Crucible: Act 3

1. Crucible: Act 3 Listen to the end of the Act

2. Act 3 Basics before we finish Act • How and why does Giles Corey interrupt the court proceedings? What does the response of the judges to him and Francis Nurse suggest about the way the trials are being conducted? • Why does Proctor bring Mary Warren to court? How does Mary Warren’s confession threaten Danforth, Parris, and Hawthorne? • How has Abigail manipulated the action in Act 3 so far? • How does Danforthplan to test Proctor’s confession?

3. Quickwrite-Emotion • 1. Choose one of the emotions listed and write some bullet points regarding how the emotion has manifested so far (quotes, examples, characters). • Jealousy/Envy • Fear/insecurity • Frustration/Repressed • Empathy/Compassion • Guilt • Power-Hungry Egoism /Pride • 2. “These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins”(Miller). Explain. Do we have “rituals’ to wash away our sins that they didn’t have/use?

4. Act 3 Readers (from page 102 through 117) • Period 1: Hathorne-Raiza Danforth-Justin Parris-Jeremy Elizabeth Proctor-Zofia John Proctor-Evan Mary Warren-Lizzie Hale-Simon Cheever-Dina Giles Corey-Sam Abigail-Nikki • Period 4: Hathorne-Jordan Danforth-Jeff Parris-Christian Elizabeth Proctor-Sachi John Proctor-Stephen Mary Warren-Christine Hale-Kush Cheever-Aditya Giles Corey-Justin Abigail-Julia

5. As we finish Act 3… • Compare and contrast Abigail and Mary Warren. • Find the Catch-22 (darned if you do and if you don’t) situations in the play. • Make a T Chart with “Proofs/Evidence” of the guilt of those accused one the left and The Reality of the situation (an explanation of these “proofs) on the right • How and why does Abigail continue to control the action in Act 3? • What would you identify as the key conflict of act 3 and why? Do you consider this struggle the most important conflict of the play so far? Explain. • Which characters are undergoing a “severe test” at this point and how are they farring?

6. Important Quotes: Act Three • “This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” • “I say—I say—God is dead!” • “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”

7. Historical Allegory Let’s look at those slides from the intro power-point regarding the connects between the play and the 1950s HUAC.

8. How to write an analytical paragraph (literary) Crash Course Review

9. Overview: What Does an AP Need? • A topic sentence that makes a clear argument or claim that needs to be proven. • It should directly address the question/prompt. • Supporting ideas or sentences that help explain or clarify the topic sentence. • Detailed and specific evidence (examples). In the form of quotations taken from the text if it is based on a literary text, or specific examples explained with detail if not. • Sharp and insightful commentary/analysis. • Logical flow and organization, MLA format • Transitions • Strong word choice • Varied sentence structure

10. Step 1: Topic Sentences… • … are like mini thesis statements. • … must make an arguable claim or assertion; have a “kernel of insight” • Claim/Assertion = The point you are proving. • …should be clear, insightful, and complex; not surface level. • …should be specific and directly related to the story, not broad and general. • …SHOULD NOT describe the plot; nor should it be a description of what the author is doing. • Your topic sentence should provoke in the reader this response: “That’s an interesting idea I’d like to see proven.”

11. Step 1: Topic Sentence Examples • Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? A. Arthur Miller introduces a character named Abigail Williams who is in love with John Proctor and does many horrifying things to be with him. B. Arthur Miller illustrates the idea that it is human nature to capitalize on other people’s misfortunes through the character of Thomas Putnam. C. The ignorant mind of Mary Warren is motivated by fear and the intense longing to control it, thus revealing a common human insecurity, which contributes to the overall tragedy. D. Abigail Williams is a very deceptive character. E. Rebecca Nurse is a saint and it is shocking when she is accused. Rank them 1-5 with 1 being the best

12. Step 1 & 2: Topic Sentence and bridge • What message does Miller send through Mary Warren’s character? The ignorant mind of Mary Warren is motivated by fear and the intense longing to control it, thus revealing a common human insecurity that can have radiating effects. • You may need to add another sentence or two to explain your claim for the reader and/or to set up the background of the story you are writing about. The ignorant mind of Mary Warren is motivated by fear and the intense longing to control it, thus revealing a common human insecurity that can have radiating effects. Innocent and simple Mary may seem harmless, but like any other human under the grip of fear she cringes and searches for the quickest solution no matter how right or wrong. This prevailing weakness plagues her throughout the play and leads to the betrayal of friends and her own morals as the community falls deeper into the hunt for village witches.

13. Step 3: Rules of Thumb for Finding Evidence • Just 2-3 quotes per paragraph with an MLA citation • Be selective! Don’t choose quotes that say something you could say just as easily. Choose quotes that: • clearly make your point in a sophisticated way. • irrefutably proves your point. • are memorable or come from extremely significant moments in the story • Keep your selected quotes short and sweet for maximum impact.

14. Step 4: Quote Analysis Strategies • Typically, your quote analysis should come AFTER the quote. • It’s the most important part of your paragraph (aside from your TS); it is your opportunity to insightfully convince the reader that your point of view is the right one. • Quote analysis should always answer: • Why/How does this quote help to prove my supporting ideas, my topic sentence, and my thesis? Why is this quote significant/important? So what? • Ask yourself these questions every single time you are to write a quote analysis and make sure that your analysis answers the question thoroughly. • Do not re-state what’s already been stated in your quote. Strive for depth or further elaboration!

