Objectives

• Analyse how Gupta uses Rani's arrival scenes in Act One to dramatise the disorientation and dehumanisation of indentured labour.
• Analyse how Gupta constructs Abdul Karim's relationship with Queen Victoria to expose the contradictions of imperial power and personal affection.
• Evaluate how Gupta uses dramatic irony and staging in Act Two's court scenes to present the erasure of colonial subjects as a political act.
• Write an evidenced paragraph that embeds and interrogates quotation from the play to support an argument about identity or belonging.
• Compare how Rani's storyline and Abdul's storyline together form a structural argument about the human cost of empire.
• Analyse how Gupta draws on context — the RSC commission, post-7/7 Britain, and the suppression of Abdul's diaries — to shape the play's dramatic and political meaning.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Arriving Invisible: Rani's Landing and the Violence of the Indentured Journey (Act One)

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   On your mini-whiteboard, jot down one word that captures how you feel when you find yourself in an unfamiliar place where no one knows you. Next, write one word that reflects how you feel when someone in that space deliberately avoids making eye contact with you. Hold onto both words — you'll need them in ten minutes.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Act One passage where Rani first arrives in England. Focus on Gupta's use of fragmented stage directions, like the phrase 'the noise is overwhelming', and note how no one addresses Rani by name. Highlight the contrast between the impressive Jubilee backdrop and Rani's small presence on stage. Guide students on how to construct a paragraph that transitions from staging choice to specific language, then to dramatic effect, and finally connects to themes of belonging and invisibility.

   Independent task

   Students will write one PEEL paragraph (at least 120 words) in response to the question: 'How does Gupta use Rani's arrival in Act One to illustrate the dehumanising experience of colonial migration?' They need to include at least two quotes from the arrival sequence in Act One, discuss at least one detail about staging or stage directions, and connect their analysis to the theme of identity. Paragraphs can be submitted on paper or digitally for teacher grading.

   Exit ticket

   In Rani's arrival scene, Gupta employs the dramatic technique of silence, which creates a tense anticipation in the audience.

2. Lesson 2: The Munshi and the Monarch: Power, Affection, and Resentment in the Royal Court (Act One)

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the short exchange between Abdul Karim and Sir Henry Ponsonby in Act One where Ponsonby questions Abdul's title of Munshi. Underline every word Ponsonby uses that suggests Abdul does not fit in. You have four minutes. Do not discuss yet.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Act One scene where Queen Victoria expresses her desire to learn Hindustani from Abdul. Pay special attention to how Gupta employs the lesson-and-pupil dynamic to flip the traditional colonial hierarchy, positioning the Queen as the student and the Indian servant as the teacher. Additionally, explore how the interruption from the Prince of Wales reinstates that hierarchy. Analyze the rhythm of the dialogue: note how Victoria's longer, more heartfelt speeches contrast with Ponsonby's brief, dismissive interjections, and consider what this contrast reveals about themes of isolation and power.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate a printed excerpt of the Ponsonby–Abdul confrontation from Act One. Following this, they will write a structured response of at least 150 words to the prompt: "How does Gupta use the conflict between Abdul Karim and Sir Henry Ponsonby in Act One to illustrate the politics of race and belonging at the Victorian court?" Their responses should reference dialogue, dramatic irony, and at least one staging moment. Both the annotated excerpt and the written response are to be submitted together.

   Exit ticket

   The dynamic between Victoria and Abdul both challenges and reinforces imperial power. A key moment occurs when Victoria openly defies her courtiers by valuing Abdul's insights over their opinions, signaling her rejection of traditional hierarchies. This act of empowerment highlights her personal rebellion against imperial norms while also reinforcing her authority as the monarch.

3. Lesson 3: Ceremony as Weapon: The Court's Erasure of Abdul in Act Two

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   Without opening the play, jot down your thoughts: what do you think will happen to Abdul after Victoria passes away? Provide one reason based on your prior readings. Next, consider: what does it signify to destroy someone's letters and diaries? What is lost beyond just the paper?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Act Two scene where Edward VII orders the destruction of Abdul's letters and keepsakes. Focus on Gupta's use of stage action—specifically the physical burning or removal of objects—as a metaphor for colonial erasure. Highlight the deliberate silence surrounding Abdul during this moment and explore how dramatic irony functions, given that the audience is aware Gupta has recovered this history. Teach students to write about dramatic irony as a technique that draws the audience into the act of witnessing.

