The History Boys by Alan Bennett

Connecting characters

Teaching ideas
Following these teaching ideas are three grids of quotations from The History Boys. Here
are some suggestions on how to use them:

1. Play quotation bingo — ask students to select six of the characters from the grids (they
can choose a character more than once!) and then as you read out the quotations, they
cross off the names of the speakers until they have them all.
2. Students are given three grid references each and explore who said what, to who and
why. Use as the basis for PEE paragraphs and explore what is revealed by each
character.
3. The ‘Hector’ grid also has a matching task in which students match the quotations to the
explanations in a second grid. You might like to do this as a group task.
4. Create continuums of character as a series of opposites and justify them using these
quotations and/or any the students find themselves. Continuums such as: romantic —
pragmatic; naive — cynical; naive — worldy-wise; honest — hypocritical; self-aware —
unaware of self.
5. Students sort the quotations into groups of their own choice. They must justify the
groupings to their peers.
6. Create circle charts for the characters (use the Bullseye! Resource
template from Teachit) in which the centre circle represents one
quality, the most outer circle the opposite. .
7. Play ‘Four-in-a-row’ using the rules below:

Four-in-a-row rules
 This is a game for two players or two pairs of players.
 You also need a third person to be a neutral checker who will look up the quotations
in the play.
 To play the game you need two sets of counters in two different colours and one of
the game boards with quotations.
 Shuffle your counters and place them face down in front of you.
 Take turns to pick a counter and place it on a correct space on the board. If you are
in doubt or dispute go to the text of the play to check the answers.
 The first player or pair to get four in a row vertically, diagonally or horizontally is
the winner.

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters

Hector
‘It isn’t that he doesn’t
produce results. He
does but they are ‘I am no more moved by
‘I am an old man in a Hector is a man of
unpredictable and ‘You’re not supposed to this than by the arrival
1 dry season. Enough.’ studied eccentricity.
unquantifiable and in hit us, Sir.’ (p.6) and departure of trains.’
(p.66) (Stage directions, p.4)
the current educational (p.95)
climate that is no use.’
(p.67)
‘Un-kissed. Un-rejoicing.
‘Now boys come and go
Un-embraced … Whether
‘... as he dropped you and I am no more
‘Now. Some silly time. ‘Does he have a because of diffidence or
at the corner, your moved by this than by
2 Where’s the kitty?’ programme? Or is it shyness, but a holding
honour still intact.’ the arrival and
(p.31) just random?’ (p.37) back. Not being in the
(p.77) departure of trains.’
swim. Can you see that?’
(p.95)
(pp.55-6)
‘I was confusing ‘Child, I am your
‘Your teaching,
learning with the smell teacher. Whatever I do
however effective it ‘He was a good man, but I
of cold stone. If I had ‘Pass the parcel. in this room is a token
may or may not have do not think there is time
3 gone to Oxford I That’s sometimes all of my trust. I am in
been, has always for his kind of teaching
probably would never you can do.’ (p.109) your hands. It is a
seemed to me to be anymore.’ (p.109)
have worked out the pact. Bread eaten in
selfish ...’ (p.53)
difference.’ (p.9) secret.’ (p.6)
‘He is trying to be the
kind of teacher pupils ‘He was stained and
‘Hector never bothered ‘Saddish life, though
will remember. shabby and did ‘It’s locked against the
with what he was not unappreciated.’
4 educating these boys
Someone they will look unforgivable things but Forces of Progress, Sir.’
back on. He impinges. (p.55) he led you to expect (p.36)
for.’ (p.107)
Which is something one the best.’ (p.107)
will never do.’ (p.50)
A B C D E

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters

Match the quotations from the grid to the explanations below:

After he cries, A thought-provoking

The Headmaster Hector’s response to The Headmaster’s
Hector says this to explanation of how
explains why he Dakin when Dakin comment to Hector
show he feels as if the boys turned out.
doesn’t want Hector jokingly complains about his style of
he times has Did Hector’s teaching
in his school. about being hit. teaching.
passed. affect them?
Hector’s opinion
Hector says this just Irwin questions the Hector’s sad response
Evidence that that Oxford is no
before he goes in to boys about Hector’s to the poem ‘Drummer
Hector did no actual better for learning
see the Headmaster teaching. His Hodge’, which shows
harm to the boys than anywhere else,
about his behaviour question reveals how how lonely Hector
when on his bike. just because it is
on his motorbike. he himself teaches. himself is.
older.
Something Hector Crowther says this Hector admitting
does which teachers about Hector after Hector’s plea, after that after all the
are not meant to his death. It sums death, that his years of teaching, he Irwin’s view of Hector
do, but which he up both sides of belief in culture and is no longer inspired after his death.
sees as a pact with Hector for us to art is passed on. by his young
his students. judge. students.
The boys pay 50
Conversation
pence into a pot
This means that Mrs Lintott’s honest showing that the This classroom door is
which Hector will
Hector acts as he assessment of why boys were not afraid a symbol for Hector’s
win if he can guess
does on purpose, to Hector behaves so of the bike rides; stand against
the sketch they
create an effect. eccentrically. some were even education for exams.
present from
jealous over them.
popular culture.

