetic ability as remarkable, unsettling, or a mix of both. They should include at least two embedded quotations and reference one of Shaw's stage directions. Paragraphs are to be submitted at the conclusion of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   Higgins noticing Eliza's accent reveals his awareness of her social status, while writing it down in his notebook suggests an attempt to control and document her identity, highlighting the power dynamics at play in this scene.

2. Lesson 2: The Wimpole Street Laboratory: Consent, Ownership, and Act II

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   The stage direction at the beginning of Act II describes Higgins's laboratory, which contains a phonograph, a laryngoscope, a row of tiny organ pipes, and a set of lamp chimneys for singing flames. This room is where experiments and vocal training take place, focusing on sound and speech. A person who is disinterested in the intricacies of language or science would feel out of place here.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the exchange in Act II where Mrs. Pearce cautions Higgins: 'You must not speak to her as if she were a naughty child,' to which Higgins responds, 'I shall say what I like about her.' Highlight how Shaw employs Mrs. Pearce as a moral chorus, expressing the audience's unease, while Higgins's retort showcases his denial of Eliza's status as an adult. Pay attention to how Shaw's punctuation, particularly the full stop following 'I shall say what I like about her,' underscores Higgins's sense of finality and self-assuredness.

   Independent task

   Students will revisit the part of Act II where Alfred Doolittle comes to 'sell' Eliza for five pounds. They will then compose a 150–200-word analytical paragraph that addresses how Shaw uses Doolittle's visit to reveal the underlying logic in Higgins's treatment of Eliza. Students should include Doolittle's offer, Higgins's reaction, and one stage direction in their analysis. The paragraphs will be gathered for review.

   Exit ticket

   In Act II, Higgins treats Eliza like an object by referring to her as a mere experiment in his phonetics work. However, the text complicates this view by revealing Eliza's growing assertiveness and desire for autonomy, challenging Higgins' perception of her as just a project.

3. Lesson 3: Dramatic Irony and the Drawing Room: Act III's 'New Small Talk'

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Read Eliza's first speech to the Eynsford Hills in Act III: 'My aunt died of influenza: so they said... But it's my belief they done the old woman in.' Without checking any sources, jot down what you believe the Eynsford Hills perceive and what the audience perceives. What do we call the difference between those two perceptions?

   Teacher input

   Model how Shaw engineers dramatic irony in the Act III drawing-room scene through Eliza's discussion of her aunt's death and her father's drinking. Highlight that Eliza's speech is phonetically flawless — she has succeeded in the linguistic test — yet her content remains rooted in Cockney working-class themes. Pay particular attention to Freddy's reaction ('the new small talk') and Clara's admiring imitation, showcasing how Shaw uses the Eynsford Hills' misunderstanding to satirize the upper-middle class as equally superficial: they fail to distinguish between genuine experience and trendy pretension.

   Independent task

   Students should write a paragraph of 150–200 words addressing the question: how does Shaw use the reactions of Freddy and Clara Eynsford Hill in Act III to satirise Edwardian class conventions? Be sure to include at least one quote from Eliza's 'new small talk,' one reaction from either Freddy or Clara, and an explanation of the dramatic irony involved. Submit by the end of class.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence: who is Shaw really targeting with his satire in the Act III drawing-room scene — Eliza, the Eynsford Hills, or Higgins? Provide one word as evidence.

4. Lesson 4: The Slippers Scene: Eliza's Turning Point in Act IV

   60 min · ch. 4

   Do now

   Read the stage direction at the start of Act IV: 'Higgins throws himself wearily into the easy-chair... Pickering sits down... Eliza tries to compose herself.' Before diving deeper, take a moment to guess what the conflict in this scene might involve and who will be at the center of it. Write down your prediction — you'll revisit it later.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the moment when Eliza throws Higgins's slippers at him: the stage direction 'She flings them at him one after the other, not with any particular aim or force,' followed by Higgins's astonished 'Ah-ow!' and his line 'By George, I said I'd make a woman of you; and I have.' Show students how Shaw uses this physical action to reflect Eliza's internal transformation — the slippers, which symbolize Higgins's domestic comfort, become instruments of her rebellion. Additionally, highlight how Higgins's reaction swiftly reclaims her act, framing it as his own success.

