The Crucible

1. The Crucible Higher English

2. Key facts • full title The Crucible • author Arthur Miller • type of work Play • genre Tragedy, allegory • time and place written America, early 1950s • setting (time) 1692 • setting (place) · Puritan Salem, a small town in colonial Massachusetts

3. PLOT For many hundreds of years throughout Europe there was a belief in witchcraft. At times this belief developed into hysterical fear, leading to campaigns of persecution against suspected witches. A small town in New England succumbs to the hysteria of witchcraft when two young girls (Abigail and Betty) appear to be bewitched and allegations are made against many innocent people. At the same time, John Proctor struggles with his own guilty conscience over his recent infidelity with Abigail Williams.

4. ‘THE CRUCIBLE’ BY ARTHUR MILLER Born on October 17, 1915 on 112th Street in Manhattan. Family was middle class and Jewish. He went to grammar school in Harlem and high school in Brooklyn. He got a job as a "loader" and shipping clerk and managed to pay his own way at the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1938. Miller was also a public figure. In 1956, he appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He refused to name people who were thought to be members of the Communist Party. Because he refused to give the names of the people at the meeting, Miller was convicted of contempt of Congress in 1957. The Supreme Court reversed this in 1958. This political witch-hunt, known as McCarthyism after Joseph McCarthy, inspired Miller to write The Crucible. In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy of West Virginia, began accusing people in the government of being or supporting Communists. Fear broke out in the American public, much like the fear that erupted in Salem once people were accused of witchcraft. Miller wrote the play from the standpoint that people must not only be careful about how they react to situations, but that they also cannot avoid involvement in issues, for that would mean to deny one's own personal responsibility in the human race. Miller married three times and died early in 2005. Some of Miller's famous plays include: Death of a Salesman-1949, All My Sons, The Crucible-1953 and A View From the Bridge.

5. Who were the Puritans? • Definition: Refers to the movement for reform, which occurred within the Church of England between the time of Elizabeth and Charles II. • The Puritans wanted to rid the Church of any Catholic residue and build upon the ideas of John Calvin. When Elizabeth died and Charles II dissolved parliament, and any connection between church and state, he demanded that anyone be killed who did not support the new Anglican Church. Hence, religious persecution began for the Puritans. • Left for the New World in 1620 and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

6. The Puritan community was a theocracy, a government which blends church and state. The church’s officials were the government’s officials. Thus, church and state were not separate. Because of the theocratic nature of the society, moral laws and state laws are one and the same: sin and the status of an individual’s soul are matters of public concern. There is no room for deviation from social norms, since any individual whose private life doesn’t conform to the established moral laws represents a threat not only to the public good but also to the rule of God and true religion. In Salem, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the Devil; dissent is not merely unlawful, it is associated with satanic activity. This dichotomy functions as the underlying logic behind the witch trials.

7. Theological Beliefs Espoused by the Puritans These beliefs originated in Calvinism. • Total depravity: Humankind is totally sinful through the fall of Adam and utterly unable to work out their own redemption. • Unconditional election (Predestination): God is under no obligation to save anyone. He saves or “elects” those who he wills with no reference to good works. • Limited atonement: Christ died only for the elect. • Irresistible grace: God’s free grace is neither earned nor refused. Anyone who has it, has it. • Perseverance of saints: Those whom God has chosen have thenceforth full power to do the will of God and the ability to live uprightly to the end.

8. The Puritan Dilemma “Puritanism required: • That a man devote his life to seeking salvation but told him he was helpless to do anything evil. • That he rest his whole hope in Christ but taught him that Christ would utterly reject him unless before he was born, God had foreordained his salvation. • That man refrain from sin but told him he would sin anyhow. • That he reform the world in the image of God’s holy kingdom but taught him that the evil of the world was incurable and inevitable. • That he work to the best of his ability at what ever task was set before him and partake of the good things that God had filled the world with but told him he must enjoy his work and his pleasures only, as if it were, absentmindedly, with attention fixed on God. Edmund S. Morgan, Historian

9. Signs of Puritan Decay • Visible decay of godliness • Manifestations of pride, especially among the rich • Violations of the Sabbath • Rise in contentious lawsuits • Sins of sex and alcohol on the rise • Decay in business morality – laborers underpaid, lying, etc • Lack of desire to reform

