English with Mrs. Lamp



The Crucible

by Arthur Miller

What do good readers do?

• Pre-reading: Good readers skim the questions before doing the reading; it helps give them an idea of what they are about to read and what is important in the reading.

• Annotation: Good readers jot down some notes or make a little mark in the text when anything seems to answer one of the questions.

• Re-reading: When good readers start to feel lost or space out, they use reading strategies, like stopping to re-read the paragraph, looking up hard words, or reading on a bit to see if more context helps.

What does a good answer look like?

1. The student has clearly read the assigned reading.

2. The student not only answers the questions, but he or she supports the answer. To ensure thorough and thoughtful answers, try using “C-E-A.”

C: Answer the question clearly in one sentence.

E: Paraphrase or quote the text to prove the point. (Cite evidence properly by adding a parenthetical after both direct quotations and paraphrased evidence.)

A: Explain how the evidence proves the claim; “to analyze” is to break down into parts.

Introductory Reading Questions

1. What was Reverend Parris like?

2. Why did the Puritans need to be so disciplined and unified?

3. How did the New England Puritans treat those who did not share their religions, such as the Native Americans or believers from other “sects” (other types of Christianity)?

4. What made the pilgrims more successful than the Jamestown settlers?

5. What did the witch-hunt hysteria have to do with the age-old balancing act between order and freedom?

6. What personal or psychological motivations drove people to accuse against other people of witchcraft?

The Crucible

Act One

Vocabulary

pulpit –an elevated platform or podium used in preaching or conducting a worship service

faction – a group within a larger group that is often contentious, dissenting, or self-seeking

abomination – something that causes extreme disgust or hatred

naught –old-fashioned way to say “nothing”

clamor – to utter or proclaim insistently and noisily; to become loudly insistent

Essential Questions

• Why do people sometimes choose to ignore wisdom when it is spoken?

• What types of people are accepted as part of a community, and what types are excluded?

• How is it dangerous to be an outsider within a community?

169-175

1. How is Abigail first characterized?

2. What were the girls doing in the woods?

3. Can you infer what’s really wrong with Betty and Ruth?

175-182

4. Why is Parris so worried?

5. Describe Thomas Putnam.

6. How is John Proctor first characterized?

7. How does John feel about Abigail and his relationship with her, and how does she feel about him and their relationship?

8. Why don’t the Nurses and the Putnams get along?

9. Who is Rebecca Nurse, and how can one tell she symbolizes wisdom in this Act?

10. Why are Mr. and Mrs. Putnam eager to believe the Devil is behind the girls’ “sickness?”

11. Why does John Proctor dislike Reverend Parris and Mr. Putnam?

182-189

12. How is Reverend Hale first characterized?

13. How does Hale view himself and his mission in Salem?

14. How is Giles Corey characterized?

15. What did Giles Corey’s wife, Martha, do that worried him?

16. Can you infer why Tituba confessed so quickly to practicing witchcraft?

17. How does the atmosphere become hysterical at the end of this Act?

18. What might this atmosphere foreshadow?

Overall

19. What are Abigail Williams’s most important character traits?

20. What are John Proctor’s admirable and not-so-admirable character traits?

The Crucible

Act Two

Vocabulary

magistrate – a local official entrusted with the administration of laws

blasphemy – the act of insulting, showing contempt for, or showing a lack of reverence for God

covenanted – a Puritan who has made a compact or a formal agreement to act together with the rest of the church members to fulfill the ideas of their religion.

lechery – immoderate indulgence in sexual activity; lewd or lustful behavior

vengeance – with great force/vehemence; punishment in retaliation for an injury or offense

conjure – to summon a devil or spirit by invocation or incantation; to practice magical arts

Essential Questions

• Is it better to keep a secret to yourself if it would hurt your husband or wife to reveal it?

• Should sin or the status of one’s soul be matters of public concern?

• Should the government legislate matters of morality?