   Independent task

   Students should compose a 200–250-word analytical paragraph addressing this prompt: How does Shaw utilize stage directions and dialogue in Act IV to convey Eliza's anger as both genuinely emotional and politically important? They must include a reference to the slippers stage direction, quote at least one line from Eliza's direct speech to Higgins ('What's to become of me?'), and cite one line that illustrates Higgins’s inability to grasp her emotions. Finalized paragraphs are to be submitted.

   Exit ticket

   Return to your do-now prediction. Were you correct about who drives the conflict? Write one sentence about what surprised you and why Shaw made that decision.

5. Lesson 5: Independence and the Epilogue: Gender, Power, and Act V

   60 min · ch. 5

   Do now

   Eliza's speech in Act V highlights her belief that she has transitioned from selling flowers to embodying a higher status, indicating that her new identity as a lady has rendered her unable to engage in her previous profession. While she has gained a sense of dignity and social standing, she has lost the independence and authenticity that came with her former life.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Eliza's speech in Act V, where she differentiates Pickering's influence from Higgins's: "You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated." Guide students to recognize how Shaw allows Eliza to express her analytical voice here—she's not merely performing class but theorizing about it. Highlight the parenthetical aside as a rhetorical tool that undermines Higgins's values, portraying them as trivial.

   Independent task

   Students will compose a complete analytical paragraph (200–250 words) addressing the question: how does Shaw use Act V to depict Eliza as intellectually and morally superior to Higgins? They should include a quote from Eliza's speech regarding Pickering's courtesy, reference Higgins's demand for her return ('Five minutes ago you were like a millstone round my neck'), and discuss Shaw's prose epilogue as a form of authorial intervention. Submissions will be collected and graded according to the summative rubric.

   Exit ticket

   Shaw concludes the play with Eliza opting for Freddy instead of Higgins. Does this represent a feminist ending or is it a compromise? Use one word from Act V to support your answer.

Activities

Assessment

• Exit ticket Lesson 1: can the student articulate the difference between Higgins observing Eliza's accent and transcribing it — i.e., do they grasp that writing it down is an act of power, not just curiosity?
• Exit ticket Lesson 2: can the student name a specific moment of objectification and a specific moment of complication — not a general claim about 'Higgins being rude'?
• Exit ticket Lesson 3: can the student identify the target of Shaw's satire with textual evidence — moving beyond 'everyone is mocked' to a specific claim about the Eynsford Hills or Higgins?
• Exit ticket Lesson 4: does the student's revised prediction show they understand that Shaw deliberately gives Eliza, not Higgins, the dramatic initiative in Act IV?
• Exit ticket Lesson 5: does the student's one-sentence verdict engage with the tension between feminist argument and romantic convention, rather than simply asserting a preference?
• Lesson 4 independent paragraph: does the student quote the slippers stage direction and connect the physical action to Eliza's political significance — not just her emotional state?

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 (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed)
• 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.11-12.6 — analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, irony, understatement)
• 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 the whole text and sustain it with specific evidence
• Character and Narration (CHR-1) — analyse how Shaw's characterisation of Eliza develops across the play and contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole
• Figurative Language and Imagery (FIG-1) — analyse how Shaw's use of dialect spelling, stage directions, and dramatic irony contribute to meaning
• Structure (STR-1) — analyse how the sequence of scenes and Shaw's prose epilogue create and resolve narrative tension
• Contextual Connections (CC-1) — connect Shaw's Edwardian context — class rigidity, the phonetics debate, the New Woman — to the literary choices he makes

AQA

• AO1 — articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression
• AO2 — analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate
• AO3 — demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received (Edwardian class structure, phonetics reform, Shaw's resistance to romantic comedy conventions)
• AO5 — explore literary texts informed by different interpretations (feminist readings of Eliza's independence vs. readings that emphasise Higgins's Pygmalion-myth role)

Edexcel

• AO1 — articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression
• AO2 — analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology
• 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 (e.g., Pygmalion in relation to other texts presenting female self-determination)