10. Witchcraft • For many hundreds of years throughout Europe there was a belief in witchcraft. At times this belief developed into hysterical fear, leading to campaigns of persecution against suspected witches. Some of them might have had a knowledge of herbal medicine or other folk remedies. Superstitious people would assume they had magical powers or were in league with the devil. • In a time of fear it would be easy to accuse someone you did not like and very difficult for the accused to prove their innocence. • Some scholars became experts in witchcraft and believed they knew how to identify witches. It was thought that witches were agents of the Devil and that they could change their shape. • Many thousands of people accused of being witches were tortured and executed throughout the Middle Ages and up to the seventeenth century. • The authorities used the text from Exodus 22:18 to justify these killings: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

11. Salem • This belief in witchcraft persisted among the English colonists in America. In 1692 there was an outbreak of accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. • The colonists there were Puritans who followed a particular form of Protestant Christianity and would tolerate no other. They felt surrounded by ungodly people and associated the forest with savages and with evil. • Two young girls had been taking part in magical ceremonies. Ministers, doctors and magistrates were called in and soon accusations were multiplying. • Before the panic had burned itself out, twenty people had been executed (one man was pressed to death by stones) and about two hundred had been accused. • Later some of the witnesses and judges who had been involved publicly regretted what had taken place.

12. The Salem Witch Trials, 1692 • Innocent prank caused mass hysteria during time of unrest • Hysteria implies Puritans deep belief in supernatural • Puritans cannot handle anything threatening the quest for perfection/religious purity (magic is out of place) • Puritans brought pre-existing ideas about women & magic to colonies • Women = evil & sexual--targets for Devil

13. Am I a witch? One of these people were accused (and imprisoned) for being a witch during the Salem trials. Can you guess which one? Give reasons for your answer.

14. Dorcas Good • She was Sarah Good's daughter. • 5 years old • Fond of snakes • Sarah Good • She was a homeless woman and begged door to door. • She would mumble words under her breath if people failed to give her alms.

15. George Burroughs • He was the second Salem Village minister • He had five children. • He was widowed three times. • Giles Corey • He had a criminal record mostly for stolen foods and tobacco. • 80 years old

16. You're Accused! It's the spring of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts.  You've just been accused by "an afflicted girl" of being a witch.  The reason for the accusation against you might have been any from a long list of possibilities.  Perhaps you're reclusive, talk to yourself, or exhibit some other form of eccentric behavior.  Perhaps you were involved in a previous dispute with the family of the afflicted girl.  Perhaps you don't go to church, or go to the wrong church, or sided with the wrong faction in recent congregational strife within the Salem Village Church.  Perhaps you speak French or are suspected with having aided the Wabanakis in the recent Indian wars.  Or perhaps you expressed support for a recently accused witch or--worse yet--accused the accusers of lying.  Whatever the reason, you're in big trouble now.  What do you do?  (Pick an option below).

17. Options • Flee Salem • Accuse Someone Else • Get pregnant • Confess • Go on trial • Refuse to stand for trial

18. Options • Flee Salem Good idea, if you can swing it.  Several accused witches did escape from jail and survive the 1692 hysteria.  They included Philip and Mary English, John Alden, Hezekiah Usher, and Mrs. Nathaniel Cary.   However, all these accused persons had either money or influence that made their escape possible.  You don't have either.  Try your next option. • Accuse Someone Else The theory here is that if you're afflicted by witchcraft, you can't be a witch yourself.  This theory even convinced some daughters to testify against their own mothers.  It's not a bad idea (if you have no conscience), but--sorry--it's too late now.  You should have thought of this idea a few days ago.  Now, your accusation will look like an obvious attempt to distract attention from your own guilt.  The accusation of witchcraft has been made against you and you're still going to have to deal with it.  Pick another option.

