Analysing Mrs Midas

Lesson Overview

Unit: Exploring Duffy’s Midas
Lesson: 2 of 5
Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Level: GCSE English Literature (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC)
Curriculum Area: Poetry – Character Analysis

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Analyse Mrs Midas’s emotions and reactions to her husband's transformation.
• Evaluate how Duffy uses language and structure to convey her perspective.
• Create a detailed character map showcasing Mrs Midas’s emotional journey.

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – Sensory Recall (10 minutes)

• Objective: Engage students by helping them empathise with Mrs Midas’s perspective.
• Task: Students each write a short sensory description of the moment they received shocking or unbelievable news. They should describe:
  • What they saw, heard, or felt.
  • Their initial emotions vs. their emotions later that day.
• Discussion (3 mins): Ask three students to share their response. Then, as a class, discuss how emotions evolve from shock to reflection.

2. Close Reading: Analysing Key Passages (15 minutes)

• Objective: Identify how Duffy conveys Mrs Midas’s emotions and thoughts.

• Task: Working in pairs, students will focus on one assigned stanza each and answer the following questions:

  1. What is Mrs Midas’s emotional state here?
  2. What language techniques does Duffy use to reflect this?
  3. How does the tone shift within this section?

• Teacher Discussion (7 minutes):

  • Bring the class together and walk through the responses from different pairs.
  • Draw attention to key techniques (e.g., enjambment reflecting overwhelming thoughts, caesura mimicking Mrs Midas’s pauses in shock, and imagery of separation).

3. Character Mapping: Mrs Midas’s Emotional Journey (15 minutes)

• Objective: Visualise Mrs Midas’s complex emotions.
• Task: Groups of five will create timeline maps tracking her emotions across the poem. Each group takes a section and must:
  • Choose at least three key emotions from their section.
  • Provide a quote that illustrates each emotion.
  • Explain in one sentence how this moment contributes to Mrs Midas’s overall emotional journey.
• Plenary Discussion (5 minutes):
  • Each group briefly presents their findings in chronological order, piecing together a class-wide timeline.

4. Exit Task – Mrs Midas’s Inner Monologue (10 minutes)

• Objective: Deepen emotional engagement with the character.

• Task: Individually, students write a short monologue from Mrs Midas’s perspective, recorded as though written in her diary that night.

  • Encourage internal thoughts rather than direct speech.
  • How does she feel about Midas—anger, loss, sorrow?
  • Does she blame him? Does she pity him? Both?

• Quick Share (3 minutes): Ask two students to read aloud, prompting class reflections on the different perspectives emerging.

Differentiation & Challenge

• Higher-achieving students can focus on alternative interpretations of Mrs Midas (e.g., is she selfish for leaving him, or is she asserting self-preservation?).
• Students needing support will receive scaffolded prompts for close reading and sentence starters for monologue writing.

Assessment for Learning (AfL) Strategies

• Mini whiteboards: Used during close reading to check instant comprehension.
• Think-Pair-Share: Encourages reflection before sharing ideas.
• Exit ticket: The monologue task acts as an informal assessment of their understanding of Mrs Midas’s emotional complexity.

Resources Needed

• Copies of Mrs Midas poem
• Mini whiteboards & markers
• A3 paper for character mapping activity
• Modelled examples of sensory writing & diary monologue

Reflection & Next Lesson

• Teacher to note how confidently students identified Mrs Midas’s emotions—do they need more work on tone & meaning?
• Lesson 3 Preview: Exploring Midas’s Perspective – comparing character viewpoints.

This lesson plan integrates active engagement, creative writing, and literary analysis while remaining adaptable to student needs. Let me know if you’d like refinements or extensions! 🚀