The Crucible Act I

1. The CrucibleAct I Juniors

2. Swbat analyze the characters of Act I • REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE FOLLOWING

3. Character Analysis Elements of characterization: • • What they say (dialogue). • • What they do (actions). • • What they think (interior monologue). • • The people with whom they associate. • • What others say about them. One-page character analysis for your character

4. Foundations for good analysis • Mention title of the play. • Consider what we know about the character from the dialogue. • Make a claim about the character. • Back up the claim using textual evidence. • Analyze the evidence

5. Example • In The Crucible, one of the more respected members of the community also proved to be the most level-headed. Rebecca Nurse summoned to the bedside of an “ill” Betty, spoke truthfully about what she felt ailed the child. “A child’s spirit is like a child, you can never watch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back” (Miller 27). She was trying to tell the townspeople to stop making too much of the situation. She is also showing wisdom in that children don’t always tell the truth. The townspeople feel compelled to believe children because they cannot imagine them lying. Although it is not mentioned in Act I, we know the tide turns on Rebecca and she will stand accused. It is clear that she was one of the only people seeing the situation accurately and perhaps people like Putnam felt threatened. Putnam felt threatened not only by Rebecca’s common sense, but also her husband’s land and her ability to produce a lot of children. Unfortunately, it looks like Rebecca’s good reputation might not be enough to stand up against what looks like a dangerous situation in Salem.

6. Your Turn • Write a well-developed analysis • Use at least two quotes, cited properly (Author’s last name page number).