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters
Four-in-a-row counters – Hector
You will need a set of counters each. Cut them out (and colour the borders if necessary so you can identify each set!) then play four-
in-a-row using the grid above. Take it in turns to choose a quotation, identify the speaker and place your counter on the appropriate
square. For example D3, Hector. The first player to get four in a row vertically, diagonally or horizontally is the winner.

Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector Hector

Hector Hector Hector Hector Headmaster Hector Hector Hector Hector Headmaster

Irwin Irwin Scripps Stage Headmaster Irwin Irwin Scripps Stage Headmaster
direction direction

Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott

Lockwood Crowther Crowther Lockwood Crowther Crowther

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters

The other adults

‘I enjoyed your programmes
‘I sympathise with your but they were more
‘You are very young. Grow feelings about examinations, journalism than history. What ‘I did go to Oxford, but it was
1 just to do a teaching
a moustache.’ (p.12) but they are a fact of life.’ you call yourself now you’re
diploma.’ (p.99)
(p.48) in politics I’m not sure.’
(p.108)

‘A nickname is an
‘Can you imagine, for a
achievement … both in the
‘Chases her round the desk …’ ‘I was a geographer. I went moment, how dispiriting it is
2 sense of something won and
(p.29) to Hull.’ (p.11) to teach five centuries of
also in its armorial sense of a
masculine ineptitude?’ (p.84)
badge, a blazon.’ (p.41)

‘That’s sensible. One of the

hardest things for boys to ‘Durham was very good for
learn is that a teacher is ‘We decided, sir, you were
‘But I am thinking league history, it’s where I had my
3 human. One of the hardest meretricious but not
tables.’ (p.8) first pizza.’ (p.9)
things for a teacher to learn is disingenuous.’ (p.75)
not to try and tell them.’
(p.42)

‘… how come there’s such a

‘Have a heart. He’s only five ‘Their A levels are very good.
‘My ex, for instance. He told difference between the way
4 minutes older than we are.’ And that is thanks to you.’
stories.’ (p.22) you teach and the way you
(p.21) (p.8)
live?’ (p.100)

A B C D
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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters
Four-in-a-row counters – The other adults
You will need a set of counters each. Cut them out (and colour the borders if necessary so you can identify each set!) then play four-
in-a-row using the grid above. Take it in turns to choose a quotation, identify the speaker and place your counter on the appropriate
square. For example D3, Hector. The first player to get four in a row vertically, diagonally or horizontally is the winner.

Irwin Irwin Irwin Irwin

Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin

Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott
Dakin Dakin

Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott Mrs Lintott
Scripps Scripps

Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster Headmaster

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters

The boys

‘Irwin does like him. He

(Happily) ‘I’m black and ‘She’s my Western Front.’ ‘Very good, dictionary
1 seldom looks at anyone else.’
blue.’ (p.7) (p.28) person.’ (p.63)
(p.81)

‘But I want to get into

‘Sir, I think I may be ‘Oh Poz, with your spaniel ‘He hits you if he likes you.
2 Cambridge, sir. If I do, Dakin
homosexual.’ (p.41) heart. It will pass.’ (p.81) He never touches me.’ (p.7)
might love me.’ (p.42)

‘I don’t understand it. I have

never wanted to please
3 ‘One oddity.’ (p.11)
anybody the way I do him,
girls not excepted.’ (p.76)
‘So what’s the verdict then, ‘I had family connections.’
Sir? What do I write down?’
(p.97)
(p.26)

‘I figure I have to get through

‘… he was the one who made
this romance with God now or ‘Sir, I don’t always ‘Our eyes meet, looking at
4 me realise you were allowed
else it’ll be hanging around understand poetry.’ (p.30) Dakin.’ (p.81)
to think like this.’ (p.47)
half my life.’ (p.45)

A B C D

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters
Four-in-a-row counters – The boys
You will need a set of counters each. Cut them out (and colour the borders if necessary so you can identify each set!) then play four-
in-a-row using the grid above. Take it in turns to choose a quotation, identify the speaker and place your counter on the appropriate
square. For example D3, Hector. The first player to get four in a row vertically, diagonally or horizontally is the winner.

Posner Posner Posner Posner Posner Posner Posner Posner

Hector Scripps Scripps Timms Hector Scripps Scripps Timms

Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin Dakin

Head- Head-
Rudge Rudge Rudge Rudge Rudge Rudge
master master

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 The History Boys by Alan Bennett
Connecting characters

Answers for the quotations grids

Who said what?

Hector The other adults The boys

1A Hector 1A Head- 1A Dakin
master
1B Stage 1B Irwin 1B Dakin
direction
1C Headmaster 1C Mrs Lintott 1C Hector
1D Crowther 1D Irwin 1D Posner
1E Hector 2A Dakin 2A Posner
2A Hector 2B Mrs Lintott 2B Scripps
2B Irwin 2C Headmaster 2C Rudge
2C Scripps 2D Mrs Lintott 2D Posner
2D Hector 3A Headmaster 3A Headmaster
2E Hector 3B Mrs Lintott 3B Dakin
3A Hector 3C Dakin 3C Rudge
3B Headmaster 3D Mrs Lintott 3D Rudge
3C Hector 4A Mrs Lintott 4A Scripps
3D Hector 4B Scripps 4B Timms
3E Irwin 4C Dakin 4C Dakin
4A Mrs Lintott 4D Headmaster 4D Posner
4B Mrs Lintott
4C Hector
4D Crowther
4E Lockwood

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