19. Get Pregnant This isn't as silly an idea as it sounds.  Pregnant women, even if convicted of witchcraft, would not be executed so long as they remained pregnant.  The theory is that even if you deserve death, the baby inside you does not--so the officials will put off your execution.  This was called "reprieve for the belly."Of course, you still might be executed eventually, but the hope is that the hysteria won't last another nine months.One slight problem, however.  Who will you find in jail to impregnate you?  Sorry, this option is not available: Try another! • ConfessThis route, pioneered by accused witches Tituba and Deliverance Hobbs, turned out to be a life saver.  Confessing witches weren't executed.  Instead, they were kept apart from other prisoners, to be called upon in trials when their testimony might be helpful to the prosecution.  The Puritans believed that once a person made a full confession, his or her fate should be left in God's hands, not man's.  Fifty-five persons in the Salem area confessed to witchcraft in 1692, adding substantial credibility to the initial charges of witchcraft made by the afflicted girls.Do you really want to admit to being a witch?  Is this something you want on your resume?  If not, try another option..

20. Plead Innocent and Stand for TrialThis is the approach that led to nineteen innocent persons being carted off to Gallows Hill during the summer of 1692.  If you plead innocent, you'll have to face trial without a lawyer and without the ability to call witnesses on your own behalf, answer unanwerable questions ("If you're not a witch, how do explain the fact that these afflicted girls fall into fits the minute you enter the room?")--all before a court that unanimously believes in witchcraft and believes that you're guilty.  This approach looks hopeless.  You better try another option. • Refuse to Stand for Trial Octogenarian Giles Corey gave this option a try.  Knowing the fate that awaited him if he stood for trial, Giles refused to answer the ritual question, "Will you be tried by your God and your country (that is, a jury)?"  The penalty for refusing to answer was peine forte et dure, an especially unpleasant way of going that involves piling heavy stones on your body until you either agree to stand trial or are crushed to death.I don't think you want to go through with this.  Better try another option.

21. The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller which explores the Salem Witch Trials. A Crucible is a severe test. It does not maintain authentic situations from the historical events. However, it does demonstrate how hysteria and blind faith can corrupt individuals, even those with good intentions.

22. The play is social commentary made by Miller in response to the McCarthy Un-American witch hunt trials of the 1950’s. "The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because the enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but rather because of the traitorous actions of those who have had all the benefits that the wealthiest nation on earth has had to offer - the finest homes, the finest college educations, and the finest jobs in Government we can give."

23. The Film The Crucible Film (1996) Dir. Nicholas Hytner DISCLAIMER: • Just as Arthur Miller ‘changed’ history for his own artistic ends, so too did the director with his film version of the play. It may differ slightly from the original text, which is what we will be using for our exam answers. • The film WILL help with your understanding of the plot etc. but NEVER base an essay/exam answer on the film. You have been warned. • WATCH THE FULL FILM HERE  http://vimeo.com/52989403

24. AS YOU WATCH take notes on: • Important characters • Important events • Relevant aspects of setting • Possible themes

25. AFTER YOU HAVE WATCHED Discuss with a partner and take notes on how suitable you think the title ‘The Crucible’ is for this play. Dictionary definitions are included below to help you. • A vessel for melting a substance at a very high temperature. • A severe test or trial • A situation in which interacting influences produce something new.

26. READ THE FULL TEXT HERE http://asbamericanlit.edublogs.org/files/2011/10/21078735-The-Crucible-Arthur-Miller-2hmdzot.pdf NOW do homework sheet ONE on ‘The Prologue’

27. Setting in the Crucible COPY • ‘The Crucible’ is set in Puritan New England in 1692. The action takes place between spring and autumn in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the town of Salem and the surrounding countryside. Salem was a theocracy in which the Christian moral law, as interpreted by the Puritan settlers of the town, was supreme.   • Puritanism began in England in the 1500's when reformers attempted to purify the Protestant Church of England with the pure word of the Bible. Several thousand Puritans came to America, settling in Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to establish and practice their religion. The Puritans were sombre, disciplined people who did not allow any frivolity to come between them and their work. Miller researched the period in great detail to make his portrait of Salem life as authentic as possible. • Each of the settings in the play reflects Salem life and can give us insights into the characters and their motivations. Miller gave each of his acts a single setting and because of this, each of the settings can offer a different view of life in Salem. Act One takes place in the bedroom of Betty Parris and the initial stage directions help us to understand not only what life was like in Salem but also how the events in the play will unfold as they do.

