1. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Simon Armitage

2. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Starter Activity: Prediction:
View Point
What type of poem
Do you think this
will be from
the title?
Consider…
Tone
Style
Ideas, feelings
& attitudes

3. Those Bastards in their Mansions
What questions arise
from this poem?

4. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Read through the poem and highlight any words that you do not understand.
What is the age and gender of the speaker within the Poem?
How do you come to this conclusion?

5. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Copy and complete this chart to show what evidence you can find to show the speaker’s attitude:
Evidence of the Speaker’s attitude
The lords and ladies in their palaces and castles
He calls them ‘bastards’ and enjoys hearing them ‘shriek’
He despises them for keeping ‘the gift of fire’ for themselves. .
The people in the streets and houses
himself

6. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Prometheus:
Prometheus was a Greek hero and a Titan, (a race between Gods and Men.)
Prometheus stole fire from the Gods to give to men so that they could be the most powerful animals on earth. As a punishment he was chained to a rock to have his liver pecked out each day by an eagle. Each night his liver was restored so that the punishment could be repeated the next day.
Prometheus is often seen as a hero and a symbol of people who rise up and fight against tyranny and cruelty.

7. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Consider these 4 questions in relation to the myth of Prometheus.
Why might the lords and ladies see the speaker as a Prometheus figure?
Why might the ‘ordinary’ people view him as a Prometheus figure?
Why does the speaker not want to be viewed as this type of figure?
What advantage does he think he has over Prometheus?

8. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Read the following question and its response:
How does Armitage make the reader feel
sympathy for the ordinary people in the poem?
First, Armitage contrasts the ordinary ‘streets and
houses’ with the ‘palaces and castles’. Secondly,
He writes that the ordinary people do not have
‘heat and light’ to show what a miserable existence
they have. Lastly, he states that they are in ‘cuffs
And shackles’, in other words they are prisoners
Or even slaves.
With a partner identify how this question has been answered.
What are the strengths of the response?
Could it be improved?

9. Those Bastards in their Mansions
You have 10 minutes in your group to answer your set question.
Be prepared to read out your written response!
GROUP 1
What does Armitage make the reader feel towards
the lords and ladies?
How does he do this?
GROUP 2
Does Armitage make the reader feel as if the speaker
is a romantic freedom fighter on the side of the common people using
A gun as he has no alternative or a terrorist trying to destroy society
By killing in a ruthless but cowardly way?
Could there be an alternative reading of the speaker and if so what?

10. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Within the 1st stanza Armitage uses a lot of ‘d’, ‘t’ and ‘s’ sounds, for example in the 1st line:
‘Those bastards in their mansions:’
Highlight or identify where else this has occurred within the 1st stanza.
Why has Armitage used so many of these sounds and what is the over all effect?

11. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Puns are used within the poem.
What 2 meanings might the words ‘lifted’ (line 5) and ‘grilled’ (line 12,) have?
Re read the poem. Summarize the meaning of the 1st 3 stanzas. You may only use up to 10 words per stanza!
Why do you think the last stanza is a single line?

12. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Group 3
A celebration of
Freedom fighters
Group 1
An attack on
terrorists?
Why might some
people think
this poem is:
Group 2
A clever twist on
a Greek myth
Group 4
A study of a
ruthless killer.

13. Those Bastards in their Mansions
What Duffy Poem Would you
Compare ‘Those Bastards in
Their Mansions’
With?

14. Those Bastards in their Mansions
‘Those Bastards in their Mansions’ and ‘Havisham’ are both dramatic monologues.
Do they have anything else in common?

15. Those Bastards in their Mansions
Consider:
What or who do they hate?
What is their reason for hatred?
What do they do because of this hatred?
What words do they use to express their hatred?
What do they plan to do next?
Those Bastards
HAVISHAM

16. Those Bastards in their Mansions
The word ‘shriek’ is used in both ‘Those Bastards in their Mansions’ and ‘Before you were Mine.’
What does this word tell us about the speakers’ thoughts and feelings in both poems?
Copy and complete the following sentences:
In ‘’Those Bastards in their Mansions’ the terrorist claims the
lords and ladies are shrieking because….
The word ‘shriek’ has a harsh and unpleasant sound and
the effect on the reader is….
However in, ‘Before you were Mine,’ Duffy’s mother and her friends
shriek because…