   Independent task

   Students will write a comparative paragraph (at least 150 words) addressing the question: 'How does Gupta depict the destruction of Abdul's letters in Act Two as a representation of erasure tied to imperial power?' In their responses, they need to: identify the specific stage action, include a quote of dialogue from the scene, analyze how dramatic irony impacts the audience, and relate this to the contextual detail that Abdul's actual diaries were kept from public view until recently. The completed paragraphs will be gathered for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that the characters do not. In the Act Two erasure scene, Gupta uses dramatic irony to highlight the disconnection between the characters' perceptions and the political realities, emphasizing the consequences of their ignorance.

4. Lesson 4: Quiet Resistance: Rani, Hari, and the Survival of the Marginalised (Act Two)

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   Look at this list of adjectives: invisible, defiant, resilient, forgotten, hopeful, erased. Pick two that you believe capture Rani's character by the end of Act Two. For each adjective, write a sentence highlighting a specific moment from the play that supports your choice.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Act Two scene where Rani and Hari's relationship unfolds amidst the turmoil of Victoria's death and the court's unrest. Focus on how Gupta contrasts the two plotlines—palace grief versus working-class survival—to present a structural argument: the victims of empire continue to exist even when rendered invisible. Show how to analyze dramatic structure as a way to make an argument, rather than merely as a method of organization.

   Independent task

   Students are required to create a structured comparison of at least 200 words that addresses the question: "How does Gupta use the parallel storylines of Abdul and Rani in Act Two to depict survival as a form of resistance against empire?" In their responses, they should include at least one quote from a moment involving Rani or Hari and another from a moment involving Abdul in the court during Act Two. They must use the term "juxtaposition" accurately and analytically, connecting their analysis to at least one theme from the play—such as identity, exile, belonging, or power. All written responses will be collected for review.

   Exit ticket

   By concluding the play with Rani and Hari still present instead of ending with Abdul's expulsion, Gupta emphasizes the ongoing struggle for justice and the impact of systemic issues on personal relationships.

5. Lesson 5: Empire's Human Cost: Synthesising Argument Across Both Acts

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   Revisit your exit ticket from Lesson 1 and your exit ticket from Lesson 4. In two sentences, explain how your understanding of Gupta's argument has evolved since Lesson 1, highlighting a specific moment from each act.

   Teacher input

   Model how to create an essay introduction and two connected body paragraphs for the question: 'How does Gupta depict the human cost of empire in The Empress?' — using Rani's arrival in Act One and the destruction of Abdul's letters in Act Two as the key moments. Show how an effective essay links these two plotlines to develop a cohesive argument instead of viewing them as isolated subjects, and how to incorporate elements of dramatic form (like staging, dialogue, and structure) alongside thematic analysis.

   Independent task

   Students will write a timed essay response of 350–500 words to the prompt: 'How does Gupta use the stories of Rani and Abdul Karim across both acts of The Empress to challenge the imperial narrative of Victorian Britain?' They need to reference both Act One and Act Two specifically, quote and analyze at least four moments from the play, and organize their response into a coherent argument with an introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion. These essays will be collected as the final draft for assessment.

   Exit ticket

   Underline the sentence in your essay that best expresses your argument. If you can't find one, feel free to write a new sentence on the back of your paper.

Activities

Assessment

• Exit ticket Lesson 1: checks whether students can name a specific dramatic technique in Rani's arrival scene and articulate its emotional effect on the audience — looking for technique + effect, not just plot summary.
• Exit ticket Lesson 2: checks whether students can explain the pupil-and-teacher dynamic between Victoria and Abdul as a challenge or reinforcement of imperial power — looking for use of the word 'hierarchy' or equivalent conceptual vocabulary.
• Annotated extract Lesson 2: checks whether students can identify how dialogue rhythm (length, interruption, register) reveals character and power — looking for annotation that goes beyond content to comment on form.
• Exit ticket Lesson 3: checks whether students can define dramatic irony and apply it specifically to the Act Two erasure scene — looking for a political reading, not just a technical definition.
• Comparative paragraph Lesson 4: checks whether students can use 'juxtaposition' analytically to link the two plotlines — looking for structural argument, not two separate points placed side by side.
• Exit ticket Lesson 5: checks whether students can identify their own strongest analytical sentence — looking for metacognitive awareness of what a clear argument sounds like.

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 as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.
• 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) — Explain the function of character, including how characters' choices and relationships contribute to the meaning of a literary work as a whole.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including how they contribute to the work's overall meaning.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how an author's structural choices shape meaning.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and perspective, including how they shape the reader's or audience's understanding.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of contrasting characters and how their juxtaposition develops theme.

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.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

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 particular focus on dramatic language, form, and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including post-colonial and multicultural contexts.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including the political and cultural significance of Gupta's challenge to the heritage drama tradition.