Act 2

Goals today
Silent reading 
Consider the symbolism of the Christmas Tree 
Consider dialogue between Nora and Anne-Marie (Nurse)
Consider rising tension and stage direction  
Looking at language in the play 


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Slide 1: Slide
EngelsFurther Education (Key Stage 5)

This lesson contains 88 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 1 video.

Items in this lesson

Goals today
Silent reading 
Consider the symbolism of the Christmas Tree 
Consider dialogue between Nora and Anne-Marie (Nurse)
Consider rising tension and stage direction  
Looking at language in the play 


Slide 1 - Slide

Maxine 
Ariel 
Sienna 
Aral
Milou 
Maximilian 
Rishabh 
Nikita 
Lara 
Kirill 
Kyra
William 
Sofie 
Ariana 
Alyssa
Mika
Rio 
Sacha 
Tehia  
Max 


Front - board 

Slide 2 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Absolve

Slide 3 - Slide

Word of the day
Absolved (v) -(especially in religion or law) to free someone from guilt, blame, or responsibility for something:














Her youth does not absolve her of responsibility for her actions.

Slide 4 - Slide

Write down three key events in Act 1 

Slide 5 - Slide

Key event 1

Slide 6 - Mind map

Key event 2

Slide 7 - Mind map

Key event 3

Slide 8 - Mind map

Words to use/learn (AWL)
Alternative 
Circumstance 
Consent 
Dominate 
Interact 
Justify 
Outcome 
Sequence 





Words to learn/use (terminology) 
Antagonist 
Protagonist
Comic relief 
Role
Set
Props (properties) 
Hand props 
Subtext 

Write this vocabulary down in their columns 
Tick the words off as you use them in your written and spoken work. 

Slide 9 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Guided textual analysis - Example extract 
  1.  Read the practice extract from Act I. 
  2. Highlight the key words in the guiding question.
  3. Annotate the extract using the instructions and the guiding question to inform your annotations. 
  4.  Develop a thesis statement
  5. Plan your response using an MPO. Aim to have at least four pieces of evidence to support your claims. 
  6. For your evidence, discuss the influence this authorial choice has on the playwright - audience relationship (effect) 
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Slide 10 - Slide

Ideas and techniques 
1. In the left-hand margin write down, for each section, what the main idea, message or topic is. You can pick out a word(s) from the text or use your own words.
2. In the right-hand margin, write and highlight or underline the techniques that you find. These will be language, diction and other dramatic techniques. 
Consider as well tone and punctuation to convey topics, concepts or themes. 
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Slide 11 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
1. Carefully read the Guiding Question and determine the focus and key words that must be implemented in the thesis statement.  The key words will typically be the literary or linguistic element from the Guiding Question.
2. Look for the “insightful ideas” from your (left margin) annotations while also considering the key words of the Guiding Question.
3. Flip the Guiding Question into a thesis statement.
4. Use evaluative language in your thesis statement. 
How and to what effect has Ibsen developed some of the central concepts at this point in the play? 

Slide 12 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
In Act 1, Ibsen has convincingly developed the concept of identity and gender roles through dramatic techniques and stylistic choices, revealing the playwright's concern with the unequal expectations for men and women and the development of Nora's understanding of her identity. 

Diction choices 
Repetition 
hyperbole
stage directions /speech directions
Monologues 
Interrogatives - question forms
Symbols 
When 
Evaluative language 
Techniques 
Guiding question 
Effect - insightful idea

Slide 13 - Slide

Gathering ideas and evidence 

Look at the support material in the file A Doll's House ManageBac  - drama terminology
Earmark terminology that you will use in your response.
 

Slide 14 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
1. Carefully read the Guiding Question and determine the focus and key words that must be implemented in the thesis statement.  The key words will typically be the literary or linguistic element from the Guiding Question.
2. Look for the “insightful ideas” from your (left margin) annotations while also considering the key words of the Guiding Question.
3. Flip the Guiding Question into a thesis statement.
4. Use evaluative language in your thesis statement. 
How and to what effect has Ibsen developed the character of Torvald at this point in the play? 

Slide 15 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
In Act 2, Ibsen has convincingly revealed Torvald's negative character traits through dramatic techniques and stylistic choices to reveal his overriding concern with appearances and his petty and narrow-minded character traits. 