15. Step 4: Quote Analysis Strategies • Things You Could Do: • Examine closely the specific words or images in your quoted passage and explain/discuss how they relate to bigger and more important ideas (close reading). If your analysis does not make specific mention of at least one word or phrase then it is not deep enough. • Make connections between the quote and other similar moments in the story; paraphrase them and explain how they emphasize or highlight similar ideas. • Explain how an idea or message might change if the scene had been written differently or the idea in the quote you used had been excluded.

16. Dropped Quotes: How to Fix… • A well-integrated quote is a lot like a sandwich: • On top is a sentence of your own thoughts/ideas along with a brief summary which helps explain where you got the quote you’re using to illustrate your point. • The idea is that you are writing to someone who is reasonably intelligent but who may not have read the story you are writing about. Consequently, you will want to provide just enough information so that the reader understands what is going on. • In the middle is the quote (using signal phrases/taglines and transitions to connect it to the rest of your writing). • On the bottom are a few sentences that elaborate/analyze your quote.

17. The only thing missing now is a… • Concluding sentence • Relates back to the topic sentence • Brings paragraph to a close. Can be similar to the TS but not identical. • Extends the importance of the idea(s) presented in the topic sentence. • Answers the question “so what?” • Why should readers care about your paragraph?

18. Final Draft-Little “wordy” could be more succinct but is strong The ignorant mind of Mary Warren is motivated by fear and the intense longing to control it, thus revealing a common human insecurity that can have radiating effects. Innocent and simple Mary may seem harmless, but like any other human under the grip of fear she cringes and searches for the quickest solution no matter how right or wrong. This prevailing weakness plagues her throughout the play and leads to the betrayal of friends and her own morals as the community falls deeper into the hunt for village witches. Once the girls shenanigans are revealed, Mary is afraid of what will happen to her. She tries to control this fear by going along with the girls as court officials. She finds that this helps her feel less fear and more confidence. She even says to the Proctors, “I only hope you’ll not be so sarcastical no more… I would have you speak civilly to me from this out” (65). Mary feels an influx of power, from her new position at court, and it provides a warm security for her. The newly born idea that she could have control over her fear through establishing authority over the Proctors is intoxicating; however, Mary’s entire position of strength is based on a lie. Mary dreads the daunting consequences of her misbehavior and forges a lies to shadow her fear. Later in the play, Mary is given the opportunity to confront her fear and do what she knows is right, but quails to the unbearable thought of the consequences. Mr. Proctor encourages her to go before the court and truthfully testify on behalf of his wife, but horrified of punishment, she breaks and turns on Mr. Proctor himself. She tells the court he forced her to testify and proves Miller’s point about how self-serving fear can make people. Mary screams in hysterics, “I’ll not hang with you… ‘I’ll murder you ,’ he [Proctor] says, ‘if my wife hangs! We must go overthrow the court’…He wakes me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw at my neck” (121). Mary’s claim when under duress in open court that John Proctor “is the Devil’s man” underscores Miller’s message that humans disregard deeply imbedded morality and submit to fear to avoid consequences. Mary knows that if she testifies for Mrs. Proctor she will have to admit to her initial lie and therefore suffer the subsequent punishment. She turns her back on what she know is right and furthers her exaggerated lie, putting the blame on Mr. Proctor. Mary Warren clearly embodies the theme that humans, at their very basic level, are driven by fear and the ultimate desire to eliminate it no matter how wrong this may be.

19. Final Tips • Write in 3rd person, formal academic voice. • Eliminate contractions and phrases like “I think,” “In my opinion,” or “I believe.” • Literary present tense. Describe plot events in present tense. • Try to avoid stiff, awkward, and trite phrases like: • “In this quote…” • “This quote shows that…” • “This shows that…”

20. Act 3 Focus Questions #1-6 Please respond to only the one question matching your given number. Response should be in body paragraph form, include at least two quotes, go beyond summary, and provide thoughtful ideas. • 1. Discuss two major Catch 22 (damned if you do and if you don’t) situations in the play. Who is responsible for creating these situations? • 2. Track Hale’s progression to eventually “quitting the court.” How does this happen? What is the message Miller delivers through Hale in Act 3? Is the reader to respect him? • 3. They (the judges and other main figures) come so close to seeing the “reality” of the situation and what a big mistake they are making in Act 3. Do they have what they need to see this situation clearly? Why don’t they? Why can’t they (consider that if Hale can, why can’t Parris)? Explain. • 4. Discuss the implications of Proctor’s quote, “I say—I say—God is dead!” Consider this is Puritan Early America and what it means for his character. How does this relate to Miller’s main ideas/messages? • 5. What is the message that Miller delivers to the audience through Elizabeth Proctor? • 6. Identify two key instances of effective manipulation in Act 3 and discuss why they work?

21. Digging into Act 3 Putting this all together  • Gather with the other students who responded to the same question you did • Read your paragraphs to each other • Discuss the best things about each paragraph and have a thoughtful conversation on your given question. • Then, on a blank piece of white paper, take the best parts of your individual paragraphs and synthesize them into one awesome, thoughtful paragraph, MLA formatted. • We will share these on the doc cam on Monday. Have a draft by end of the period

22. Digging into Act 3 • Gather with the other students who responded to the same question you did • Read your paragraphs to each other • Discuss the best things about each paragraph and have a thoughtful conversation your given question. • Then, on a blank piece of white paper, take the best parts of your individual paragraphs and synthesize them into one awesome, thoughtful paragraph, MLA formatted. • We will share these on the doc cam at ____.