191-197

1. How do Elizabeth and John act around each other?

2. Can you infer why are they acting this way?

3. Does it seem like Elizabeth and John still care for one another?

4. Why is John afraid to tell everyone Abigail is lying?

5. Why does John get angry with Elizabeth?

197-201

6. Why does Mary think Sarah Good is a witch?

7. When Hale visits the Proctors, what makes him think they might not be good Christians?

8. What important information does John Proctor give Reverend Hale about the entire case?

9. How does Reverend Hale feel about Rebecca Nurse’s arrest?

10. What is Hale’s opinion of the court at this point?

202-205

11. Explain the significance of the doll Mary Warren gave Elizabeth Proctor.

12. What does “vengeance is walking in Salem” mean?

13. What does John Proctor mean when he says, “My wife will never die for me!”?

Overall

14. How is Elizabeth Proctor characterized?

15. What internal conflict is John now facing?

16. Man vs. man conflict: John is the protagonist, so who is the main antagonist?

17. Now who is making accusations of witchcraft and why?

18. Why don’t more people speak out against the accusers?

19. What types of women were accused at first, and what types of women are accused now?

20. Why might the pattern of accusations have changed?

The Crucible

Act Three

Vocabulary

contentious – likely to cause disagreement or argument; exhibiting a tendency to quarrels and disputes

pretense – insincere or faked behavior; a claim that is not supported by fact

contention – something (such as a belief, opinion, or idea) argued or stated in a debate

unperturbed – calm and serene; unruffled or unstirred

Literary Vocabulary

• Situational Irony: something happens that either the character or the reader totally did not expect; a state of affairs or an event that is contrary to what one expects

• Verbal Irony: a statement meant to be taken very differently from what the actual words express; ironic statements usually involve saying one thing, but meaning the opposite

• Foil:  a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character, usually the main character

Essential Questions

• What should people do if a friend needs help, but helping that friend might mean getting into trouble themselves?

• How should one respond when people in positions of authority are wrong?

• What should constitute evidence in a court of law?

207-227

1. Fearful of being made to look bad, Danforth and Hathorne tell Proctor something about his wife in hopes of convincing him to drop the case. What do they tell him, and why does he later refuse to drop the case anyway?

2. How does Deputy Governor Danforth view himself?

3. What does Giles Corey allege about Thomas Putnam’s motives?

4. Hale suggests Proctor should have a lawyer. Why does he suggest this, and how does this show that Hale’s opinions have changed regarding his opinion of the court?

5. What motivates John Proctor to reveal his affair with Abigail?

6. How is the result of Elizabeth Proctor telling the court John Proctor did not commit adultery an example of situational irony?

7. What do the girls do to convince the men of the court that they are telling the truth?

8. Can you infer why Mary Warren turns on John Proctor?

9. Why is John Proctor arrested at the end of this Act?

10. Hale says, at the end of the Act, “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” Why does he say this? (How is he feeling?)

Overall

11. Explain the verbal irony in the comment (in the stage directions) that Abigail, "out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her.”

12. Explain how Elizabeth Proctor is a foil for Abigail Williams.

The Crucible

Act Four

Vocabulary

prodigious –extraordinary in size, extent, amount, or bulk

cleave – to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly

tantalize – to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach

scaffold – a platform at a height above ground or floor level; a platform used for beheading or hanging

adamant – unshakable or insistent, especially in maintaining a position or opinion; unyielding

Essential Questions

• We learn in textbooks that Puritans came to America to pursue religious freedom. How do the events of the Salem witch trials complicate our understanding of the Puritans as “lovers of freedom?”

• During the witch trials, why would someone confess to being a witch even though it was not true? On the other hand, why would someone refuse to confess to being a witch?

• Are your name, honor, and reputation more important than your life?

• How important is the truth? Is it important enough to die for?

• What danger lies in making a false confession, saying you did something you did not do, just to get the authorities off your back?

229-240

1. Explain the significance of the image of cows wandering the road.

2. Why is Reverend Parris afraid for his safety now?

3. Can you infer why Danforth is alarmed at the news that Abigail and Mercy have fled?

4. What internal conflict may this news rouse in him?

5. What are Danforth’s reasons for receiving no pleas for pardon or for postponement of the executions?

6. Explain the situational irony in Danforth refusing to pardon the remaining people.

7. Why do both Parris and Danforth want Elizabeth to get John’s confession?

8. What are Elizabeth’s feelings regarding whether or not John should “confess” to witchcraft?

9. Why does Reverend Hale tell the accused witches to confess?

10. According to Elizabeth, how did Giles Corey die?

11. Why does John Proctor say he will confess at first?

12. Why does Elizabeth ask John to forgive her?

13. Arthur Miller, the playwright, ends this play with Proctor tearing up the confession and Elizabeth refusing to beg him to do what Danforth demands. Why did he tear it up? Why wouldn’t she plead with him? What theme message is Miller sending?