Diction choices 
Repetition 
hyperbole
stage directions 
Monologues 
Interrogatives 
When 
Evaluative language 
Techniques 
Effect - insightful idea

Slide 16 - Slide

MPO
  1. Download the MPO from MB files 
  2. Complete the planning document including your thesis statement, topic sentences and the evidence you will use. You should have at least four pieces of evidence per topic. 
  3. Try to construct your topic sentences and your thesis statements around ideas and not techniques. 

Slide 17 - Slide

Words to use/learn (AWL list 1) 
Assume 
Available 
Consistent 
Identify 
Interpretation 
Occur 
Section 



 




Words to learn/use (terminology) 
Plot 
sub-plot  
Exposition 
complication 
resolution/denouement
Well-made play 
parallels & contrasts 

Write this vocabulary down in their columns 
Tick the words off as you use them in your written and spoken work. 

Slide 18 - Slide

Maxine 
Ariel 
Sienna 
Aral
Milou 
Maximilian 
Rishabh 
Nikita 
Lara 
Kirill 
Kyra
William 
Sofie 
Ariana 
Alyssa
Mika
Rio 
Sacha 
Tehia  
Max 


Front - board 

Slide 19 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Abject 

Slide 20 - Slide

Word of the day
Abject (adj) -  sunk to or existing in a low state or condition : very bad or severe: showing hopelessness or resignation




Often connotes with:  poverty, misery, and failure












His hair is the kind of shaggy that suggests abject neglect more than overpriced Hollywood coiffure.

Slide 21 - Slide

Slide 22 - Link

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Read Act 2 p. 63 - 90

Slide 23 - Slide

How and to what effect has Ibsen developed some of the central concepts at this point in the play? 
Cut out the thesis statements and order them, as a group, from the most successful to the least. 
Discuss what makes a successful and an unsuccessful thesis statement for this extract and this guiding question. 
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Slide 24 - Slide

How is the symbolism of the Christmas tree developed?

Slide 25 - Slide

Read Act 1 

See: What do you notice in the scene at the beginning of Act 2 when Nora and the Nurse converse ? (dramatic dialogue, stage direction, diction choice, modality, tone, dramatic conventions etc)
Think: What do you think the subtext is?
Wonder: What questions do you have about the characters’ motivations or future actions?

Slide 26 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Read the stage directions at the beginning of Act 2 and up until Mrs Linde enters.  

1. How could the "burned to their sockets" (p. 63) reflect Nora's mood?
2. The stripped Christmas tree shows that time has passed, but it also could have a symbolic weight. What abstract idea could the Christmas tree symbolise? Look back to Act 1 to find references to the Christmas tree. 
3. What are the implications of Nora saying about her fancy dress that she "should like to tear them into a million pieces!" (p. 63)? 

Slide 27 - Slide

           Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or   
     colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.




The Christmas tree, a festive object meant to serve a decorative purpose, symbolises Nora’s position in her household as a plaything who is pleasing to look at and adds charm to the home. There are several parallels drawn between Nora and the Christmas tree in the play. Just as Nora instructs the maid that the children cannot see the tree until it has been decorated, she tells Torvald that no one can see her in her dress until the evening of the dance. Also, at the beginning of the second act, after Nora’s psychological condition has begun to erode, the stage directions indicate that the Christmas tree is correspondingly “dishevelled.” 


Note if you notice that the stage direction indicates that a character should move towards or away from the Christmas tree. 

Slide 28 - Slide

Slide 29 - Link

Goals today
Silent reading Act 3 - complete Act 3 Monday 10th November 
Analysis Act 2 
Watch act 1 
Read Act 3 by Monday 10th November 


Slide 30 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Abstruse 

Slide 31 - Slide

Word of the day
Abstruse (adjectives) - not known or understood by many people


















The lecturer's arguments, at times, become difficult to follow, and even abstruse.

Slide 32 - Slide

timer
15:00
Read Act 2 p. 63 - 90

Slide 33 - Slide

Words to use/learn (AWL)
Evident 
Indicate 
Interpret 
Significant 
Specific 
Acquire 
Complex 
Equate 





Words to learn/use (terminology) 
Articulation 
Aside 
Catharsis 
Dramatic irony 
Mannerism 
Melodrama 
Monologue 

Write this vocabulary down in their columns 
Tick the words off as you use them in your written and spoken work. 

