The Crucible a play by Arthur Miller

1. The Cruciblea play by Arthur Miller A witch hunt

2. Warm Up: 5 min, 5 points Think about a time that you have been accused of doing something that you didn’t do. How did you feel about the accusation? Why do you think it was made? What did you do about it? Was it ever disproven? If so, how? Write one paragraph describing this event, its causes and effects, and how it made you feel.

3. What the heck is a crucible? Any guesses?

4. Crucible • a container of metal used for heating substances to high temperatures. • a severe, searching test or trial.

5. Crucibles

6. Setting (time and location) • 1690s • Salem, MA (about an hour from Framingham)

7. Salem, MAHome of the Witch Trials

8. What do you do if someone seriously says, “Tell me you’re a witch or I’ll kill you.”

9. Real Life Characters We Will Meet • Sarah Good & Rebecca Nurse • Both hanged for witchcraft

10. Giles Corey

11. Who did this? In the 1600s, Puritans settled on the East coast of the United States. They brought with them the hope of religious freedom, but instead became embroiled in hysteria over the existence of witches. They had been persecuted in their native England, but they created a theocracy and eventually persecuted others.

12. Who were the accused witches? • Who do you think? • They were people who did not fit in. • Many were healers. • Most were women. • Many were without family, (all the single ladies) and this made them easy targets. • The first accused witch was Tituba, a black female servant.

13. How did it start? Teenage boredom. Bored and restricted by the oppressive Puritan life, girls held secret meetings in the woods at night. There they “conjured spirits.” One girl, Betty Parris, slipped into unconsciousness when her father Reverend Parriscaught them. To avoid punishment, the girls, led by Betty’s older sister, Abigailcreated the story of the “witches” who made them dance and conjure the spells.

14. HYSTERIA! It began as a way for the oppressed girls to avoid being punished. It then became an ideal way to get revenge on anyone whom you disliked. People started accusing their neighbors of being witches so they could steal their farmland.

15. Can you think of other examples of Hysteria in history? • Racial profiling (present) • AIDS epidemic (1990s) • McCarthyism (1960s)

16. Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many people — actors, writers, people in media, people in the government, and even people in the military — of being Communists. He held hearings where people were commanded to give names of other Communists in order for leniency. People were afraid they might be named as Communists, and it was called the Red Scare.

17. Why Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible Arthur Miller, one of America’s most famous playwrights, also wrote Death of a Salesmen. Miller lived during the 1950s and experienced the Communist hysteria of the era.

18. The Crucible was Arthur Miller’s way of protesting the House Unamerican Activities Committee hearings. He compared the Communist hearings to the witch hunts of Salem, where gossip, rumors, and fear were evidence enough to convict people. The term “witch hunt” now applies to any activity where people are looking for a scapegoat or where they are using accusations to get revenge or to get personal gain or attention.

19. Scapegoat • The “fall guy” • a person or group made to takethe blame for others or to suffer in their place.

20. Characters to Know • John Proctor = protagonist • Has an extramarital affair with Abigail Williams • He has ended it, but it haunts him and riddles him with guilt • Abigail Williams = antagonist • Rallies the girls to accuse others of witchcraft • She does this to win back John Proctor and to save herself

21. Characters to Know • Reverend Parris • Abigail’s uncle • Power-hungry, wants to rule the town • Tituba • Servant from West Indies • First accused of witchcraft • A scapegoat

22. So, now what… • We are going to watch the movie • Read scenes from the play • Answer questions • We are not reading the entire play, but since plays were meant to be watched, it’s okay to watch the movie, plus it’s a good one