Overall

14. After reading the dictionary definition below, explain the title of the play, The Crucible.

CRUCIBLE (n.)

• a pot in which metals are heated to a very high temperature and melted

• a difficult test or challenge

• a situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions

Is The Crucible a Tragedy?

Using the criteria below, think about what a tragedy is. Does The Crucible meet the classic criteria? Is it a tragedy? Write a short journal (about a page long) discussing whether you think A) John Proctor is a tragic hero and B) the plot meets the classic pattern.

 

The Tragic Hero

1. He carries a touch of greatness. Often, this is shown through his fierce determination and fixed ideas, which make readers feel sympathy, pity, admiration, terror, and awe.

2. He contributes to his own destruction by his own actions; these actions reveal a flaw in his character. His “tragic flaw” is the quality within him that leads to his downfall.

3. He doesn’t have to be someone most people would automatically consider “good,” though he generally is that type of hero (classically good).

4. He shows that man is not worthless, cheap, or deplorable, no matter how rotten he can be.

5. He illustrates the center of the tragic impression: the sense of waste. This means readers are terribly sad the tragic hero has died because they feel his death was a huge and horrible waste of a life that had shown such nobility and potential.

The Tragic Plot

1. There is a sense of urgency and intensity; everything is moving very fast, and the suffering and calamities or disasters that befall the hero are exceptionally devastating and unusual.

2. Multiple opposing forces mobilize against the tragic hero, who is gradually isolated.

3. The tragic hero makes a decision based on what he mistakenly believes to be the case rather than what is actually the case.

4. The tragic hero is responsible for his own fall; he finally realizes his error this and accepts responsibility for the calamity. (Note: the suffering in tragedies must proceed from the actions of human beings, NOT from fate, God, nature, or technology)

5. He makes one last, courageous attempt to fix everything, but it is too late to prevent his own death. However, when he dies, the audience recognizes his potential for greatness and the nobility of his heart, and the audience recognizes his loss as a waste.

Character Analysis Essay

1) Pick a Character

In a “character analysis,” the writer explains how a character and his or her conflicts help readers understand a major theme. Both major and minor characters can illustrate important themes. In The Crucible, the characters below are all well developed, and they all contribute to at least one key theme. To get started, choose a character.

• John Proctor

• Abigail Williams

• Elizabeth Proctor

• Reverend Hale

• Judge Danforth

2) Brainstorm

Next, you will need to do some brainstorming before you start to write. Good writers always spend a significant amount of time thinking, planning, and taking notes before they ever begin to write a paper. Use the questions below to help you brainstorm effectively.

Character, Conflict, and Theme Questions

1. Character’s name?

2. Based on the character’s words, thoughts, and actions, what can you say about his or her personality and values?

3. What are his or her strengths and weaknesses?

4. How do the narrator and other characters feel about him or her?

5. What motivates this character to do as he does?

6. Does his or her past reveal anything important about what kind of person he or she is?

7. What major choice (or choices) did the character make?

8. What traits, beliefs, or values lead the character to make the choice(s) he or she makes?

9. How did the outcome (good or bad) of the character’s choice(s) teach readers a lesson?

10. What is the lesson or moral the character helps teach?

3) Write Your Essay

• Organization/Structure

o Intro paragraph: Start with a broad hook (relate the ideas of the paper to something in the real world) and then introduce the play a little bit, mentioning the author and title. Finally, state your thesis. A good thesis formula for this kind of essay goes like this: X (Character) teaches the audience that Y (Theme).

o First few body paragraphs: Discuss who this character is. Describe the character in-depth. (Use brainstorm #1-6)

o Last few body paragraphs: Make a claim about what theme the character helps develop. Analyze and explain how the reader learns this lesson through the character. (Use brainstorm #7-10)

o Conclusion: Re-state the thesis in a bold and forceful way and then broaden out at the end—how is this significant today or to everyone? What could society, Americans, or young people today learn from the ideas discussed in the essay?

• Other Requirements

o Use C-E-A paragraph flow.

o Include quotations to support the claims made. Good writers usually include 2-3 pieces of evidence in each body paragraph.

o You will earn no higher than a 50% “F” if you choose not to include text evidence in your body paragraphs.

o Stay in THIRD PERSON and use the LITERARY PRESENT TENSE.

o MUST include a Work Cited page!

• Need Citation Help?

o Use mrslamp. to see how to cite from a play, both in-text and in an MLA Works Cited.

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