Slide 34 - Slide

Rising tension 
1. Look at the exchange between Nora and Anne (the nurse) concerning the children. What sense is there that tragedy may be on its way? 
2. Discuss, in writing, the methods Nora uses to get her husband to employ Krogstad. How do these contribute to the changing atmosphere in the play? 
3. Once again, darkness falls in the act. What does Doctor Rank reveal  during this conversation with Nora?  Why do you think that Nora responds to him in the way she does? 








Although in the play Dr. Rank's ailment is called "spinal consumption", critics generally agree that the disease is actually syphilis. Ibsen suggests that the Doctor inherited the disease from his father, who was known to have lived a dissolute life with a number of different mistresses.
Find and note quotes that are relevant for these questions. 
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Slide 35 - Slide

1. Nurse " What out again in this dreadful weather? You'll catch a chill, madam" (63)
2. Nora "Yes, but, Anne-Marie, from now on I shan't be able to spend so much time with them" (63)
3. Nora "Do you think so? Do you think they'd forget their mother if she went away from them - for ever?" (64)
4. Nora "Oh if only I dared to go out! If I could be sure no one would come and nothing would happen, while I was away!" (65) 

Slide 36 - Slide

1. Nora "Wonderful! But wasn't it nice of me to give in to you?" (69) 
2. Nora "If your little squirrel asked you really prettily to grant her a wish -" (69) 
3. Nora "I'd turn myself into a fairy, and dance for you in the moonlight, Torvald." (69)
4. Nora " This man writes for the most beastly newspapers - you said so yourself. He could do you tremendous harm. I'm so dreadfully frightened of him." (70)
5. Nora "Torvald - we could be free from every worry - you I and the children." (70) 


Infantilisation 
loss of social status
Danger to the family. Loss of reputation. 
Flattery

Slide 37 - Slide

In Act 1, Ibsen has expressed the concepts of marriages/ relationships as well as gender roles very well through the use of linguistic techniques, which expresses how unfair society is due to how men treat women especially in relationships.
In Act 1 of A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen has successfully brought to light the concepts of relationships , gender , and money through the use of dramatic irony, symbolism, and natural dramatic dialogue, depicting the playwright’s critique with the societal expectations that compel (force) people to tell untruths and build false identities, suggesting that deception and lies become a survival mechanism when living an oppressive domestic life.

Slide 38 - Slide

In Act 1, Ibsen successfully develops the concept of relationships through the use of dramatic techniques and stylistic choices, showing the way Nora and Torvald interact through manipulation and how Nora’s opinion changes on her role as a mother.
Ibsen uses dramatic techniques to develop the concept patriarchy, to show the relationship between Hemler and Nora and the roles they take because of this.

In act one of A Doll’s House, Ibsen highlights the concept of ethics through the use of dramatic techniques and stylistic choices, revealing the severity of the consequences regarding forging a signature ultimately leading to further guilt in Nora

Slide 39 - Slide

1. Rank " These last few days I've been going through the books of this poor body of mine and find I am bankrupt." (74)
2. Rank "I'll have a pretty accurate idea of when the final disintegration is likely to begin." (74)
3. Rank " And all this to atone for someone else's sin? " (74) 
4. Rank " My poor innocent spine must pay for the fun of my father" (74) 
5. Nora [looks at him for a moment] Shame on you! [Flicks him on the ear with the stockings.] Take that. [Puts them back in the box.] (76)



Slide 40 - Slide

Add to your vocabulary  
obstinate: unreasonably determined, especially to act in a particular way and not to change at all, despite what anyone else says
Narrow-minded = not willing to accept ideas or ways of behaving that are different from your own.
Petty = complaining too much about things that are not important:
Flattery = excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one's own interests.

Slide 41 - Slide

Rising tension 
4. Krogstad raises a hideous vision of Nora’s body being found after she has committed suicide. How far does the audience believe this is a likely outcome? 
5. How are blackmail and manipulation used to dramatic effect in this act? 

Find and mark quotes that are relevant for these questions. 