28. Read the stage directions and complete the table below to show how they reinforce what we already know about life in Salem. Now read up to the entrance of John Proctor

29. The Crucible, Scene OneUnderstanding Questions • What happened in the woods the night before Act One begins? • How did the events come to light? • Why do Betty and Ruth behave as they do? • Why is the town so stirred up by these events? • Are the girls actually guilty of witchcraft? • What is Reverend Parris’ first reaction to the crisis? • What reason does Ann Putnam have to be resentful? • How was she involved in events in the forest? • What reason does Thomas Putnam have to be resentful? • Why do the girls argue about whether or not to tell the truth? • How does Abigail eventually get her way? • Comment on Abigail, Betty Ruth, Mercy, Tituba and Mary’s mental states in this scene.

30. Act One Task: • For Monday, write TWO PEE paragraphs on how Miller emphasises the growing hysteria and tension in Salem throughout Act One. • You should make reference to specific literary and dramatic techniques in your answer.

31. The Crucible, Scene OneAnalysis Questions • Find three pieces of evidence to show how Tituba is shown to be an outsider from the very start of the play. • Already, we see that Salem is a town full of conflicts. Identify 3 examples of individuals/groups in conflict in scene one and provide quotations. • The audience are introduced to Abigail Williams in scene one. She does not behave like a typical girl of her age and society. Name three ways in which this is shown to be true. • Are there any reasons to feel sympathy for Abigail? • By the end of the scene, the main players could choose to put an end to proceedings. It is this choice that allows the drama to escalate. Identify the course of action available to each and comment on why you think they don’t take it. (Abigail, Putnam, Parris and The Girls) • Miller shows how quickly lies and gossip can corrupt people. Provide three quotations to show that this is happening already in Salem.

32. Copy and complete the following table to show the various different attitudes towards witchcraft displayed in Scene 1. Some can appear contradictory; this is the wonder of human nature as Miller presents it. Be sure to include all you can.

33. John Proctor 1. Miller’s brief prose insert about John paints a vivid picture. What information are we given? Use bullet points.  2. John Proctor is described by Miller on p27 as a sinner who ‘has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud’. a) What evidence is there of how he has sinned in the next few pages? b) Why does he consider himself guilty of ‘fraud’? 3. How does he feel about his sin? Quote and explain. 4. a) From the information we are given, compile a series of events that outlines the affair from beginning to end (you may have to look back to scene one fro some information). b) What does Proctor’s treatment of Abigail in this scene tell us about his character? 5) What is his initial reaction to the reports of ‘witchcraft?’  6) How does Proctor explain his absence from Church to Parris? Quote and explain.  7) What is revealed about the relationship between Proctor and Parris?   8) What does this tell us about Proctor’s character?  9) What is revealed about the relationship between Proctor and Putnam?  10) What does this tell us about Proctor’s character?

34. John Proctor • Now write a PEE paragraph about how the character is presented to the audience in scene two, using quotations from the play.

35. Abigail • Why was Abigail really fired from being a servant to the Proctors? • Why does Abigail dislike Elizabeth Proctor so much? • What was her real reason for being in the forest? • How does Miller show her power over the other girls? Task: COMPLETE a mind-map on Abigail where you note down all the facts that we have learned, opinions we have and judgements we have made so far.

36. Hale“have no fear – we shall find (the devil) out if he has come among us and I mean to crush him utterly) Task: Read scene three and write the report that Hale send to Danforth after the events of Act One. You should mention: • Why he first came to Salem • His impressions of the people • His reaction to events in the Parris household • His assessment of the witchcraft in the village/children • What he believes to be the best course of action

37. Scene Three Questions 1. When Reverend Hale first arrives, he enters Parris' home carrying something. What is he carrying and why would the author choose this object for this character? 2. Giles tells Hale that John Proctor doesn't believe in witches. What is John Proctor's response? 3. Rebecca Nurse makes a comment to Mrs. Putnam before she leaves Parris' home to go home. What is it and what is she implying? 4. Giles asks Hale about his wife's behaviour. What is he concerned about? 5. There is a disagreement about the kettle in the forest. Who disagrees and what about? 6. In Act 1, when Abigail feels cornered by Hale, she shifts the blame. Who does she blame and for what? 7. Does Tituba come up with the idea of other townspeople talking to the devil? Why do you think she confesses? 8. What was Tituba’s initial motivation for accusing others? Second? Third? 9. What was the girls’ initial motivation for accusing others? Second? Third?

