Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the main differences between plays and novels? What, if anything, is lost when a work of fiction is recreated for the stage? Compared to watching a live performance or reading a novel, how would you describe the experience of reading a play?

Teaching Suggestion: There was debate about the eighth story in the Harry Potter series being a play rather than a novel, as some worried the well-known story would not translate well into dramatic structure. Students might begin by reviewing dramatic structure and components of a typical drama (e.g., acts, scenes, stage directions, monologues, dialogue), taking note of the unusual number of scenes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

• This resource guide on plays provides information about the genre’s history, elements, and forms.
• This article from MasterClass covers the five elements of dramatic structure, including the stages of plot progression.

2.   How does a playwright reveal elements of time—such as the hour, day, or year—in drama? In what ways might the playwright establish the setting? How does time and place impact a story?

Teaching Suggestion: Time is an important literary device in this play as characters travel to different dates in the past in several scenes. In the novels, time and setting are often shown through the characters’ point-of-views, but in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, time is emphasized in stage directions as well as dialogue. Students might brainstorm and discuss texts they have read in the past to develop understanding of the importance of time and place in storytelling.

• This 2-minute animated video explains the importance of clearly describing time and place in stories.
• This resource page reviews the definition of setting and discusses the ways a setting can be used in narratives.

Short Activity

Reviewing or learning the backstory of the main characters in the series can help you better understand their motivations in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Whether you’re refreshing your knowledge about the wizarding world or learning it for the first time, a friendly trivia game between Houses would make Hermione proud. First, choose the characteristic that best describes you from the list below:

• Cunning (Slytherin)
• Bravery (Gryffindor)
• Wit (Ravenclaw)
• Honesty (Hufflepuff)

After gathering into your houses, your teacher will explain the protocol for responding to questions. The House with the most correct answers at the end of the quiz wins.

Teaching Suggestion: This House Cup activity can be used to review the main characters and general plot conflicts of the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is sometimes considered the eighth book of the series; it picks up at the epilogue of the seventh book and continues with the main characters as adults with their children. Questions can be found in a variety of online sources, or you might opt to have a few especially Potter-savvy students compile questions. House points are tallied based on correct responses, and the House with the most points wins the Cup. As students read through the play, try keeping the Houses and friendly competition alive by assigning points for various knowledge checks throughout the unit.

• This quiz from Wizarding World contains 20 questions for students who are new to the series. The resource includes related news and puzzles as well as information about the individual books in the series.
• This 13-minute video by SyFy Wire includes an interview with James Snyder, one of the actors who played Harry Potter in the New York City run of the show. It lists seven essential things to know about the Harry Potter series before reading or viewing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Think about the last time you read or saw a play. What assumptions or expectations did you have beforehand? Were you mostly right about the experience, or did the play surprise you? In what way(s)? What expectations or predictions do you have about the play you are about to read? Create a journal entry about your previously conceived beliefs on plays and playwriting. Discuss at least three of your expectations and explain why you have them.

Teaching Suggestion: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a modern play that uses a familiar narrative and recognizable characters to entice readers into the world of drama. Students might not anticipate the action-packed scenes, vivid stage directions, and modern language of the play. Reflecting on reader expectations before beginning the play is a first step in thinking critically about the drama and will guide later points of comparison during reading.