Slide 42 - Slide

 Krogstad "However much money you offered me now I wouldn't give you back that paper" (81) 
Krogstad "Or even something worse --" 
Krogstad "I'm not asking your husband for money" (82) 
Krogstad "I want to rehabilitate myself "
 Krogstad "I want to get to the top. And your husband's going to help me" (83) 
Krogstad "Under the ice? Down in the cold, black water? And then, in the spring, to float up again ugly, unrecognizable, hairless --? (83) 

Slide 43 - Slide

Sit in your character groups 
What does your character feel about Nora’s situation?
What would they say if they knew the full truth?
Present the character’s viewpoint dramatically or as a short monologue.
Dramatic dialogue 
Monologue 
Combination 
I minute 

Slide 44 - Slide

Act 2 

1. What was in Krogstad's letter to Helmer?
2. How does Mrs. Linde plan to help Nora?
3. By the end of Act Two, Nora has come to a decision. What is it?




Slide 45 - Slide

Goals today
Sit with your chosen partner 
You will collect some information about a symbol 
You will compare and contrast two productions 
You will consider the system in which our characters are operating 
You will look closely at an extract and prepare a structure for a guiding question

Slide 46 - Slide

Word of the day
Emulate (vb) - to try to equal by imitating. 




Use emulate in your own sentence that shows your understanding of the word. 
Many teenagers try to emulate their favourite influencers by copying their fashions. 

Slide 47 - Slide

Tarantella
is a folk dance of Italy characterized by light, quick steps and teasing, flirtatious behaviour between partners; women dancers frequently carry tambourines. The music is in lively 6/8 time. The tarantella’s origin is connected with tarantism, a disease or form of hysteria that appeared in Italy in the 15th to the 17th century and that was obscurely associated with the bite of the tarantula spider; victims seemingly were cured by frenzied dancing. All three words ultimately derive from the name of the town of Taranto, Italy. Tarantellas were written for the piano by Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Carl Maria von Weber.

Slide 48 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Abhor 

Slide 49 - Slide

Word of the day
Abhor (v) - to hate a way of behaving or thinking, often because you think it is not moral



Can you think of antonyms to the word abhor ? 









Their mother abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want to take on the work of raising a family.
admire, cherish, like, love
adore, approve, desire, enjoy, relish

Slide 50 - Slide

Tarantella
is a folk dance of Italy characterized by light, quick steps and teasing, flirtatious behaviour between partners; women dancers frequently carry tambourines. The music is in lively 6/8 time. The tarantella’s origin is connected with tarantism, a disease or form of hysteria that appeared in Italy in the 15th to the 17th century and that was obscurely associated with the bite of the tarantula spider; victims seemingly were cured by frenzied dancing. All three words ultimately derive from the name of the town of Taranto, Italy. Tarantellas were written for the piano by Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Carl Maria von Weber.

Slide 51 - Slide

Slide 52 - Video

Read Act 1 
Comparative 

What are the differences and similarities between the two productions of the Tarantella in A Doll's House

Aspects 
 similarities 
Young Vic 2012
BBC 1992
Differences 
Young Vic 
BBC 1992 
Mood/atmosphere
Concept(s)
Physicality 
Development Nora's character
Free choice

Slide 53 - Slide

Slide 54 - Link

Act 1
Concepts HL lang & lit 
A Doll's House 
Concepts we generated: 
Identity, (marriage) relationships, ethics, gender roles, money 

Slide 55 - Slide

Act 1
Concepts HL literature 
Concepts we generated: 
Identity, (marriage) relationships, power dynamics, society, deceit
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Slide 56 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Patriarchal society 


  1. What are the parts of the system?
  2. Who are the people connected to the system?
  3. How do the people in the system interact with each other and with the parts of the system?
  4. How does a change in one element of the system affect the various parts and people connected to the system?
Discuss these questions with your partner

Slide 57 - Slide

social and historical context 
Patriarchal ideals were supported and reinforced by a social structure in which women had little overt political or economic power. They were economically,
socially, and psychologically dependent upon men and especially dependent upon the institutions of marriage and motherhood.
Overt
Patriarchal ideas : ideas ruled or controled by men. 
The patriarchy: a society in which the oldest male is the leader of the family, or a society controlled by men in which they use their power to their own advantage:

Slide 58 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Abstain 
Root of the day 
Ab- "away" from Latin 

Slide 59 - Slide

Word of the day
Abstain (v) - to stop oneself from doing something, to refrain. To hold off from.




