The Crucible Character Analysis Essay - Weebly



The Crucible Character Analysis Essay

This assignment is a character analysis essay in which you will analyze a character’s journey through the Salem Witch Trials as Arthur Miller portrays them in his play The Crucible. You will include a thesis statement that makes an overall observation about your character’s motivation, choices, and change. You are answering the following questions:

• 1st body paragraph – What motivates this character’s behavior?

• 2nd body paragraph – What choices does the character make that affect the outcome of his or her situation?

• 3rd body paragraph – How does he or she change by the end of the play?

Through analysis and documentation (finding quotes and providing commentary), you will prove your thesis statement by answering the questions. Throughout the play, the characters and their personalities change through their motivations, their choices, and their actions. You will need to look back through the play to find significant quotes that reveal these changes in order to fully support your paper.

REQUIREMENTS:

➢ The characters you may choose from are: Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Rev. Parris, or Reverend Jonathan Hale.

➢ You must include 3 to 5 parenthetical citation.

➢ The paper must be typed in MLA format. Create an original title. Your completed essay will include 5 paragraphs and 1-1/2 – 2 pages in length. Times New Roman. Size 12 Font. 1” margins all around. MLA Heading.

Introduction – Begin with a hook to get your reader’s attention. A broad statement about Puritan society would be appropriate also. Mention the name of the play, author, and brief summary. End with your thesis statement.

THESIS STATEMENT: (This is a suggestion!) Since _____________________ is motivated by _________________________, his/her decision to ___________________________ creates ____________________________ by the end of the play.

Conclusion -- Here are some suggestions for your concluding paragraph:

• Re-state thesis

• Spend one sentence/question to remind reader what you discussed

• universalize (compare to other situations).

Due Dates:

Rough Draft: Ready at start of class on Monday, September 12, 2016. Printed.

Final Draft: Due to on Wednesday, September 13, 2016 @ 6 p.m.

NAME: __________________________________ PERIOD: _____

The Crucible Character Analysis Chart

Write the character’s name that you have chosen: _______________________________

HINT: turn this page sideways to make the most out of the space in the columns.

|What motivates this character’s behavior? |What choices does the character make that |How does he/she changes by the end of the |

|Why does he/she behave this way? |affect the outcome of his/her situation? |play? |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Questions to consider for character analysis:

1. Give your initial reaction to the character by completing the following sentence: “{Name of Character} in {Name of Work} is . . .”

2. What is the character’s function in the story (is the character a major or minor character)?

3. What does the character do that shows he/she fits the description you have given?

4. What does the character say that shows he/she fits the description you have given?

5. How do other characters react to your character? How do their reactions show he/she fits the description you have given?

6. Do you think that the character is stereotypical in some way? If so, does the character rise above the stereotype and how is this accomplished?

7. What [do the playwrights] say about your character that shows he/she fits the description you have given?

8. Is there any evidence that suggests the character does not fit the description you have given? What is it? How do you explain this evidence?

9. What are the character's strengths and weaknesses? Does the character overcome any of his/her weaknesses in the story?

10. What are the character's motivations (needs, interests, desires, fears, and goals)? Also look at the education, occupation, environment, economic status, family background, race, sex, and age of the character. How do these two sets of factors affect and shape the character's personality, situation, and actions?

11. Study the external and internal forces that affect, influence, challenge, motivate the character. How do these forces impact the character's personality, outlook, or choices?

12. Does the character change over time? How?

[questions are adapted from the following source: Hastings, A. Waller. “Questions for Papers on Character Analysis.” April 11, 2001. Northern State University. February 26, 2003. ]

NAME: ____________________________________ PERIOD: _____

The Crucible Character Analysis Planning Pages

Introduction – Begin with a hook to get your reader’s attention. A broad statement about Puritan society would be appropriate also. Mention the name of the play, author, and brief summary. End with your thesis statement.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Re-read your introduction and make sure you have not done the following:

a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).

b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).

c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.

2. You are now ready to come and show me your thesis statement, introduction and quotes.

3. Now you can move on to writing your first and second paragraphs.

Body paragraph 1 answers this question: What motivates this character’s behavior?

|Claim: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|___________________________________ |

|Quote: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|___________________________________ |

|Commentary: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________ |

|Closing Statement: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|___________________________________ |

Body paragraph 2 answers this question: What choices does the character make that affect the outcome of his/her situation?

|Claim: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|___________________________________ |

|Quote: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________ |

|Commentary: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________ |

|Closing Statement: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________ |

Body paragraph 3 answers this question: How does he/she change by the end of the play?

|Claim: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|___________________________________ |

|Quote: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________ |

|___________________________________________________________ |

|Commentary: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________ |

|Closing Statement: |

|______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

|______________________________________________________________________________________________ |

1. Re-read your body paragraphs and make sure you have not done the following:

a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).

b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).

c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.

d. Forgot to give credit to Arthur Miller by not documenting your quote.

e. Embedding your quote.

2. Now you can write your conclusion.

Here are some suggestions for your concluding paragraph:

• Re-state thesis

• Spend one sentence/question to remind reader what you discussed

• universalize (compare to other situations).

1.Re-read your conclusion and make sure you have not done the following:

a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).

b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).

c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.

d. Not re-stated your thesis.

e. Not spend one sentence/example reminding reader what you discussed.

f. Wrap-up the paper.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download