38. Hysteria in ‘The Crucible’ • Act One begins quietly, with a young girl lying unresponsive on a bed. • By the end of the Act, eleven people have been accused of witchcraft. • Hysteria, superstition and gossip are other factors that contribute to the escalation of the situation in Salem. • Act One shows JUST how quickly rumours can spread in a small, fearful town such as Salem and demonstrates the power of gossip and fear.

39. Task: Reading from Act One, make a note of ALL the instances of gossip/superstition and rumour of witchcraft that would play a part in allowing the situation to escalate as people get more afraid. e.g. • DETAILSSusanna Walcott “you might look to unnatural things for the cause of it” • WHO IS INVOLVED Parris/Susanna/Dr Griggs • DETAILS pg 17/18 Susanna Walcott “you might look to unnatural things for the cause of it” • WHO IS INVOLVED Parris/Susanna/Dr Griggs • DETAILS pg 21 Mrs Putnam • DETAILS pg 28 John Proctor • DETAILS pg 30 Putnam • DETAILS pg 32 Rebecca Nurse • DETAILS pg 43 Giles Corey YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES

40. Task • Discuss your answers in your group – what quotations do you have? What have you missed. • Add to your own notes. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES

41. A Tragedy A story about serious issues It ends unhappily It usually ends with the deaths of the main characters The main character’s death is usually a result of his or her own downfall

42. A Tragic Hero • Aristotle’s classic definition of a tragic hero is someone of high rank who embodies nobility yet has a fatal flaw which leads to his inevitable downfall e.g. Macbeth, Romeo etc. • Proctor cannot be considered a tragic hero in the classical sense since he has no rank, nor is he particularly noble. He is an ordinary farmer and adulterer. • However, he is tragic in as much as he has a sense of what nobility or morality should be and is painfully aware of his own shortcomings. He senses his own weaknesses and failures keenly. • He could also be seen to achieve nobility by the end of the play when he refuses to compromise his principles and chooses to face death rather than lie. • In the end he chooses his own integrity over his life which is ultimately Proctor’s tragedy.

43. The Plot structure for a Tragic Pattern Crisis/ Turning Point Rising Action Falling Action Exposition Climax/Resolution

44. Act I: Exposition Introduces the setting, main characters, themes and the main conflict e.g. Salem’s underlyingtensions and secrets are exposed. Act 1 – Betty’s bedroom Exposition

45. Miller’s Tragic Pattern Act I: Exposition (Betty’s bedroom) Act II: Rising Action (Proctor House) Act III: Crisis or Turning point (Courtroom) Act IV: Falling Action (Cell) Act IV: Climax and resolution (Cell)

46. The Crucible Act One Essay Task: Work in groups to gather the information you would need to answer the following question: • Act One begins quietly with a young girl lying unresponsive on a bed. By the end of the Act, eleven people have been accused of witchcraft. • Making close reference to the text, show how circumstances in Salem allow the situation to develop into hysteria. YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES

47. Homework: Mini Critical Essay • Now you will work individually to write a mini critical essay in response to the question. • You will need a FULL introduction, THREE paragraphs and a FULL conclusion. DUE FRIDAY 11TH MARCH

48. IntroductionText, Author, Refer to Task, ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller is concerned with early settlers in the village of Salem, where religious superstition and personal conflict is rampant. The first act introduces the underlying conflicts and tensions of the community which will eventually allow the situation to develop to its tragic climax. In the play, Miller skillfully explores the contributing factors to this tragedy and effectively portrays a community on the verge of hysteria.

49. Point Sentences must refer to the question and states what topic is being covered in the paragraph. REMEMBER LINKING! Evidence A quotation must be written in your essay exactly as it is written in the text Evaluation You must explain how the quotation supports your topic sentence. This demonstrates... You should choose a word or phrase from the quotation to evaluate (discuss how effective it is) in helping to answer the question. The word...suggests...

50. Conclusion The first act of ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller introduces the underlying conflicts of Salem society and through the accusations at the end of the act, reveals to the audience how easily a community based on guilt and repression can be manipulated to the point of hysteria. The community’s treatment of children and outsiders, religious intolerance, personal conflicts and ultimately the pride and vanity of certain townspeople are all seen to be contributing factors which will lead to Salem’s downfall.