Write three antonyms for abstain 









A growing number of people are attempting a "Dry January" during which they abstain from alcohol to see if it improves their health. 
continue, accept, embrace, encourage, use, want, meet, face 

Slide 60 - Slide

Krogstad 
Use the link in MB to the Padlet and complete your answers to these questions exploring the motivations and experiences of Krogstad. 

Slide 61 - Slide

Log one key quote that you feel reflects Krogstad's world view

Slide 62 - Open question

Read Act 1 
Are you happy with ...? 
What are your concerns or worries ...? 
Isn't it true that ...? 
Why did you react ...? 
What makes you ...? 
How will you ...? 
Other questions 

Slide 63 - Slide

Goals today
We will look at constructing a thesis statement 
We will consider annotation choices and using those to construct a thesis statement 
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Slide 64 - Slide

Words to use/learn (AWL)
Alternative 
Circumstance 
Consent 
Dominate 
Interact 
Justify 
Outcome 
Sequence 





Words to learn/use (terminology) 
Antagonist 
Protagonist
Comic relief 
Role
Set
Props (properties) 
Hand props 
Subtext 

Write this vocabulary down in their columns 
Tick the words off as you use them in your written and spoken work. 

Slide 65 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Guided textual analysis - Example extract 
1. Read the practice extract from Act II.
2. Highlight the key words in the guiding question. 
3. Annotate the extract using the instructions and the guiding question to inform your annotations. 
4. Develop a thesis statement and two topic sentences. 
5. Plan your response using an MPO. Aim to have at least four pieces of evidence to support your claims. 
6. For your evidence, discuss the influence this authorial choice has on the playwright - audience relationship (effect) 


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Slide 66 - Slide

Ideas and techniques 
1. In the left-hand margin write down, for each section, what the main idea, message or topic is. You can pick out a word(s) from the text or use your own words.
2. In the right-hand margin, write and highlight or underline the techniques that you find. These will be language, diction and other dramatic techniques. 
Consider as well tone and punctuation to convey topics, concepts or themes. 
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1:00

Slide 67 - Slide

Gathering ideas and evidence 

Look at the support material in the file A Doll's House ManageBac  - drama terminology
Earmark terminology that you will use in your response.
 

Slide 68 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
1. Carefully read the Guiding Question and determine the focus and key words that must be implemented in the thesis statement.  The key words will typically be the literary or linguistic element from the Guiding Question.
2. Look for the “insightful ideas” from your (left margin) annotations while also considering the key words of the Guiding Question.
3. Flip the Guiding Question into a thesis statement.
4. Use evaluative language in your thesis statement. 
How and to what effect has Ibsen developed the character of Torvald at this point in the play? 

Slide 69 - Slide

Constructing a thesis statement 
In Act 2, Ibsen has convincingly revealed Torvald's negative character traits through dramatic techniques and stylistic choices to reveal his overriding concern with appearances and his petty and narrow-minded character traits. 

Diction choices 
Repetition 
hyperbole
stage directions 
Monologues 
Interrogatives 
When 
Evaluative language 
Techniques 
Effect - insightful idea

Slide 70 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Aberration 

Slide 71 - Slide

Word of the day
Aberration (n) - a temporary change from the typical or usual way of behaving; a change from what is typical or usual, especially a temporary change




Write three synonyms for the word aberration. 









The police described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration. It was not the norm in that neighbourhood. 
deviaton, difference, departure from, peculiarity, oddity, quirk, irregularity 

Slide 72 - Slide

Slide 73 - Slide

Texts speaking to texts 
Respond to the following quotes and questions:​
From Sir Walter Scott’s " Marmion":​
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!” ​
Questions:​
1. How is the metaphor of a web effective for the topic of deceit?​
2. Write about a time you found yourself spinning such a web. What were the results?​

Slide 74 - Slide

Texts speaking to texts 
From Shakespeare’s As You Like It:​
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”​
Questions:​
1. Is human existence simply a matter of playing parts? Explain.​
2. The world’s stage is Shakespeare’s metaphor. Can you think of another appropriate metaphor for life today? Elaborate.​

Slide 75 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Read the extract from the end of Act 2 
1. Where does this extract appear in the play? What happens before and after it? Think of the position it takes in the narrative arc or in Freytag's pyramid. 
2. Annotate all stage and speech directions. How do these convey information about the mood and tension in this part of the play? How do they convey information regarding symbols in the play? 
3. Look closely and annotate the diction choices that Ibsen gives to each character. How do these choices reflect their position in the patriarchal system and their relationship to other characters? 

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Slide 76 - Slide

Goals today
An extract to consider from Act 2 
Constructing a body paragraph and topic sentences 
Beginning of act 3 


Slide 77 - Slide

Rate the word 1 to 4
1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 
2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 
3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 
4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Absolved

Slide 78 - Slide

Word of the day
Absolved (v) -(especially in religion or law) to free someone from guilt, blame, or responsibility for something:














Her youth does not absolve her of responsibility for her actions.

Slide 79 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Guiding question 


In Act II, how does Ibsen convey a sense of Nora’s desperation and how other characters react to the signs of it?

Make a plan for a one or two paragraph response. The number of paragraphs is dependent on the number of main points that you wish to make. 

Slide 80 - Slide

Read Act 1 
-Construct a topic sentence that can be debated and include the insightful idea = topic, thesis or theme of this extract and why Ibsen includes it in the play. 
- short summary of the content of the extract. 
- two, three or more quotes from the extract to support your TS.
- analysis of the the reason why Ibsen included these techniques in this extract. 
-Link to your Topic sentence
What you should include in your paragraph 
Write your paragraph(s) in your exercise book 

Slide 81 - Slide

Share your topic sentence

Slide 82 - Open question

Read Act 1 
Write your paragraph(s) in your exercise book.

Slide 83 - Slide

Slide 84 - Slide

Slide 85 - Slide

Read Act 1 
In this extract taken from the end of Act 2, Ibsen successfully conveys Nora’s desperation and increases the tension in the play. In the extract Nora practices dancing the Tarantella to distract Torvald from looking at the letters in the letter box and thus discovering Nora’s secret. Dr Rank and Mrs Linde act as onlookers and are witnesses to the conflict in the Helmer’s relationship. Ibsen employs stage directions to reveal the integral use of symbols which support the concept of marital relationships. The several doorways are blocked by the male characters as Dr Rank stands initially “in the doorway” and Torvald moves “towards the hall door” allowing Nora no escape from her situation. She is forced to play the “first bars of the Tarantella” to stop Torvald “in the doorway”. Nora’s feelings of entrapment are thus highlighted for the audience through the character’s physical confinement on the stage as all the exits are barred. Whilst dancing Nora’s “hair comes down and falls over her shoulders”; however, she pays no heed to this. This stage direction adds to her loss of control and her anxiety. Her carefully constructed exterior pose is starting to unravel and, similarly to the Christmas tree, become dishevelled. 

Slide 86 - Slide

Read Act 1 
Furthermore, Nora’s despair is highlighted through her interaction with Torvald, Dr Rank and Mrs Linde. Ibsen uses specific diction choices to illustrate a change in Torvald and Nora’s relationship. Whereas Torvald referred to Nora using pleasant endearments in Act 1, he now reveals his frustration with her and tries to exert his control again by using extreme infantilizing and demeaning phrases. For example, “you helpless little mortal” and “The child shall have her way”. The relationship with Dr Rank has also changed during Act 2. When he states, “Let me play for her”, the audience understands how poignant his role has become as supporter and secret admirer. Torvald’s cry of “this is sheer madness” reveals how Nora is viewed by the two male characters, and Mrs Linde stands “spell-bound in the doorway” and only utters "Oh!" This confirms for the audience that Nora has become isolated from these characters and is starting to feel that her position is hopeless. All her tricks to manipulate the other characters appear to no longer be working.

Slide 87 - Slide

Read Act 1 
1. Consider the role language plays in how the characters interact (the most obvious early in the play are the “pet names” Torvald uses for Nora). How does this relate to Act 2? Provide an answer WITH SPECIFIC examples.

2. Consider the way the playwright challenges (or maybe asks his audience to think about) the concepts of marriage, motherhood and social responsibility. Choose one of these topics and discuss where you see this in Act 2 WITH SPECIFIC examples.

3. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen is exploring the idea that our identity and how we see ourselves as well as how we think we should be is shaped by society. How is this seen in Act 1 and Act 2 of the play? Provide an answer WITH SPECIFIC examples.


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